Called For A Time As This

 Mammas-

“Don’t feel sorry for or fear for your kids because the world they are going to grow up in is not what it used to be.

God created them and called them for the exact moment in time that they’re in. Their life wasn’t a coincidence or an accident.

Raise them up to know the power they walk in as children of God.

Train them up in the authority of His Word.

Teach them to walk in faith knowing that God is in control.

Empower them to know they can change the world.

Don’t teach them to be fearful and disheartened by the state of the world but hopeful that they can do something about it.

Every person in all of history has been placed in the time that they were in because of God’s sovereign plan.

He knew Daniel could handle the lions den.

He knew David could handle Goliath.

He knew Esther could handle Haman.

He knew Peter could handle persecution.

He knows that your child can handle whatever challenge they face in their life. He created them specifically for it!

Don’t be scared for your children, but be honored that God chose YOU to parent the generation that is facing the biggest challenges of our lifetime.

Rise up to the challenge.

Raise Daniels, Davids, Esthers and Peters!

God isn’t scratching His head wondering what He’s going to do with this mess of a world.

He has an army He’s raising up to drive back the darkness and make Him known all over the earth.

Don’t let your fear steal the greatness God placed in them. I know it’s hard to imagine them as anything besides our sweet little babies, and we just want to protect them from anything that could ever be hard on them, but they were born for such a time as this.” -Alex Cravens

When God Says "Pssst"

 

If you have children who have wandered away from God,
don’t give up on them. They’ll come running back…
      When God Says “Pssst”       

By Gloria Copeland

 

Did you know your children are in your heart? It’s true. You carry your children in your heart the same way God carries you in His heart.

You can feel what’s going on with them even when they’re on the other side of the world. If they’re hurt, if they’re lonely, if they’re toying with sin and getting off track—when things are wrong or things are right, you can feel it.

I remember once when Ken and I were in Australia. We were flying from one city to another and suddenly thoughts of our son, John, flooded my heart. John was a teenager at the time and he was all boy. He rode everything with wheels—cars, trucks, motorcycles, dune buggies. And it seemed he was always turning something over.

That day on the plane, I was concerned about him. I knew how much the devil would like to sneak in and steal his life, and I was concerned that John’s misadventures could give the devil the opportunity to do it.

But the Holy Spirit broke in on my thoughts. He spoke to Ken and said, My mercy hovers over John. When Ken relayed those words to me, all my fears vanished.

My mercy hovers over John. I’ll never forget that promise. As I’ve prayed for John throughout the years, that wonderful word from God would often rise up and remind me that John’s life was secure. It would assure me that God would keep him and hold him steady until the day he got things straight in his life.

My mercy hovers over your child. That is a wonderful word from God. If God will do that for my child, He will do it for yours. The covenant God has made with you in the blood of Jesus extends to your children and your children’s children. Psalm 103:17 says,

 

"But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children."

Our grandchildren are covered in our covenant with God. Everything God gives to me, He’ll give to them. All the protection that I have, He passes on to my family.

If you’re a believer and you’re willing to trust God for the deliverance and salvation of your children, you will not be disappointed.

Study Zechariah 10:7-9. There God tells us about the outpouring of the Spirit of God in the last days—the days we’re living in. He says:

 

And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the Lord. I will hiss for them [your children], and gather them; for I have redeemed them....And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and turn again.

You may not even know where your children are right now. They may be in another city or another country. It doesn’t matter. This scripture says when you rejoice in the Lord—not when you’re depressed or worried or afraid, but when you trust God so totally that you’re filled up with joy—then your children will see it and turn.

"I will hiss for them." What does that mean? It means God will signal for them. He’ll say, Pssst! Come here! And they’ll come running.

Let me tell you something. God knows how to get somebody’s attention. He knows how to signal for the ones His people are praying for. Kenneth’s mother prayed for me and then one day God said, Pssst, Gloria! I heard Him and was born again.

