Cafe` Chat

Today I'm visiting at the Cafe` and boy did Kim make me take a step back.

She is addressing strongholds/struggles in our lives.

Wow.....time to get real.

I have got a few things that really have a lot of power over me. I realize that I am allowing this because as a child of the King, I have HIS power...I just don't claim and use the power He has instilled in me.

Here is our question:

How would my life look if I no longer struggled with _______? What if I was completely free from ______ through Christ’s power…(Put your struggle/stronghold in the blank) *Try to give some very specific ways your life would be different if you no longer struggled with your above named stronghold*

I have 3 big struggles, but the one I'm going to put in the blank is low self esteem.

How would my life look if I no longer struggled with low self esteem?
(We'll answer the 2nd question next week)

In the natural,I think I'm pretty okay. I mean, I believe I'm a good wife and mom, I keep up with my housework, keep up with the laundry, most of the meals we eat are cooked from scratch.

My kids are homeschooled and they are very intelligent.

My house is decorated simply, but nicely.

In the spiritual, I'm okay..but like most..could do better. I stay pretty consistent with my quiet time with God. I'm faithful to my church and the people that make up the body. I'm constantly putting others before myself and trying to make sure their needs are met. I share Jesus and what He means to me and what He can mean to you and the difference He can and will make in all areas of your life.

But.....

No matter how good of a wife and mom I believe I am, I will notice other women who are better.

No matter how clean or well decorated my house is, I see other homes that are cleaner or prettier.

No matter how much time I spend with God or how faithful I am to His people, there is a greater Christian than me. Someone who is making a bigger difference in the Kingdom.

I struggle with accepting myself, just the way God made me.

Thing is...NO ONE complains to me about me. My DH lavishes me with praise and thanks. Even my teenagers will love on me and thank me and tell me "I'm a pretty cool Mom".

My church family loves on me and especially the teenagers at our church.

God doesn't beat me up...He just shows me when I have sin in my life, but just as often I can hear Him encouraging me, especially in those moments when I'm comparing myself to someone "better".

How would my life look without this struggle??

Hands down...I'd be a happier person.

I'd be satisfied with myself and accepting of the person God made ME to be.

God made me a jeans and t-shirt girl. Dressing up would be putting on a blouse with those jeans!!

That's okay.

God made me a quiet person.

That's okay, because it makes me a good listener and sometimes all someone wants is someone to listen to them.

I like being a submissive wife and SAHM.

That's okay.

I believe I would be a lot more confident and accepting of myself. Satan would no longer be able to whisper (sometimes scream) in my ear that no matter what I do..it's not good enough.

I believe that I'd have a lot more smiles and a lot less tears.

I'd be free....Just as God intended me to be in Him.

What about you? What is your biggest stronghold/struggle??

Cafe` Chat

Thought I'd participate in the chat over at the Internet Cafe today.
We were asked:

Tell of one specific time in your Christian walk that you were overwhelmed with God’s love for you.

There are so many times that God just comes in a overwhelms me to the point I can't hardly speak.

I find His love overwhelming me when I'm at the end of my rope, when I feel that the situation I'm in at the moment just won't let me go any farther. When I'm so tired that I can't even pray and Jesus has to step in and intercede for me because all I can do is sit in silence and tears before the Throne, God just wraps me up in those big ole' arms of His and holds me. While it's not a physical feeling I'm having, there is no doubt that the love of God is present and enveloping me in all that He is.

When I've "messed up" and I know that the decisions or the choices I've made is less than pleasing to my Father and I have to go before the Throne and confess that with a repentant heart....I'm completely overwhelmed by the love and grace of a merciful Father.

I'm so human and God is so God. Overwhelming love always comes to me when I'm before the Throne because I know what I am.....a very undeserving daughter of the King.

Blessings.....

Our First Love/At the Cafe

With Valentine's Day being tomorrow, I hope each of you have already decided what to do for DH. I always buy a card that says somewhat of what I'd like it to, but then I always add something to it to make it personal.

Of course I always buy him some candy..DH loves him some candy...especially if it has caramel in it!!




Over at the Internet Cafe today, they are talking about Our First Love.


The subject of our first "earthly" love was brought up.

My first earthly love was a little blond headed boy in kindergarten. He was smaller than me in every way, but he had the prettiest white hair I'd ever seen in my life!! Of course we walked the same street to school and it wasn't long before we were holding hands while we walked to school. Other kids picked on him because he was so tiny, but that didn't stop me. I just loved that hair!!.....

Anyway...fast forward to 1983..a time when I didn't even know Jesus, but He decided to bless me anyway. He sent me the most awesome, loving, patient, giving, patient, gentle, patient, caring, patient, man I know. Yes, my Father knew I had to have a patient man.. We have been married over 25 wonderful years and I can't imagine my life without this incredible man of God by my side.

But the Cafe got to the heart of the matter....our TRUE First Love..Jesus.

He loved us so much that He left Heaven to live on this earth, endure pain and suffering beyond anything we could even try to comprehend and died a death that should have been ours, overcame death and rose again..all so we could live with Him forever. Wow....talk about TRUE love....

The questions the Cafe posed were this:

1. What valuable lessons have you learned through earthly love relationships?

For me, it would be that my DH can't possibly fill every need I have. In the past, I've put that pressure on him, and he would try...oh, would he try, to meet every need and want I had. But, like me, he's human, and at his absolute very best, he can't fulfill everything I need. Over time, God has shown me and grown me and made me realize that the only One Who can fulfill every need..is Him.
One other thing would be that loving someone means putting them before myself. If you love someone, you can't be selfish, there's no room for that. Someone once gave me an acronym I'd like to share...

J--Jesus
O--Others
Y--You

2. If you wrote a letter to God today, what would it say?

Oh wow....It would most certainly start off with me telling Him how awesome He is. How thankful I am for what He did for me on Calvary and that I know He would have still done it, even if I'd been the only one. I would tell Him how much I love Him, confess to Him that I've failed in showing/telling others about Him like I should. He knows me inside and out and flowery foo-foo doesn't cut it for Him. I'd have to be real and I'm sure in being real with Him, He would show me and promise to be there for me in those things I need to improve for Him.

3. Are you in danger of allowing your love for Jesus to grow cold, as the Ephesians did? If so, what could you do today to remember and re-focus your love?

I think we're all in danger of that. If we don't maintain a close love-relationship with Jesus, it's bound to get cold. At this point in my life, I believe that I'm striving harder than I ever have to grow my love for Him. It seems as if every day I live, I just want more of Him. I want to be more faithful and loving to Him. I want others to know that this Jesus that I love, loves me and loves them too.
On the days when I find myself putting Him on a back burner and letting every tiny thing in this world come before Him, I'm learning that I have to stop and spend time in His Word, stop and pray, put in some praise and worship music..do something..anything that will get my focus back where it should be...

On my first True Love....

Blessings....