Sunday, January 16, 2011

I'm Diggin' This

It amazes me how God works.

When I bought my book Jesus: 90 Days With the One and Only, I had the intentions of going home and starting on the study immediately.  That was my plan.

In the craziness of remodeling our house, the book got pushed to the side, and then in the craziness of preparing for our annual Griswold  Grimes Family Christmas, the book got placed in a basket in between the computer desk and armoire.

I knew in the past few months I had become lazy when it came to Bible reading, study, and devotions.  My heart was yearning to get back into fellowship with God, but I kept thinking "accountability."  Never before had I thought of having someone keep me accountable for my Bible time, so I wasn't sure why I kept thinking of it.

Now, I realize it was a "God Thing."  Yes!  I can feel it in the depths of my soul that God truly wanted me to do this Bible study/devotional with someone else. Six someone elses actually. 

Hilarie, Lori, Leslie, Vanessa, Holly, and Emily.

At first, I felt a little guilty about the easiness of doing this online.  Then the more each lady became involved and opened up, I realized that this is a good thing. 

Girls, you have touched me.  I appreciate that you are opening up. I appreciate your honesty. I appreciate you keeping me accountable.  You have blessed me this last few days.  I hope that I have been a blessing to you as well. It is so nice to know that I am not alone in how I feel. You are right there with me.  Thank you for that.

Emily made the comment that some women make it look easy. I have often had those same thoughts.  There are some women that I look at and just can't imagine them spanking their kids or even raising their voice, that they are the perfect moms and live in perfect harmony with the world around them.  On days when I'm at my wits end, I wonder where I went wrong. How did I turn into the world's worst mom.  Then I stop to think:  we don't see the whole picture. We don't see their struggles.  We are not them. God created us to be the Christian women HE wants us to be, not to be like these other women.  Instead of being envious of them, we need to deepen our bond with Him so that we can be who He has planned.

So as we are growing through this study, it is my prayer that God will touch each of your hearts and that you'll find peace in the chaos of your everyday life. I pray that you find the joy of having crazy, wild kids and that you cherish those moments of tranquility, rare as they may be. May we never forget that our children are a heritage of the Lord.  As mom's we are to raise them to be God fearing individuals. Let's us be mentors to the women we encounter on a day to day basis.  Let us live our lives so they know God is the center of everything thought, word, and action. Let us be the Christain wives our husbands need us to be, submitting to them in the Biblical way that God requires. 

I am looking forward to this second week of study.  Thank you again for joining me!  I love you all.

9 comments:

  1. Thank you for being obedient to the Lord and starting this. I find myself looking forward to it and I feel so drawn by His word. I really need the accountability. It is so easy to put it off or get busy and forget but knowing others are involved helps keep me on track. I appreciate it and I am so glad to know there are others who also struggle the same as I do and have a desire to have a deeper relationship with Jesus. I know we will all be blessed.

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  2. In each of our lives we have ups and downs. Sometimes the kids are perfect and other times I can't take them anywhere. Sometimes finances are great and other times we are struggling. The only constant we can definitely count on is our Lord. No matter what this world throws at us ladies, our faith in God will keep us positive that brighter days are coming. I'm also very thankful for the opportunity to share my thoughts and love for Jesus.

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  3. I'm loving this too! The format for me is great. In the past, I've tried to commit to scheduled, face-to-face studies. Don't get me wrong, there are some great things about getting to be together, but it isn't all that realistic for me. I was never able to stay committed. Either I couldn't find someone to keep my kids, the times overlapped with other commitments, or I was just completely exhausted. While these aren't good excuses, they are the reasons I've not gotten involved in a study in years. With this study, I love being connected. It holds me accountable, but more than that, I look forward to it every day because I can't wait to see what you ladies have to say. I feel connected, and it is so low stress because I get do it any time of the day. I can work around everyone else's schedule without missing out on anything or having to depend on anyone, and best of all, without having to pack a diaper bag and getting everybody dressed to get out of the house. It fits my lifestyle, and I love it! I feel closer to God and other Christians than I've felt in years! Thanks, Natasha, for coming up with the idea. Hopefully, tomorrow I can get completely caught up. :)

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  4. What a great idea, Natasha! And what an insight that we truly don't see the whole picture until we really get close to others!.. I often find myself caught in this lie that I am a bad mom or that I am not "like this other mom". You're right - we have to be what GOD wants us to be, doing our best in the light and the situation we have, without trying to compete (if even in our own eyes) with others... Thanks for sharing about this book. I think I need to get it for myself as well, and maybe find my own accountability partners.

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  5. Natasha, are you using the Personal Reflections edition or just the book?

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  6. I'm sooo enjoying this study too! it's great to meet with you daily online. Even when I get a day behind it's always in my mind to catch up. I love the accountability. I know that we are all praying for each other too and that's a big help. I loved Day 8 and can't wait to read Natashas comments. I'll type to you later tonight ladies!

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  7. Goodness!!! I can't ever seem to post without grammatical mistakes! I have this tiny, tiny box to type and the print is so little! I double check and still have mistakes! I'll try to make sure I have my glasses on next time!

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  8. Alot of you have stories to tell and personal connections, I just soak it in. I like to read, think, absorb, etc. I have definietly learned it is more valuable to keep my mouth closed at times! So even though I may not make a comment, please know that I have read and absorbed what is being said and that is helping me alot! Thank you!

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  9. I love that I am held accountable too. This format does really allow me to think about what I have read in the study, then put my thoughts and feelings out there. In the past, in face to face Bible studies, I didn't open up and share what I was thinking or what the readings did for me. Now I have to. It makes me think in a whole other way.
    I also love what you said about being that "perfect" mom. We don't know what is going on inside their heads. When they are young, they don't know what it is that is bothering them or causing them to act the way they do sometimes. When they get older, they just don't want to tell us. We have to remember that we have to be who God wants us to be and that He has the big picture in mind.
    My prayer too is that our children see God's love through us.
    Thank you Natasha, you have been a blessing to me. I truly appreciate you and this group of amazing women who have taken the time to study God's word and share their thoughts and feelings with me.

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Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope in some way I have blessed you. I look forward to reading your comment. I may not always get the chance to respond, but I do read every comment.