I didn’t know much about God before that time. I knew there was a God, but had no real knowledge about Him. Yet He still knew how to get my attention. He called and here I am today preaching His Word!

He’ll do the same thing for your child. It doesn’t matter what kind of wickedness that child has fallen into, God can still reach him.

 

I know a man who pastors a great church in Sacramento, California. His name is Phil Goudeaux. He used to be part of the militant black power movement. In fact, he was in charge of security for the Black Panthers.

He didn’t know God and he didn’t want to know God. But one day when he was in college, a young white fellow came over to his lunch table and started telling him about Jesus. This Black Panther leader couldn’t believe it. The nerve of this guy! He tried to get rid of him. He threatened him and even tried to hit him...but he couldn’t

For weeks this little white fellow followed this big "bad" black guy around talking to him about Jesus. Finally, the Black Panther prayed with the fellow just to get him off his back. After that he tried to forget about it...but he couldn’t. Two weeks later, all by himself, he made Jesus Christ the Lord of his life.

God knows how to get somebody’s attention! He’ll knock them over and speak to them right out loud if He needs to. He proved that in the life of a man named Saul. Years after that man was saved, he wrote, "…I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12).

God apprehended Paul one day on the road to Damascus. According to the dictionary, to apprehend means to capture or arrest. God captured Paul’s attention. The last thing he wanted to be was a follower of Jesus. He was a declared enemy of Jesus. But God was able to apprehend him anyway.

Don’t you worry. God knows exactly how to apprehend your children. And when the time comes, He’ll do it. After all, you weren’t in your prayer closet when He found you!

But until then, you must stand fast in faith for them. No matter what they get into, no matter how far off the track they seem to be, just keep saying what the Bible says about them. Keep your eyes focused on the covenant mercy of God and not on the symptoms of ungodliness that you see in their lives.

Don’t ever give up on your child. If you’ve grown weak and discouraged lately, it’s time for you to get that fire back in your bones. Dig into the Word of God and dig out the promises He’s given you for your children. Lay hold of those promises and don’t let go.

Learn to call things that are not as though they were (Romans 4:17). When you hear bad news about your children or you see them do something that hurts your heart, just say:

 

God, I thank You that Your tender mercy hovers over my child. I thank You Lord that he is born again, filled with the Holy Ghost and obedient to You. I thank You that Your Word is in his mouth (Isaiah 59:21), that he is taught by Your Spirit and great is his peace (Isaiah 54:13). I am not moved by what I feel or what I see. I am moved by Your Word and I call it done in Jesus’ Name!

I’m going to say it one more time: You have a covenant with God that covers your children. So rejoice! God will be faithful to you. One day your boy or your girl will be going about their business doing their own thing when suddenly—Pssst!—they’ll hear the voice of God.

When that happens, they’ll come running.

You can count on it.

Grown and Flown

On the day we got new carpet installed, my mom messaged me and said, “Big day for you!”
This is because moms care about the things no one else cares about.
Not about things like brushing your teeth and whether you’ve had a vegetable lately, although moms do generally care about those things.
But about the minutiae of daily life. The little details that make up the big picture. The things that, if you told most anyone else about them, they’d think, “And this is supposed to interest me how?”—but that your mom follows like it’s a page turner and she’s hanging on every word.
It’s not that there’s anything wrong with everyone else; it’s just that people in our lives are on a need-to-know basis, and moms are the ones who NEED TO KNOW.
So, for instance, if you’re getting new carpet, that’s all anyone else wants to know about it, if they even want to know that much. But your mom wants to know what color and if there are any flecks in it and if you got new padding and does it have a pattern and how plush is it and when can she come see it? And the morning it’s supposed to be installed, you get an “it’s a big day for you!” text from her.
The mom interest factor isn’t nosiness or overstepping or being too clingy; it’s just that, from the moment we enter our moms’ lives, it’s their job to pay attention to every detail. Every kick, every cry, every bodily function, every bite of food, every development, every milestone, every need.
This is a switch that’s hard to turn off. So when they no longer need to know everything, the best moms still want to know a lot.


