He still gives us grace

Grace.

What does that word mean to you?

When I think of that word, I think I am lucky that God breathes His grace over me. I am blessed. I look around at my life and think to myself, wow. God does love me. My life is covered with His grace. 

But lately I am trying to focus on giving others grace. I want God's grace to shine through me to others. 
Others, who may not even know God.
Others who know of Him.
Others who simply think God has forgotten about them.
Others who already know & love & live for God. 

We all need grace. And we all need to give grace.

source

My son will be 3 in June. We are almost out of the terrible twos. And quite frankly, he nailed the terrible twos. The kid is like clockwork. Very particular about things (he gets that from his daddy, not me...). The kid needs his sleep. He doesn't mind sleeping in and I love that. But when mommy has to wake up him up all things turn upside down in his world.

At those moments when I want to yell and scream and just totally lose my cool, I look for Jesus. I look for Jesus in my sons eyes. It brings tears to my eyes searching in those big brown eyes because you know what.. I see Him right there in my sons eyes. 

So often we get caught up in our situations we act crazy because we are human, and that will happen. But to try to not act all crazy, to find grace in the moments when I would rather scream at the top of my lungs, but instead calmly search for Jesus.  

How true is this situation in our lives? When I rant and rave because things aren't "my" way. 
God still covers me in grace. 
NO MATTER HOW I ACT.

let's just take a pause

So many things in my day to day life I think.. Will this really matter? I am mostly talking materialistic items, tangible, worldly things. Like, going to work during the week, doing my mundane tasks while there, cooking food (okay yes that matters for the sake of our health) but cooking food that is "pin worthy" or "instagram worthy", obsessing over a tidy house, social media, and really this list could go on.

I took a pause from writing blog posts because I kept waiting for God to speak to me throughout my quiet time during the weeks for a good blog post. But I kept hearing silence in that department.

Sometimes we just need to pause. Put life on hold.

Because those dirty dishes will still be there waiting for you another moment. 

Someone else's photo of their food is still going to be better than yours.

My newsfeed will still be there whenever it is necessary to check.

But people. They, we, will not always be here.

Putting love into the world to pour into people's souls. That's what matters. 

Those helpless souls out there in this world looking for an answer, feeling empty, not quite sure what's next. They need us. They need our Savior's love. And that love is shown through us.

Of course, I want my home to be clean welcoming in others for a meal. But when I spend 75% of my weekend cleaning & not pouring into the souls of my sweet children, that stuff can wait but my children cannot. They need me. Not a tidy house 24/7. Include them. Be with them. Just stop. 

Same with my husband. He needs me. I want to shower him with love too. But how can I do that with my phone in my hand attached to a world elsewhere & not inside the world of my home.

I always want to minister to people, but am very standoffish about it. But my biggest ministry is within my home. Pouring in the souls of whom God has placed in my life. 

Stop. Just take a pause. 

It'll be worth it.

What is my purpose?

Have you ever thought - "what's my purpose in this world?"

God has spoke to me directly saying, Tiffany, look right in front of you. Do you see that girl? I put her there. Do you see this job you go to? I put that there too. Do you see this house? I put that there too. Do you see your neighbor? I put them there. Those kids that call you mom? I blessed you with those healthy babes. And that amazing husband of yours. I made him for you.
I have entrusted them to be apart of your life. Right now where you are, is where I want you.

Do you ever have one of those moments where God speaks so loudly to you, you think to yourself how the heck did I ever miss it? My husband, my kids, & I live in California. 2000 miles away from our entire family. There is a reason why I am here. God put me here to do something. He gave me a group of godly women to be apart of my life here, to help me grow, for me to help them grow.

I love knowing this. 

When someone comes into my office just to talk because honestly they have no one else to talk to, I sit there quietly & ask God, okay God what do you need me to do for her?

When my 4 year old daughter is amazed that God can hear her even when she whispers, I sit back & think wow God you gave me this little girl to pour into. To be an influence to her. And then when I hear my 2 year old son mimic his sister by saying God made the mountains, I think a 2 year old.. A 2 YEAR OLD is speaking Truth. And I get to be apart of it. I get to encourage it. 

I get to have my Bible wide open with them while they are coloring. I can tell them the things I am reading, I can help them memorize Scripture. 

That amazing first house we were fortunate to buy that I sometimes complain that I get to spend another day cleaning it.. Then God reminds me. I blessed you with this house. If I took your blessing away, what would you clean?

When I know my husband would do absolutely anything for me & know he will be there next to me & support me & who I am. My perfectly imperfect husband forgives me for the millionth time for having to deal with my attitude. The man God designed specifically for me to be a wife to. Yeah that blessing. 

Every time that you feel overwhelmed with the question, what is my purpose for this? Pray to God & have Him reveal it to you. But if you think of those things as blessings from God & if they weren't there you'd begin to realize what your purpose is in life.

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It's a generation thing

You know it's a God thing when you go to church & your sermon is over how we are all in this together, one generation helping another generation out. And then you start a new bible study with your sister & a topic of a generation not helping out the other.

Say what? So God what are you trying to tell me?

What He is telling ALL of us is that we need to invest in the other generations too. For us moms, invest in our kids! For us moms, invest in our parents! It's a continuous cycle.

If we don't teach our kids the Truth & about God. Who will?

This morning I went to church & I was checking in my kids, when the thought popped up. Henry just had a birthday, will he be switching rooms? I got excited because that means he'd be with a bit older kids & starting to do activities. Then I panicked. That kid did not want to change rooms. It has been a battle with him. Eventually he went in with a big of a fight. When I went to pick him up they gave me a memory verse + sign language to teach him.

