He Is Faithful

My daughter is running around with whatever article she can find from the laundry basket (namely various pairs of underwear-scattering them around the house only to be found at the most inopportune or embarrassing moment possible), the littlest is finding new and creative places she can hide the scrambled eggs that she ate for breakfast (mostly in her diaper) and my oldest is playing happily with his birthday presents.  There are mountains of laundry, bathrooms to clean, dishes to wash, yadda yadda ya. Pretty regular day in our house and for that I'm beyond thankful. With all of the wonderful simplicity, there's an expectancy of big, extravagant things to come. Maybe the areas of regularity in our lives are the areas where God invades and speaks the clearest. A friend of mine reminded me the other day- look at each area of your life in the light of glistening hope. Even the really, really difficult areas. I won't even try to name them. Everyone has them and they all look different.

He.  Is.  Faithful. I don't have anything super insightful to write about. Just that God's been talking to me a lot about his faithfulness. That whatever he speaks and promises to us, He will do. Don't lose hope in the waiting, but let it be a time to get further into his word. Allow the waiting places to be your areas of greatest growth. That's something that I love about God. He gives me something to grab onto, something of deepest substance that is immovable and immutable. My life is constantly changing and growing. I desperately need something that I can hold onto that is faithful and true. Be encouraged. Have a fantastic week.

^{Psalm 89:34 (NewLifeVersion)} I will not break My agreement, or change what was spoken by My lips.

Psalm 89:34 New King James Version (NKJV)

³⁴ My covenant I will not break,
Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.

John 20:29 New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Thomas,^[a] because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Just A Few Thoughts

There's one thing in particular I keep noticing the past few days and weeks. I was putting a load of laundry in the dryer the other day and the Holy Spirit said to me, "You cannot force someone to receive the goodness of God."  Huh. Interesting. 
I suppose the same is true of God's grace. We can't force someone to receive it and rest in it. Sometimes I can barely force myself to receive it- But I am thankful that he's taught me that's where my strength comes from. Especially after the past few days. I had been snappy, grumpy, short with my kids and husband. The only problem is that I've got 3 little sets of eyes looking back at me- watching. They're always watching. And then doing what they see me do. Eek. One little "I want you to be happy with me, Mama." Can bring me to my knees faster than just about anything. 

My cup overflows because of His goodness and glory. For that, I am forever thankful.  I am learning to let nothing separate me from receiving God's goodness and grace. God certainly didn't. He gave up His child to die for some filthy, ugly, undeserving person. He must have known that when I take in Christ, it transforms me entirely. If I let it. Not by my own efforts am I changed, but by beholding Him alone will he take me from glory to glory. Man, I needed that encouragement. Have a great week.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18

World English Bible (WEB)

¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. ¹⁸ But we all, with unveiled face seeing the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.

David Crowder Band After All (Holy)