Seasons Have Purpose

A few years ago I heard a message on the seasons of life that profoundly challenged and stretched me.  It shared  how each one has purpose and much goes on below the surface that's unseen to our human eyes.  Seasons are planned, purposed and exactly measured for whats necessary to support and strengthen for the season that is coming next. They are not too short or too long, but just the right amount of time to perfect the condition needed for survival in the next season.

Winter is the season where I feel God has me currently nuzzled. Frequently I find myself feeling cold, bleak, and dry from the weather conditions swirling around my life. But I stand firm, just like the oak, storing necessary nutrients for the those future appointments to be used up for His glory. There have been days where I find myself crying out to God with questions of why the struggle has to sting so badly. I watch my oldest seek to find one solid friend pushing through his social inadequacies. My middle son weeding through his frustrations to find where he fits, and my daughter learning a its not about how much we know but what we do with what we know, that truly matters.

Somedays it feels as if time stands still. Like this season will never end. But it will. One day the Seawell Family will be in a new season, where we are the "friend" that another needs. We will find our place and speak truth over others reminding them who they are in Jesus. We are being strengthened now, by who Christ says we are, which will catapult us into being a vessel for others with truths learned. Daily I find myself needing to speak words of encouragement over their weary hearts. Pressing through the exhaustion, I daily must allow His word to pour into me so I can overflow into them. HE is working. On them. On me. It's deeper than the surface.

There is purpose. It goes beyond us. It is what HE wants to do in and through us if we will stand firm, allow His truth to nourish,  and continue through those uncomfortable conditions that try to break us but ultimately make us stronger in Him. To the onlooker it may not look like much is going on, but there is a preparing in my heart for what I know HE has.

I trust in His sovereignty even if I don't totally fully grasp what He is doing. I can trust that He is God and I am not.  Stand firm. Stand tall. Your next season is coming soon.

This is the sound of surviving...take a listen....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaOExJJa_YA

Fight or Flight

The fight-or-flight response, also known as the acute stress response, refers to a physiological reaction that occurs in the presence of something that is terrifying, either mentally or physically. The response is triggered by the release of hormones that prepare your body to either stay and deal with a threat or to run away to safety. (Verywellmind.com)

                        

My natural reaction in situations that are uncomfortable is to leave, take flight and run far far away. But the Spirit of Jesus in me, presses that it is neither healthy nor fruitful. God is re-teaching me this lesson, again. As I parent, there will inevitably be situations where my children struggle with other children. They are little sinners doing life with other little sinners. My initial instinct is to just lesson the time we hang out with that child/family for a season and run away, but my heart knows this habit needs to be tweaked.

When struggles arise with other kiddos we need to train our children to seek restoration God's way as in Matthew 18. Going as the one offended or the one who has offended and search out the other person to share your heart with. It's good to start in prayer and bring Jesus into the center of the struggle. God's encouraging me to go back to this basic and foster healthy communication. Sometimes in the sharing we realize it was just a misunderstanding with feelings hurt.    

I am training my kids. All day. Everyday. I am showing my children the way to live life, and the steps to enjoy healthy relationships. As I write, I notice how much I fail in this, and feel Jesus nudging me to re-evaluate how I do friendship. Its easy to run and hide. Its easy to let friendships fade away because they rub you or your children the wrong way. But the truth tells of that refining process under the surface going on between you, your kids, and Jesus. And remember we have a real ememy, named Satan, who hates unity, friendship and family. Satan wants things kept in the dark, but God wants us to reveal our hurts out in the light.


               

Friendship is hard and takes work, but if we strive to honor the Lord in them they will bring Him great glory. Don't run when it gets tough. Seek His face and look for ways of restoration. Our friendships grounded in truth will last longer and should look different than those in the world. How we handle relationships does trickle down into how our kids do too! 

Is there a friendship that you or your child need to pay more attention to? Share your heart with someone who needs to hear it today. 

Delighting in the Details

There is power in our words. Each day thousands of words flow from our lips in many directions to many people. They have the opportunity to give life or death. Lately the Lord has been highlighting the condition of my heart and how it reflects in the words I speak aloud. I can speak heavily into the struggles and forget to praise the strengths. 

I want my kids to do well.  I hope they soar in education, grow greatly in their faith in Christ, and love others well. My dreams for my kids are grandiose. Hoping for greater because we serve a supernatural God. But if I am completely candid, my heart sometimes gets lost in the current deficit, forgetting to rejoice in the positive of the present.  Focusing on the future and neglecting to celebrate the praise-worthy things right now. 

What are my kids doing well right now? Is it their passionate zeal  for the Bible or the great grades in Math? The lonely child they embraced last week at the park? Folding their clothes and putting them away with such diligence? Praying for a friend in need?

I need to praise my children in the areas they are succeeding in. Use my mouth to uplift and remind them I DO notice those little things done well. Life is hard for our kiddos with friends, bullies, sickness, practice, learning struggles, peer pressure, and homework. 

