What do you smell like today?

       Last week my 9 year old son decided that he was in need of some cologne. He is growing up way to fast as it is! He wants to be just like his daddy. First he wanted to use Dad's Old Spice body wash, then it was deoderant too and now we are onto cologne. Can I just say that I had to put my foot down! I am so glad that he no longer wants to smell like dirt as all little boys do no matter how many times you bathe them, but I was certainly not ready for him to smell like a manly man!

     The day after my sons request, we drove out to grandpa's farm. Elijah often goes out there and stays the night. He loves to help grandpa with all the farm chores and it is his hands down, absolute, favourite thing. He gets completely spoiled for 48 hours...grandpa loves to lavish his great-grandson with time, affection and Dr. Pepper. Elijah also gets to drive grandpa's fancy new tractor. This my friends, is heaven for my 9 year old son, absolute heaven. So it was honestly no surprise to me that when I picked Elijah up he smelled a little different then usual.  In fact, tucked away in his back pack were two bottles of mens cologne! I had put my foot down, I had even told grandpa no the day before....but that sweet man can't resist the hard work, charm and big pleading eyes of his grandson. He loves him and loves to lavish him with gifts.

       I love that my grandpa loves my son. It is not just evident in the way he spoils him but even more so in the things he takes the time to teach him. David and I do our best to teach our kids how to live godly lives. But there is somethings absolutely precious and effective about an older, wiser, godly man investing in my son's life and character.

       As I look at their relationship is is evident to me that my grandpa loves Elijah with a God kind of love. He is patient, forgiving, bestows gifts but also gently and firmly corrects and teaches my son the value of a good work ethic, responsibility, generosity and many other character building qualities.

      God is like that. He loves us, HE loves us more than any kind of human love we have ever known. He loves to give His children gifts and blessings. He loves to pour out His love on us in that way. But His love is perfect. He loves us too much to let us live in our fallen state. He loves us too much to let us carry on living in sin, with out growth, change or quality of character. We often think
that God is punishing us when He choses to with-hold something we think we desperately need. Sometimes our first response is to think He has grown impatient with us or angry with us when He disciplines us for our sin. But it is actually quite the contrary. Often God withholds things, disciplines us or allows things in our lives because He loves us too much to to let us carry on in that state. It is just another way that He pours out His love on us. Our character, our lives, our light, our joy and our love is all far more important to Him than our security on earth, our immediate gratification, our comfortability and the fleeting happiness we so often pursue.

        Whatever season you are in, this is truth... God has not forgotten, forsaken or abandoned you. You may have gone so far off the path that you don't even know how to get back. God has not gone anywhere, He will always purse you, always love you, readily forgive you and patiently wait for you to  come back to Him. But why wait any longer when all your longings for love, forgiveness and complete healing can be met by the One true mighty to save God?

       You may just be keeping one area back from the Lord, but why? When His light and love shines in all areas of your life, only then can you experience true satisfaction, joy and abundance of life. Step into the light!

       You may be going through a time if chastening right now and it hurts, it's hard work, its painful....Persevere sweet friend, Jesus has victory for you. Even in the pain, He is lavishing His love on you. You and I are being refined and every day that we trust Him more, our faces shine brighter, our burdens are lighter and His glory shines.

        Praise the Lord for those of you who are living in a season of fruitfulness, blessing and fellowship with Him. Be thankful and be generous in your love and encouragement towards others! God has blessed you in this season so that you can bring Him glory! SO what can you do today that will shine the love of Jesus in someone else's life?

        Whatever season you are in, I pray that today you smell like Royal Spice, just like my son. In all you do, allow God's fragance to wash away any hint of bitterness, unforgiveness, envy, pride.... you get the picture! May your fragrance be that of God's abounding love, forgiveness and grace. May everyone who comes into contact you today be blessed by you and know that you are a Child of the King!

I am not alone

    My weakness made Perfect in His Strength
2 Corinthians 12:9
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

     As I sit here, still in my pajamas, uggs and an oversized ugly sweatshirt, I have no deodorant on, no make up on and my hair is standing up in a few places; evidence of how horribly I slept last night... I am surrounded by puking children and a disheveled home.... Lord help anyone who sees me in this state... ha ha you will never be able to unsee what you have seen!  I have a confession to make... Over the past few weeks I have been a little down. It's not a common place for me to go, but when I do go there, I become very isolated and turn all my thoughts inward to process on my own... It's a funny thing, when I need the support of my family and friends the most, my tendency is to isolate myself completely. Over the years, when the troubles of this world have clouded my sight of the Lord's workings in my life, I have learned that being isolated and pulling back is exactly where Satan wants me....away from everything and everyone that points me to who God is in my life, in that moment, in my circumstance... and yet I still go there. It's my default place for a few reasons, first of them being I don't love drama. I never want to be that girl that always has drama going on. Secondly, I hate inconveniencing people, no one needs to hear about all my burdens, that's just no fun for them! Thirdly, pride I guess. God forbid I NOT have everything together in my life!

