Victory!!!

This post is to Praise my Savior for his goodness and patience as he continues to work on me even when I'm kicking and screaming.

I have many areas of my life that I've been working on. In each area, it all boiled down to the fact that I'd try to do things as God said I should, loving my kids and husband, being cheerful and filled with joy, witnessing, and I kept failing. I knew I was trying to do it in my own power, so I casually would pray thinking that was enough. Twas no the case and I was getting very discouraged. I'd write out new schedules thinking that it would help me with my days and the kids and ended up stressing over the schedule. I'd try not following a schedule and get frustrated that nothing got done. I'd get upset at Shane over stupid things and get very emotional and sensitive. I kept trying and failing. Through a series of events and encouragement from friends and sermons preached I had started putting some things together but something was missing. I knew what a good Christian needed to do but had no idea how to do it. The "Family tune-up weekend" this past weekend at church with Bro Allen Jones and his adorable wife, was what really unlocked it all. The Jones both brought it up numerous times. The solution I'd been searching for. Though my flesh didn't like the sounds of it. I had heard it before but never thought that the lack of it in my life would effect every area of my life.

Surrender. Daily dying. Submission. Every day telling the Lord that I was giving myself to him whether I felt like it or not and was willing to accept his will for that day. It may seem simple. It is certainly something every Christian has heard about but I wasn't doing it. I thought I was. I had even written down two or three times that I had surrendered my life to him, but I wasn't giving God all the keys in my "daily" life. The peace that came over me and continues to do so every day I do this is utterly amazing. For a year now I've been committed to daily Bible reading (since preaching conference 09). By God's grace, I've been faithful to that so far even if it was just a Psalm a day. This weekend, God impressed upon me to commit to daily prayer time as well. Especially for my husband.

I'm reading a book called "The power of a praying wife" which tells all the ways and how to pray for your man. It is an eye opener big time and is very humbling to pray those things some days. But no matter how I feel, as pastor preached recently, I will do right then feel right. Sometimes every thing in my flesh is fighting against the idea of humbling myself before God and surrendering every situation, but knowing the truth will set me free ("Lies women believe and the truth that sets them free", another book I read recently that contributed to my discovery of victory) and knowing the peace and feelings will come is what gets me down on my knees again. I feel many times that I need to get away to my prayer spot and surrender at least three times a day. I just need to do it. I am starting to be able to feel when I'm slipping back into the flesh and that is when I need to escape to prayer. It has been life changing and I'm only on day three. I'm so excited.

So keep on all you other mom's there is hope and it is in the Lord. Surrender everything. Even the smallest things to him and he will direct your schedules, attitudes, and actions.

Thank you to Bro. and Mrs. Allen Jones for coming and being such an inspiration.