They need to hear life spoken over them daily. Reminded that they matter and are noticed and cherished. Those little victories are important to us and God too. As we seek to hone our children in the direction of Jesus, remember God delights in the details of their life and yours too!

                        

Practice praising your child daily for one area they do well. It will change the way you look at them. And how they look at you. 

Suffering

Today as I awoke and needed some refreshment... this blog was in my email inbox. SO like God to refresh and revive us through the words of another broken Mama! Broken must happen in order to shine more clearly His light through. Click the link and be refreshed.

"Our Stewardship in Suffering" by Annie B. Garman

Perspective of a Blue Donkey

         I really like the idea of meeting authors.  I would like to ask: how they decided on the plot; where did the idea for their characters develop; what was their purpose in their writings.  I think I would especially enjoy meeting the authors of classic children’s book.  I reflect often on the truths I’ve gleaned in books written for children.

         One such author would be A. A. Milne, notoriously known for his Winnie The Pooh stories.  His characters, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Roo, Christopher Robin and Eeyore have a place in our childhood that rival our affections for the mouse family in Orlando.

         As of late, and for the first time in my life, I have felt the temptation to give into the fictional character of the often-blue donkey, Eeyore.  Eeyore sees everything with exhaustion, an expectation for disappointment and even depression.  Eeyore was often illustrated looking over his shoulder at his pinned on tail.  Even then his comments were, “Could be worse. Not sure how, but it could be.”

         This week as I drove east early in the morning there were dark clouds much like the ones illustrated with Eeyore.  I looked in my rear view window to notice one small pinhole of light coming through the darkness.  As I tried to stay focused in the direction I was driving, I kept looking at this “pinhole” of light growing ever bigger.

         I thought about what our family has been experiencing in grief over a little more than two months.  That ray of light made me think I don’t know the “why” of what has happened; yet I believe the Lord may show us that He was there.

         I can be like Eeyore and point to the “cloud” and all it’s pain or I can move forward.  As I keep looking back I can begin to see more and more that the Lord WAS there.  As He is with us now, He was with us then and He is waiting for me with every step.

         Moving forward helps me to have perspective of what is behind me.  I don’t want to be like Eeyore with my head flipped over my shoulder all the time.  However, when I do glance backward I want to recognize more light than dark.

I Corinthians 13: 12

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.  All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.  

         Though I won’t have the opportunity to meet A. A. Milne and ask him about the character development of Eeyore, I hope he too found the light and joy that can only be found in the understanding of our perfect Savior Jesus. Seeing Jesus instead of a blue donkey will help keep those dark clouds in perspective!

The Due Date

As moms we always look forward to “the due date.”  At the first moment’s of reality that… “I might be pregnant?”  We ask the question, “When will that mean I’m due?”  During my pregnancy I ran to the “pregnancy wheel” and looked at the calculations for the approximate time of arrival.

         Today, I’m sure there is an “App for that!”

         However you find out…it is much anticipated.  You know it will come.  You know there will be much to do as you wait.  So in the vastness that separates saltines and ginger ale to the choosing doctors, having baby showers and decorating the beloved space where our children will sleep their first night home, we wait.

         I am grateful for our three that came on or before their due date.

         Our first grandchild’s due date is Sunday, February 14, 2016.  But she came early.  Kennedy Drew was born January 20.  She never took her first breath.

         Our hearts are tormented. Ripped beyond words. 

         The due date waits.

         The loss that surrounded January 20 is only more pronounced as we watch the due date arrive.  How can we face this date without the anticipation of our Kennedy? Please, putting me aside, how do my precious son and daughter in law look square the face of the calendar on Sunday?

         I told our son and daughter in law because there are not directions on how to parent each child in each season; I am unprepared to “parent” them in this season of grief.  I am to parent our mourning children while I mourn.

         My solutions and expertise are shattered. Except for God’s Word. His healing balm.

         Today I'm reminded there is a “wait.”

Habakkuk 2:3

“For the vision is yet for the appointed time;

it testifies about the end and will not lie.

Though it delays,

WAIT FOR IT,

Since it will certainly come and not be late.”

         We are all waiting.  Now, not for Kennedy’s due date, but ours and our Lord Jesus Christ’s.  Our home-going, His return.

         We don’t wait as those without hope!  We wait in excitement and anticipation of the confetti He has cued.

         He is ready.  He is ready for our wait. He is not just at the end of wait.  He is with us in our wait.  I believe He is holding our hands and comforting us.  I believe He is waiting.   He is cupping our chins and lifting our heads and directing our focus to what is at the end of our wait.

He is worth the wait.

I wait with expectation.

I wait not only with the Author of the Wait 

but the Author of the Due Date.