 In my bible study, Priscilla Shirer, said that every morning before she drops her kids off she says Scripture to them.

So 2 things I will be working on this week for investing in another generation is simple - memorize Scripture with them & speak Truth to my kids.

In the midst

In the midst of what the United States has endured in the past few days you can't help but to sit back & be thankful for every little second you breathe on this earth.

So many moments we take for granted. Like this instant, what you are taking for granted? I can think of a million things that I take for granted. I don't want to live like that.

Innocent lives exit this world without saying goodbye. I always think to myself - what if they just had a big fight with their spouse? Or their kids? Or their parents? Friends? Coworkers? What if they said some hateful things to those they love? All these what ifs.

My biggest fear isn't dying, it's leaving those I love behind. I don't want to imagine the pain those left on earth would endure.

This past week I joined the Overcome the Lie Challenge. It was perfect timing, or God's timing for me in this whirlwind of events going on.

It's a 40 day challenge & we were to pick anything that God prompted us to pick. So I picked 2 things to fast over.

No clothes shopping - this girl loves a maxi skirt when she sees one & I am yet to pass one by when I fall in love with it. So for the next 40 days, I do walk by & say I do not need this but God has already provided me with enough. Day 41 I can't promise anything :)

The biggest one - turning off my phone at 7pm. It's been 3 nights. These nights have not been hard to turn off my phone. The weekends I am thinking it'll be harder when I stay up past 9pm. I love my phone. It has everything I could imagine on it. Emails, texts, IG, facebook, the occasional twitter. Let's be serious it revolves around IG. But my phone is almost right next to me ALL THE TIME. I know God has been telling me to ditch it for awhile, but you know I am stubborn & kept saying well what if, what if, what if.

The past few nights I have been blessed. Putting my kids to bed I sometimes want to gouge my eyeballs out because welp, they are 1 & 3. What do you expect? I struggle sometimes because they don't listen then I get frustrated & I still have to get around for bed blah blah blah blah.

But I began to read to them more. Something I rarely do at night, more of a day time thing for us. Henry now has a favorite book (yes after 3 days I know) & he repeats "that's not my car" & "where's the mouse mommy?" I.love.it.

My husband gave our daughter a cross necklace (that was once his) & his old story time Bible. So Hadley & I have spent our night times in bed reading that. We've always prayed together randomly in the past, but she lights up knowing that after reading we pray. Listening to her pray makes me smile & giggle because of the sweet things she prays for. Last night she thanked God for our hands & arms. I can't help but to think well her mind is so innocent. I think, this is something I take for granted. My arms & my hands. I think it's the most utilized thing on my body.

Little things like arms & hands, we overlook as being thankful for, but my 3 year old not so much. I want to have a mind like a child to be overwhelmed, excited, thankful, & happy about every little thing in my life.

Marriage: Modeling to Your Kids

This week I am focusing on being the example to your kids as husband & wife. How do you want your kids to view your marriage? And just marriage in general. You want marriage to be a positive thing, something they cannot wait to do, something that they will treasure, love & respect their future spouse. They watch our every move & what they grow up with will ultimately be how they perceive marriage. 

Part One: Respect
Part Two: Forgive
Part Three: Leader
Part Four: Love 

Our pastor said at our ceremony - Model to your kids what it looks like to have a good marriage, that is one of the best things you can do for your kids future spouse. They pick up every word and action you do. Show them that marriage even though tough and difficult at some points can be the biggest blessing of your life. 

As the wives & mothers a verse to live by for your daughters
2 Titus 2:4-5 -- Then they (older women) can train the younger women to love their husbands & children, to be self controlled & pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands so that no one will malign the Word of God. 

As husbands & the fathers a verse to live by for you sons
2 Titus 2:6-7 -- Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. 

Another verse God put on my heart this week through one of my studies
Proverbs 22:6 -- Train a child in the way he should go, & when he is old he will not turn from it. 

 

Setting a Godly Example for Children

Since becoming a mother for the third time it really has changed my perspective on how I parent.

A few days ago it really hit me. I am COMPLETELY responsible for the type of adults my children will become. I am helping form their daily habits, good and bad. I set the standards and examples for what is ok and what is not ok for them.

So, what are my actions teaching them? We all know actions are louder than words.

I want my children to burn for God. Pray even when times aren't going so good and not just when things are going great.

I want them to know that God is ALWAYS there for them and will always provide. Just like when we go to sit on a chair, we never doubt that the chair isn't going break.We are taught that the chair will always hold us. We never question it. I want that to be the way that my kids think of God. That they will NEVER doubt Him. That He will always hold us up even when we want to sit down and quit.

When I think about my actions, it makes me think of how much am I really praying with them and in front of them? What am I speaking to them? What am I speaking over them and how much do I pray for them?

Our words can be so powerful. Speak positively to them and correct them in a loving way. Lift them up, give them compliments and build their self esteem.

Let's look at some scripture about training our children in God's word and ways.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

 

Proverbs 13:24 Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

 

Proverbs 29:17 Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.

 

Psalm 127:3-5 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

I encourage you to really take a look at the examples you are setting for your kids. I know there a quite a few changes I want to make. I will be trying harder to pray with them more. It is so easy to become busy with life and mommy duties. By the time we get home, make dinner and get the kids ready for bed we can be exhausted! Let us be reminded that it is SO worth it to take a few extra minutes out of your day, sit down with them and pray with them.

Remember we are the ones setting Godly examples for them and God has chosen us as their parents to do so.