Equal But Not The Same

Since September I've been involved in a mentoring group through our church.

We meet once a month for fellowship (and yummy snacks!), a short devotion, and a skill tutorial.  

This year our mentors have taught us/helped us create:

Molli Rings - a tool that allows you to keep up with special Bible verses.

Tea Towel Aprons

Christmas Candles

Looking For Ways To Encourage People (handwritten notes, taking a meal, etc.)

Basic Mending

General Housekeeping: DIY Home Repair Tutorials

General Housekeeping: Cleaning, Menu Planning, Hospitality Ideas

Tuesday was our last meeting of the year.  Instead of the normal "program" our mentors created a DELICIOUS meal served at a BEAUTIFUL table.  So fun!

What I LOVE about this great group of ladies, us "girls" and our mentors, is how different everyone is.  While our personalities, gifts, skills, and life experiences vary greatly we share a love for Christ and His Church and that brings unity and sweet fellowship.

It really is a beautiful thing. :)

Romans 12:3-8

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. 

1 Corinthians 12: 12-26

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

It's All About HIS Steadfastness

Our Sunday School lesson was soooooo appropriate for my recent struggles with feeling beat-down and weary.  Several of the passages our Community Pastor referenced were ones I mentioned here (a post written two days before I heard this lesson :).  Only God's Providence! Gotta love that :)

Another passage he landed on was:  

Isaiah 40:26 - 31

26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing. 27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God"? 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

The Creator of EVERYTHING does not grow weary!  

HE understands EVERYTHING!

HE gives strength to those who have NONE!  

Those who WAIT for the LORD shall renew their strength!

But God

Last week I posted about Lessons in Humility and how sometimes those lessons are humorous but other times they go deeper and are decidedly less amusing.  Well, this week seems to have been full of the latter.  So I've been thinking...what's the difference?  

Why is it sometimes I can learn from my mistakes and move forward (maybe even get a good laugh), but other times my mistakes make me want to beat my head against a wall and go hide in a hole?    

After spending some time with the Lord (in prayer and in the Word) and talking with J (who is SUPER-DUPER amazing by the way :), I think I get the difference.

The times when I deal with my mistakes constructively are generally times where I am learning something that I feel like I can improve upon after having gone through the experience.  They are "manageable" improvements. For example, experiencing for myself the frustration and embarrassment of losing my i-phone has grown me in my compassion and patience for C (who is only 7!) when he has trouble keeping up with his stuff.   

The times when I let my mistakes crush me are generally times when I'm being shown something about myself that I have NO ability to improve upon.  Things that are so ingrained in me that I know I can't change.  That's such a discouraging place to be and just leads to doubt, guilt, and frustration.  It's exhausting...and sad! I can throw QUITE the pity-party!

The difference between the two is HOPE.  Sometimes I have it.  Sometimes I don't.  

OUCH!  

And I'm not done!  There's more!  As I was typing the two descriptions, I noticed the number of times I used the word "I." I think it is very telling! This all revolves around how I can or cannot improve myself.  There is NOTHING in there about what the Lord can and will do! I guess I think I'm pretty great at fixing stuff, huh? Hello, PRIDE...ugh!

So basically my problem boils down to a lack of faith in the hope to which He has called me (Ephesians 2:18) and pride.  Isn't that lovely!?!

BUT GOD...

Brought me to these verses (among other) and now I am glad :)

Hebrews 12:1 - 3

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

I don't have to be perfect!  JESUS is the founder and perfecter of my faith.  And growing weary and fainthearted in my struggle with sin...that's to be expected, but I don't need to succumb to it!

James 1:2-8

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.  For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Trials...they are going to come, and they are going to test my faith. And, yes, sometimes I'm gonna bring them on myself in the form of my sinful choices or honest mistakes. But no matter the source of the test, that testing of my faith isn't wasted.  It will produce steadfastness and the full effect of steadfastness...well, that's perfect and complete, lacking nothing (in Glory or when Jesus returns).  Can't ask for better than that!

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Enough said :)

Psalm 138:8

The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;

your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever,

Do not forsake the work of your hands.