For our Parakaleo friends, please pray for our family as we walk through this time of great mourning.  Remember to pray for others who are carrying difficult circumstances.  You don’t need to be reminded how tough this “mom” thing is.  God’s Word, prayer and His people are our life rafts during these dark hours.  We need each other.  Thank you in advance for your much needed prayers.

Worry Less & Pray More

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. 

Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers,

 letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, 

a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, 

will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful 

what happens when Christ displaces worry

 at the center of your life. 

- Philippians 4:6-7 MSG

What are you worrying about today, ladies?

In my quiet time this morning I read the verses above and was reminded of Truth. It was refreshing. Let all my fretting and worrying be honed into prayer with my heavenly Father. Allowing Him to be a part of the process. God knows how many hairs are on my head, thinks of me more than sand on the shore and desires to grow in a deeper relationship.  Some hurdles in life, when we are unsettled, cause us to depend on the Lord more and strengthen our dependence on Him. 

Whether it's debt, kids, marriage, church, friends, trying to please people, school choices, balancing a overly crowded life, running on empty, or just weariness...it is worth taking  time to unload it all onto His plate. He is stronger. He is wiser. He is the One who gives supernatural peace when we are frozen with fear. 

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, 

all whose thoughts are fixed on you! 

- Isaiah 26:3

Allow yourself a few moments of quiet today to get before your Maker. Ask Him for wisdom in those areas of weakness. Ask Him to shine light in areas of your life that need strengthening. Then act in obedience to His prompting. An unknown path isn't so scary when you walk hand and hand with your Savior who is guiding your every step. 

I want to worry less and pray more. How about you??

Trusting Tomorrow Will Be Better Than Today

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;[a]
    his mercies never come to an end;
 they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

-Lamentations 3:22 - 23-

A breath of fresh air. Refreshment for my soul. Truth reminding of how His love never fails. Never leaves me. Never ends. Faithful and full of mercies. As that Word is etched on my heart today it tells of how I am to parent my kiddos as well. Loving well, forgiving much, and living today as if yesterday never happened. Wiping the slate clean, giving hugs, with excitement, trusting tomorrow will be better than today.

If we were completely honest, some days are hard to let go of. Hours of exhaustion in parenting sometimes leads to moments of doubt. Wondering if all my effort is in vain. Will I see a harvest of integrity in my children someday even if it seems nonexistent today?

God knew I would doubt. God knew I would need daily reminding. God gives me His Spirit that presses on when my flesh wants to give up. God encourages me with the Word when I wrestle with the whispers from the enemy. HE gave us.....

Galatians 6:9

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (NIV)

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. (NKJV)

So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith. (MSG vs. 9-10)

Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in. (AMP)

This couples so well with the verse we started with. Don't give up and continue to give mercy. We will reap if we continue to forgive, as HE does. If we are steadfast and faithful to seek His face in every struggle and trial...mercy will flow from our lives. 

I can honestly say that these verses were for me today. For a week that has been emotionally and physically exhausting...refreshment only came when I looked to the Source that never ends. The One who reminds me who I am and tells me what I can look forward to if I don't give up. Don't give up, ladies. HE will strengthen your weary heart and empower your feeble hands. HE loves. HE sees. HE knows. 

What has you weary and exhausted this week? 

Are you discouraged in your parenting? 

Seek the One, who is continually parenting YOU - for wisdom and strength on how to equip your little one for the great and awesome plans HE has for them. 

Do you see what I see?

         This week Greg and I experienced the 4D ultrasound image of our first grandchild. It was exciting and fascinating to be able to see such detail. (I question, is there any place of privacy in this world anymore?)

         That said we loved seeing her pudgy cheeks and beautiful shaped lips and her nose was perfect and tiny. We have much to look forward to!

         Greg was so wise when he drew the parallel of our granddaughter’s “snapshot” to the passages from Isaiah as he prophesied what the world had to look forward to…

The Messiah.

The government will be upon His shoulder. His name will be Wonderful. Counselor. Mighty God. Everlasting father. Prince of Peace.

         This was the snapshot of what would be fulfilled 700 years later as the Messiah was born.  The Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, was born as a baby, in a stable, without a doctor, or warm blankets. Born to a mom and dad whom the angels had spoken.

         The fulfillment of that snapshot was taken 700 years prior. What did the shepherds find? What did the wise men find? Did that baby look like what they had expected from the snapshot?  Is He what you are expecting? God's plans are not our plans nor are His ways, our ways. The truth is His plans, hopes and dreams for us and our children far exceed any snapshot we can try to decipher. We need to trust the master photographer. I pray that your snapshot for this Christmas season will exceed your expectations!

A fun practical activity for your children this week; Go through last years (or any prior years) Christmas pictures/cards or “snapshots” with your children.  Have them look at their friends and relatives and talk about how their friends and family have changed and how they imagine they will change in the years to come.  Turn the conversation to spiritual characteristics of themselves that cannot be seen and help them to set goals for their future “snapshots.”