And what a gift this is. Those of us who are blessed to have moms like this still with us on earth already know one of the many things we’ll miss when they’re gone is having someone we can share the fine print of life with—the back stories and the follow-ups and the plot twists.
Given the chance, we vow to try to repay our moms for all their years of rapt attention the same way way we plan to try to repay most everything else they’ve done for us: by doing the same for their grandchildren.
So kids, down the road, when you get a great deal at T. J. Maxx or finally pick between “vanilla mist” white and “hand-churned cream” white for that wall you’re painting or, you know, get new carpet, just know this: we’d love to hear all about it.
Thank you Guilty Chocoholic Mama

Andrea Bocelli, Matteo Bocelli - Fall On Me

A beautiful song between parent and child.

I thought sooner or later,
The lights up above
Would come down in circles
And guide me to love
But I don't know what's right for me,
I cannot see straight.
I've been here too long
And I don't want to wait for it

Fly like a cannonball
Straight to my soul,
Tear me to pieces
And make me feel whole
I'm willing to fight for it,
And carry this weight
But with every step
I keep questioning what is true

Fall on me, with open arms
Fall on me, from where you are
With all your light

A light will illuminate you soon
Follow it always; it'll know how to guide you
Don't give up,
Be careful not to lose yourself
And your past will make sense to you
I'd like you to believe in yourself, but yes
In every step you move down here
It's an infinite journey
I'll smile if in this fleeing time, you take me with you

Fall on me, Listen to me
Fall on me, Hug me
Fall on me, if you want

I close my eyes
And I'm seeing you everywhere
I step outside,
It's like I'm breathing you in the air
I can feel you're there

Fall on me, Listen to me
Fall on me, Hug me
Fall on me, If you want

Letting Go

 

LETTING GO

 To let go doesn't mean to stop carrying your child’s load, it just means you can't do it for them.

 To let go is not to be in the middle arranging the outcomes, but to allow them to effect their own outcomes.

 To let go is not to deny, but to accept.

 To let go is not to nag, scold, or argue, but to search out our own shortcomings and to correct them.

 To let go is not to cut yourself off, it's the realization that you don't control them.

 To let go is not to enable, but to allow learning from natural consequences.

 To let go is to admit our powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in our hands.

 To let go is not to try and change or blame them, but only change ourselves.

 To let go is not to care for them, but to care about them, not to fix, but be supportive, not to judge but to allow them to be a human being.

 To let go is not to adjust our children to our desires, but to take each day as it comes and cherish each moment.

 To let go is not to criticize and regulate them, but to give them wings to become what they dream they can be.

 To let go is not to regret the past, but to grow in love together and live for the future.

 To let go is to fear less and love more.

 As parents …..To let go .... is to let God!

I Promise

 I can't promise to be here for the rest of your life, but I can promise to love you for the rest of mine. 

Soak. It. All. In.

When you first have children they talk about the challenges of parenting...the struggles of a baby waking in the night, the toddler who wont't stay in their bed, the cost of childcare, injuries from sports...

Having to take off work to pick them up from school when they don’t feel well, helping them with homework, a messy house, the never ending laundry, the cost to buy school clothes, packing their lunches....

You watch their eyes light up on Christmas morning....and try to soak in the magic of those moments.

You coach them in sports, rushing to practices and ballgames...and tote them all over the country to let them play the game they love...no matter how exhausting or expensive it becomes.

Life is just so busy that you rarely even stop to think what the end of those days look like.

In fact, it’s not really even something you can wrap your mind around.

You go into it thinking that 18-20 years sounds like a long time....

Then suddenly hours turn into days...days into months...and months into years.

That little person that used to crawl up next to you in bed and cuddle up to watch cartoons...suddenly becomes this young adult who hugs you in the hallway as they come and go.

And the chaos and laughter that used to echo throughout your home....gets filled with silence and solitude.