YEAH - this really is so encouraging!

Proverbs 11:2

When pride comes, then comes disgrace,

but with the humble is wisdom.

I know, I know humility is GOOD thing.  I need all the wisdom I can get! :)

James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

EVERYTHING good comes from the Lord NOT from my superior problem solving, sin squashing skills!

Romans 8: 37

No, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Take THAT, doubt!

Gymnastics

G started taking a Gymnastics class back in February

.
She was SUUUUUPER excited :)

She jumped right into her class mid-semester and had a great time...except she was really afraid of flipping over the bar even with the instructor spotting her.  And by "afraid," I mean frozen stiff, completely unwilling! So, based on the advise of her instructor, we started practicing (on the playground at church).  She was still pretty resistant until C did this...

I don't know if it was his assurances  that flipping over the bar "is sooo much fun," or the fact that she REALLY can't stand to be outdone by her big brother, but within minutes she'd conquered that fear :)

That was a lot easier than I thought :)

Today was "Parent Sit In Day" at Gymnastics.  I now know why they only let us sit in once a semester...it TOTALLY distracted the kids...but it was still fun :)

This is another area of growth...in February she was afraid to climb out on this bar and drop down into the "cheese pit."

I doubt we have any Olympic Gold Medals in our future anytime soon, but she DID have a lot of fun :)

My Momma taught me…
to honor my father and mother.
to faithfully attend church.
to be honest.
to be loyal.
to be trustworthy.
to be my child’s advocate.
to be willing to sacrifice for another.
to love people when they aren’t at their best.
to make the best of what I have.
to look for ways to serve the ones I love.
to be diligent and hard working.
to learn from my mistakes.
to think outside the box.
to persevere.
to try new things.
to take initiative.
to be frugal.
to be considerate.
to sit like a lady.
to eat my broccoli.
But most importantly…
My Momma taught me that God made me, loves me, and sent His Son to die for me.
Proverbs 31:28 Her children arise and call her blessed

Mother's Tea

I've come to the conclusion that I prefer Mother's Day to my birthday.  What's not to love...all the encouragement and love as a birthday minus the focus on how much older I'm getting :)

I'm just kidding...kinda :)

Wednesday, C's grade hosted a Mother's Tea.  It was a really, really sweet time!

Each child decorated a butterfly, made a corsage, and read their "report" about how his/her mom reminded him of a Proverbs 31 mom.  What's not to love!?!

We were each asked to bring our own tea cup.  They provided the tea.  I selected iced, sweet tea...I know that's probably a major Tea Party faux pas! :)

Here are some close up pictures of his "report"...that sounds so cold...there's gotta be something better to call it :)

Of course, the words make my heart melt :)  But what is really so meaningful is that my child really does. not. like. to. write!  When we do homework he will spend 5 minutes contemplating ways to answer the question in the fewest possible words.  So, this...this is BIG stuff :)

The butterfly ornament he made...

And my corsage...

Mother's Day really IS better than my birthday :)

Lessons In Humility

There is probably no other area in my life that humbles me more than parenting.  

Sometimes it is painful...really, really painful.  Coming face to face with my limitations and inadequacies is NOT fun! 

Other times it is a bit more comical - but humbling none-the-less. 

This week was full of the latter...

C isn't very good about keeping up with his stuff, and once he loses it he's even worse at finding it. The 'ol "If it were a snake it would have bitten you" saying is very appropriate here.  I've been doing a whole lot of fussing/preaching about being responsible with your stuff and LOOKING for items that are lost (as opposed to just wandering around aimlessly waiting for them to jump into your hands).

Lessons in humility: In the span of 5 days I have lost (temporarily) my i-phone,  had a very difficult time finding a printer cable that was literally RIGHT in front of my face, and have yet to find a button that I'd been saving in a now unknown "special" place until I had a chance to reattach it to its sweater.  

My sympathy for the boy is growing :)

As a side note:  J has been having some fun attributing my absentmindedness/forgetfulness to my recent birthday.  I think I'd rather view it as a lesson in humility :)