        Maybe I am the only fool that becomes a hermit when I get overwhelmed or down. But, what I know is this, when I isolate myself regardless of how big or little the burden is, turning inward keeps me from looking upward. Life's circumstances become my focus. Just a few examples from my last 3 weeks.... My mom has been in the hospital, and is still there, 14 hours away from me. I am feeling helpless and very useless from this far away! David's car has broken down three times in three weeks! I kid you not! And even though we are Dave Ramseying it up in the Libby home, the paycheck that the Lord has blessed us with IS our month to month... AND we praise GOD for that He is always so faithful to meet our needs!!! But when the car breaks three times....that is daunting.....then our oven goes on the frits, then our fridge and today our dishwasher.... LORD help us! Thankfully, the Lord has honest to goodness revived some of our appliances and at the moment they are just making very loud noises and shutting off at their own convenience, which has been interesting...but we are truly being sustained by the Lord alone in this season. I am not saying these things to complain at all, I am anticipating the Lord showing His glory in it all... just waiting to see how He is going to do it! He has never left us or failed to provide for our needs.

         Between family, finances, my crazy schedule, lots of ministry and our four children... I am learning once again how much I need the Lord to sustain my daily living. But, actually remembering to turn my eyes upwards when I feel the weight of all the burdens is difficult for me sometimes. And when I pull back from everyone, I can feel very alone in it all.... and begin thinking things like this... "Am I the only sleep deprived mother with an imperfect home, full of endless dish washing, laundry doing, house cleaning and child refereeing?  Are we the only people who despite our best efforts and dedication in being wise with our finances are never able to get ahead because something always happens, and we are back in square one, completely relying on the Lord for provision again? Am I the only one that can barely keep up with all that is on my plate right now with out going absolutely insane?" I may feel like NO ONE knows or understands what I am walking through right now... but then I open my Bible Study for the week and God in His almighty wisdom and goodness as ALWAYS has something just for me. He had this to say through Priscilla Shirer's Gideon study..."We all know how it feels to be...Scared. Outnumbered. Intimidated. Exhausted." And remarkably, just that simple small little reminder is all I needed to burrow out of my hibernation. People may not live through the exact same circumstance that I do, but they all have their own circumstances that have made them feel the same way. I am not alone.

     As I read that list I kind of had to laugh to myself... Everyday I can have moments where I am scared or worried for my kids, scared of failing and worried about how we are going to make ends meet. Everyday I am out numbered 4 to one, three days a week 6 to one (just in kids alone)! I often feel intimidated because of my own inadequacies. I am surrounded by gifted, talented, stylish, beautiful people with amazing personalities...that alone can be intimidating.  Lately, I am not sleeping much and doing way too much, which makes me absolutely, extremely, beyond words exhausted. So, in this season I qualify for all those weaknesses. Which can be overwhelming if my gaze is not intently focused on my Almighty GOD, my Sustainer, Provider, Father, and Friend! And this I know to be perfectly true, His strength, glory, power and might can shine brightly in my life and in my circumstance because of my inadequacy, Praise God. That's all I want my life to be anyway... a testimony of ALL God's glory and goodness. In a way, my shortcomings are making me useful for His kingdom, and right now, I have a lot of weakness for Him to work with! ;) The same is true for you. Where you lack God Almighty rises to shine. Embracing that truth is what is going to make the difference in you and I. We can either feel isolated and limited by our weakness, or we can be hopeful, confident and full of faith in what the Lord can do despite our lack and circumstance. He is just good like that. My weakness + God = miraculous living. Living life with my greatest strengths in my own ability but without God = I am left lacking. It doesn't even compare to the richness and fullness of my inadequacy with His Power.

     In saying all of that, if you too have been burrying your head in the sand for a season, hiding out away form others or putting up walls to keep others out... you are not where the Lord wants you to be. You and I were made for greater things. And in isolating yourself you are putting a great big target on your back! Get your Bible out, get involved in a study, reach out to a friend.... We were meant to walk this road together, not alone in hibernation. God has a great plan for you, for me and even for our weakness. Just wait and see what kind of miracles He has in store for you! He may change your circumstance, He may not...but He will use your life for His kingdom and glory. Shinning is so much more fun than hiding.

Isaiah 40:29 

"The Lord gives strength to those who are tired and more power to those who are weak."

Psalm 29:11

 "The Lord gives strength to His people and blesses them with peace."