You’ve learned how to parent a child who needs you to care for and protect them....but have no clue how the whole “letting go” thing is supposed to work.

So you hold on as tight as you can...wondering how time passed so quickly...feeling guilty that you missed something....

Because even though you had 20 years.....it just somehow doesn’t seem like it was enough.

You ask yourself so many questions...

Did you teach them the right lessons?
Did you read them enough books as a child?
Spend enough time playing with them?
How many school parties did you have to miss?
Do they really know how much you love them?
What could I have done better as a parent?

.....When it’s time for them to go, it all hits you like a ton of bricks.

And all you can do is pray....hope....and trust that God will protect them as they start to make their way into the world alone.

Parenting is by far the most amazing experience of your life....that at times leaves you exhilarated....while others leave you heartbroken.

So for all the parents with young children...whose days are spent trying to figure out how to make it through the madness...
Exhausted day in and day out...

Soak. It. All. In.

Because one day....all those crazy days full of cartoons, snuggles, sleep overs, Christmas morning magic, ballgames, practices and late night dinners...

All come to an end.

And you’re left hoping that you did enough right, so that when they spread their wings....But one thing is certain.....it’s never enough time...💕

They’ll fly...💕💕💕
@MistyBrewerLee

Credit to the Amazing Author:

In My Daughter's Eyes ♡ Martina McBride

                                                           In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
                                                    I am strong and wise and I know no fear

But the truth is plain to see

She was sent to rescue me

I see who I wanna be

In my daughter's eyes

In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal

Darkness turns to light and the

world is at peace

This miracle God gave to me gives me

strength when I am weak

I find reason to believe 

In my daughter's eyes

And when she wraps her hand

around my finger

Oh it puts a smile in my heart

Everything becomes a little clearer

I realize what life is all about

It's hangin' on when your heart

has had enough

It's giving more when you feel like giving up

I've seen the light

It's in my daugter's eyes

In my daughter's eyes I can see the future

A reflection of who I am and what will be

Though she'll grow and someday leave

Maybe raise a family

When I'm gone I hope you see how happy

she made me

For I'll be there

In my daughter's eyes

In My Arms by Plumb with LYRICS

Your baby blues, so full of wonder
Your curly cues, your contagious smile
And as I watch, you start to grow up
All I can do is hold you tight

Knowing clouds will rage in
Storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash around
But you will be safe in my arms

Storybooks are full of fairy tales
Of kings and queens
And the bluest skies
My heart is torn just in knowing
You'll someday see
The truth from lies

When the clouds will rage in
Storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash around
But you will be safe in my arms

Castles they might crumble
Dreams may not come true
You are never all alone
Cause I will always
Always love you

Clouds will rage in
Storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash around
But you will be safe in my arms

Colossians1:9-11

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 

10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 

11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 

12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 

13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 

14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

A Prayer For My Children

The King and the Poisened Well

Today's life line has to do with trail blazing, walking the road less traveled, and doing what is right despite the difficulty.

The following parable was written by an unknown author. There are several versions of it on the web and I have taken the liberty to adapt a version here for your consumption. Hope you enjoy.

THE KING & THE POISONED WELL

There was once a wise king who ruled over a vast kingdom. He was feared for his might and loved for his wisdom. Now in the heart of the city, there was a well with pure and crystalline waters from which the king and all the inhabitants drank. When all were asleep, three witches entered the city and poured seven drops of a strange liquid into the well. They said that henceforth all who drink this water shall become mad.

The next day, all the people drank of the water, but not the king. And the people began to say, "The king is mad and has lost his reason. Look how strangely he behaves. We cannot be ruled by a madman, so he must be dethroned."

The king grew very fearful, for his subjects were preparing to rise against him. He had a difficult choice: risk being destroyed by his beloved subjects or drink from the poisoned well and become mad like them. So that evening, he ordered a golden goblet to be filled from the well, and he drank deeply. The next day, there was great rejoicing among the people, for their beloved king had finally regained his reason.

