Don't Be Afraid to Ask

Six months ago we first heard of Brain Balance, a center with a drug-free approach for children with Aspergers, and began to research it. We visited, watched testimonials, and prayed hard to see if this was where God would have us go. The real kicker was that they didn't take insurance and the cost of treatment for our son would total $14,000.

So the Lord put it on our heart to ask others to join us in the journey. After creating a GO FUND ME page and helpful friends promoting it, we raised all of the money!! Now we are on this journey. It is so exciting with homework and sessions to go to. Diet changes and meetings regularly with a nutritionist. I still sit in awe of God's provision and those faithful friends who blessed us with finances and others who prayed fervently during our fundraising.

What if I had been afraid to ask for help?

Sometimes pride holds us back from seeking out help. Maybe we grew up in a home where everyone held their own - showing a sense of "strength" or maybe you are embarrassed to ask friends to help you with your struggle/need. If our family had stayed in a place of fear or pride, my son wouldn't be in Brain Balance now. And I would have robbed a group of people from being used by God in the life of a little boy. A story he will re-tell to his children and others around him. A season of receiving which later will allow him to give. It is life-changing when we pray and allow others to come alongside and hold up our arms - in a place we are too weak to stand on our own.  

We would be in a totally different place right now if we didn't ask for help.

What is it for you? Is there an area of your life that seems overwhelming and you need help navigating?

Don't be afraid to ask for help. Friends are waiting in the wing to be used by Him and it is a story that others will share of His goodness and faithfulness because you voiced a need.

OR ....is there someone in your life that needs some help where the Lord may be nudging you to assist?

Pray and allow Him to use you in the life of others. Something you will never regret and always remember.

A Verse to Parent by

The Lord brought this verse to me this week.

II Timothy 2: 23 – 26

“Don’t have anything to do with

foolish and stupid arguments

…because they produce arguments…

instead, he must be kind to everyone

…those who oppose him,

He must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the Truth.”

         This is a great verse to parent by…it is a great verse to live by…

Wait on the Lord!

There are times in the life of a believer, when we face circumstances that are harsh, unfair, brutal, stretching, and... (fill in your adjective here.)  We can pray and fast and beg God to move mountains, but not hear or see any movement on the horizon. Our human nature, in order to free us from this discomfort, wants to rush in, take control, and find an immediate solution to ease the pain.

If we move in our flesh, like Abraham and Sarah did with Ishmael, there will be consequences that could be even more heinous than the original trial. "The flesh profits nothing, but CAN produce something," a pastor recently shared. 

1 Corinthians 3 talks about works, done in our own strength, being burned up like wood, hay and stubble.  The only works that remain are those done in accordance with His will. Wait on Him! His way is the good way. Wait on Him!

Sometimes His silence is Him working something out in us. While you are in His waiting room, ask Him to move the mountains in your heart, so you can be ready for the answer He is bringing your way.  Lay yourself at His altar and allow Him to do the deeper work. Remember that He is faithful, even when we are faithless. Wait on Him! 

"Our Focus" by Courtney Hrinik

You will eat it for a whole month until you gag and are sick of it. For you have rejected the LORD, who is here among you, and you have whined to him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’” (‭Numbers‬ ‭11‬:‭20‬ NLT)


The Israelites were so focused on what they didn't have… They complained and forgot what the Lord had brought them out of and what the Lord Had given them! This complaining was rejecting the Lord and what he had done for them.

Father God I pray that you would help us to keep our eyes focused on you and all that you have done for us. Don't let us look to the left or to the right but to you!

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Are you focusing on what you don't have or praising Him for what you do?

Take a few moments to stop and praise God for the life He has entrusted to you.

It's Just a Season!

It's just a season! Those words we say when walking through a rough spot of our faith. The beautiful reality... is that seasons aren't forever. They have a purpose and plan with inner workings divinely placed there by God himself. Even in winter, when trees are bare without leaves and looking withered, the tree's roots are gathering in nutrients it will need in the other seasons in order to bloom beautifully.  It's underneath is being worked on. The part that allows the tree to live and grow. 

Although in the moment seasons can seem never-ending. We tend to forget that, just like the tree, there are things underneath the surface (like - our heart) that God is molding and nourishing. Through our "seasons" His goal is that we would rightly represent who He is- to a dying world. They are watching. Wondering where our "nutrients" are coming from when our circumstances (weather of life) seems to look unfortunate. 

What season are you walking through right now?

Remember it's not forever and there is a purpose - even if right now it is unseen. 

God divinely ordains situations and circumstances to grow your faith and to allow onlookers to observe your great God.

Look for the nutrients in your season right now. Remember your source is unlimited and HE has a plan beyond what you can think or imagine :)

Each season has a purpose.

The Sandwich Generation

Google Image

        As I walked the beach with my friend Ellen she shared how difficult this season of her life is.  Ellen and her husband have three children, each at a crossroads in their lives.  Their older son is in his mid twenties, their youngest is a blossoming teenage daughter and their middle child is severely autistic.

         One can imagine all that is entailed in caring for her children.  Greg once spoke of our children when they were high school, middle school and elementary as the makings of the “perfect storm.”

         In this particular season, added to her parenting responsibilities is the somber reality of her dad’s cancer diagnosis.  As we walked in the surf and discussed each scenario, I listened as Ellen shared how she was juggling and caring for those God had entrusted to her.

         Ellen is blessed to have a very involved husband as well as some extra help to care for their middle child.  As she shared what she thought needed to be done for each of her children, it occurred to me the resources she had at this juncture.

         She asked my opinion about what was going on in her life.  I told her with the help the Lord had given her and with the ages of her children it was time to call in help for her children and focus on her father’s care.

         Now fast-forward five months.

         Ellen’s father has spent the last three weeks in the hospital fighting the complications of his cancer.  Ellen has been by her father’s bedside or has helped her mother make her pilgrimage to the hospital daily.

         Ellen has made arrangements for her husband and children.  They are well cared for.  Ellen has been an amazing wife, mother and daughter.

         She will never regret the time she is spending with her father and mother.  Her children are watching their mother care for their grandfather that is setting an example for how they will treat her one day.

         Sometimes being the best mom means demonstrating what it means to be the best child. Living out a life of integrity through care, humility and thoughtfulness will be a life lesson her children will not only learn but will one day demonstrate.

         As a spectator to this very hard season in my friend’s life, I too am learning from her example. 

Questions to Ponder:

·      How am I being an example to our children?

·      What life lessons are our children learning from my daily behavior?

·      How am I juggling the care of our children and other significant relationships?

·      How can I thank someone who is being an example to me?

"Lonely Moms" by Stacey Wooddell Imbimbo

 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

There we were on the bench at the park.

I had seen her around church and a few birthday parties. There had been  quick waves and some small talk. But this day was different.  In a few moments of uninterrupted conversation a tear fell down her cheek.

She didn't understand.

She loved being a mom.

"Why do I feel so lonely at times?" she asked.

I understood completly. I had been there many times.

Being a stay at home mom means never really being ALONE. We have our children around us all day long, asking us a million questions, needing constant attention and loving us unconditionally.

Yet, loneliness creeps in.

Motherhood is a whole lot of giving and not much receiving.

Moms everywhere are going through this too. Challenge yourself this week to take a few extra moments for that mom you see at the park, in the grocery store line, or at church.  Reach out to a friend with a text, just letting them know you are praying for them. Set up a playdate. Grab a cup of coffee with a fellow mom.

We are not meant to walk this journey alone.

Jesus promises us in  I Peter 5:7 that if we cast our cares on Him, he will care for you.

Maybe another mom needs to be reminded of this promise this week.