--Author Unknown

How many times in your life have you allowed yourself to do what is ordinary for the sake of comfort? Some people drink poison every day just to fit in with the crowd.

Well they say that the path of the righteous is narrow and long. It is beset by all sorts of obstacles, barriers, and evils that threaten to knock you off of the path. If you value your social role, status, possessions, relationships, or even your own life more than righteousness, then you will go the way of the king in the parable. You will drink from the well again and again in life. However, if you will risk standing out, risk being different, risk it all for love of righteousness, there is a greater reward.

Let your light shine and dim it for no one and nothing. You only have one life to live and one chance to get it right.

source:  http://manueljwbpsyd.blogspot.com/2010/04/parable-of-king-and-poisoned-well.html

A Wedding Prayer- Marisa & Ben- 10-16-2017

 

Heavenly Father and Great God,

We thank you that your hand and your will has guided and led us to this day. We gather to celebrate the love and commitment of Marisa and Ben, as they share their first meal together as husband and wife.

We pray that you will give Your Holy blessing today upon their marriage, and ask that You continue to bless them with Your love and mercy throughout their lives together.

We ask that you bless this food, and pray it be the  first of many loving meals they share together with their family and friends, and we ask that Marisa and Ben will always be blessed by Your amazing grace.

We thank you that we may come before you to pray and ask these things  in the sweet name of your son Jesus through whom we are granted our salvation. Amen

You're Going To Miss It

Michelle Zunter

One day you're going to miss it. One day there will be a peaceful silence while you go to the bathroom instead of small hands busting through the door or someone wailing bloody murder outside with an owie until you jump off the toilet holding your pants in a panic.

One day you'll miss the frantic desperation of never catching up because one day everything will catch up. Your children will grow up and you will eventually get a decent break. One day.

So savor the good times now, right? Not so easy. But I tell myself all the time that one day you're going to miss it.

This is the thing I tell myself day in and day out when I'm on the verge of losing my sh*t. This mantra keeps me going because no matter how cliche it sounds, it's true. I need this running thought in my head especially now as summer break has peeked through the curtains, ready and waiting for the show (circus).

One day there won't be baskets of laundry overflowing with play clothes, gym clothes, or uniforms. One day there won't be endless piles of dishes in the sink. 

And you're going to miss it.

You're going to miss someone needing you all the time. You're going to miss being called out for maybe a hundred times a day for all things great and small.

One day there won't be anyone around to worry about entertaining on school breaks because they'll have their own lives, friends, and passions.

That life you think you can't wait for now — perhaps for time alone with your spouse, time alone with yourself — or just some time period — will come and then it will all be done. All the irritation over mud on the floor, stains on the carpet or messy rooms never cleaned will be washed away with the tides of life.

So maybe you can't muster the feelings of cherishing the moment with your loud, messy, chatty children today, but it does help to keep in mind that this day will pass and one day you are going to miss it.

One day you're going to miss dropping them off or picking them up from school. You're going to miss their scrunched up, disgusted faces when they see what you've made for dinner. You're going to miss being called into their room for the 10th time asking for a glass of water, another hug, a 3rd story, or to excitedly tell you the sudden revelation they just had.

You're going to miss all those endless questions because — guess what? — for a time they do think you know everything. This won't last forever, of course.

One day they won't be asking you to look at everything they do every minute of the day. One day they won't be constantly seeking your approval. One day, they will hopefully have the confidence to do most things without you.

So, the next time you feel like screaming, yelling, or running out the door because no one is listening to you about cleaning up, just tell yourself that there will come a time when you will miss all of this maddening, beautiful chaos. It might help a little to ease your sense of hopelessness on those particularly hectic days that are not so kind to your sanity.

While it may not be possible to fully enjoy all the moments that come to you as a parent, it's definitely possible to know that one day you will miss this.

Slipping Through My Fingers

Schoolbag in hand, she leaves home in the early morning
Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile
I watch her go with a surge of that well-known sadness
And I have to sit down for a while
The feeling that I'm losing her forever
And without really entering her world
I'm glad whenever I can share her laughter
That funny little girl

Slipping through my fingers all the time
I try to capture every minute
The feeling in it
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Do I really see what's in her mind
Each time I think I'm close to knowing
She keeps on growing
Slipping through my fingers all the time

Isn't She Lovely

1Corinthians 13 "The Love Chapter for Mothers"

The Love Chapter For Mothers

If I talk to my children about what is right and what is wrong, but have not love, 

I am like a ringing doorbell or pots banging in the kitchen.

And though I know what stages my children will go through and understand their growing pains, and can answer all their questions about life and believe myself to be a devoted mother,

 but have not love, I am nothing.

If I give up the fulfillment of a career to make my children’s lives better and stay up all night sewing costumes or baking cookies on short notice, but grumble about lack of sleep, 

I have not love and accomplish nothing.

A loving mother is patient with her children’s immaturity and kind even when they are not; a loving mother is not jealous of their youth, nor does she hold it over their heads whenever she has sacrificed for them.

A loving mother believes in her children; she hopes in each one’s individual ability to stand out as a light in a dark world; she endures every heartache and backache to accomplish that.

A loving mother never really dies.

 As for home-baked bread, it will be consumed and forgotten; as for spotless floors, they will soon gather dust and heel marks.

 As for children, right now toys, friends, and food are all-important to them. But when they grow up, it will be their mother’s love that they will remember and pass on to others.

 In that way, she will live on.

So care, training, and a loving mother reside in a home,

 these three; 

but the greatest of these is a loving mother.

-by Dianne Lorang

I'll Stand By You

Oh, why you look so sad?
Tears are in your eyes
Come on and come to me now
Don't be ashamed to cry
Let me see you through
'Cause I've seen the dark side too

When the night falls on you
You don't know what to do
Nothin' you confess, could make me love you less

I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you

So, if you're mad, get mad
Don't hold it all inside
Come on and talk to me now

Hey, what you got to hide?
I get angry too
Well I'm a lot like you

When you're standing at the crossroads
And don't know which path to choose
Let me come along
'Cause even if you're wrong

I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you

Take me in, into your darkest hour
And I'll never desert you
I'll stand by you

And when, when the night falls on you, baby
You're feelin' all alone
You won't be on your own

I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
Take me in, into your darkest hour
And I'll never desert you

I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
Yeah

Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
I'll stand by you

I'll stand by you
No, no, no, no, no
Take me in, into your darkest hour
And I'll never desert you
I'll stand by you
I'll stand by you

Songwriters
HYNDE, CHRISSIE/KELLY, TOM/STEINBERG, WILLIAM E

Published by
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

If I Could - Regina Belle

If I could
I'd protect you from the sadness in your eyes
Give you courage in a world of compromise
Yes, I would

If I could
I would teach you all the things I've never learned
And I'd help you cross the bridges that I've burned
Yes, I would

If I could
I would try to shield your innocence from time
But the part of life I gave you isn't mine
I'll watch you grow, so I can let you go

If I could
I would help you make it through the hungry years
But I know that I can never cry your tears, babe
But I would if I could

If I could
In a time and place where you don't wanna be
You don't have to walk along this road with me
My yesterday won't have to be your way

If I knew
I'd try to change the world I brought you to
Now there isn't much more that I can do
But I would if I could

If I could
I would try to shield your innocence from time
But the part of life I gave you isn't mine
I'll watch you grow, so I can let you go

If I could
I'd help you make it through the hungry years
But I know that I can never cry your tears
But I would if I could

If I could

Nichole Nordeman - Slow Down

Slow down
Won’t you stay here a minute more
I know you want to walk through the door
But it’s all too fast
Let’s make it last a little while
I pointed to the sky and now you wanna fly
I am your biggest fan
I hope you know I am
But do you think you can somehow
Slow down