Category Archives: Matthew

Weary

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Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
~Matthew 11:28-30~

I am a busy, work-at-home mom. I wear many hats and have a lot of responsibilities. I often do not get enough sleep; (who am I kidding, I never get enough sleep.)

I am weary.

I am physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally weary.

It is time for me to find rest in Him.

Why does it always take me until I am so drained I can hardly move before I decide that I need to take it to Him and find rest? Why do I not just do this daily?
I am sure I would not grow quite so weary if I just gave it all to Him, every day, as He asks me too.

Unfortunately, I tend to be a stubborn child and it takes a lot of poking and prodding for me to lay it all down.

I am grateful and I am thankful that I do have a place to lay it all down. I am so incredibly blessed that I have a Father who will take my weariness upon Himself.

During my bible study last week, It was brought to my attention that God intends for us to rest. He placed the Sabbath in our weekly lives for a reason. He knows we need rest. Rest from the world. Rest from the busyness. Rest from ourselves.

Our Savior himself even took time away from his duties for rest.

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
~Luke 5:16~

Rest is not an option.
Without rest, our spirits and bodies grow weary.
Without rest, we are unable to pour out into others.
Rest is a necessity.
We need to embrace it.
We need to rest.

Now excuse me, I think I’m going to go take a nap.

Choosing God

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As I told you in a previous post, our family is moving. Part of the reason is because of finances and part of the reason is because of God’s leading.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

~Matthew 6:25-27~

 We are choosing, as a family, to simplify our life. We are getting rid of the clutter; the “stuff” that does not belong to us.

We will be moving into an apartment. Most likely it will be a two bedroom apartment because of the price that we are choosing to live on.

Yes. We will be a five person family living in a two bedroom apartment.

We have received some negativity about our decision.

How is it possible that all five of you will be able to live cohesive in a small, two bedroom apartment?

What are you going to do with all of your belongings?

Won’t you all get sick and tired of each other?

What about your chickens?

What about having a large garden ever year?

Will the kids be okay without a yard to play in?

Where are you going to put all of your things?

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
~Matthew 6:28-34~

If you think we have not asked ourselves all of these same questions, then you are mistaken.

We have questioned these things and many others as well.

The difference is that we have chosen to pray about it.
We have chosen to cast aside our worry and our fears.

We have chosen to follow the path that God has set before us.

In our sermon yesterday, the Pastor made a statement that really stood out to me.

Worry is a form of fear.
TRUST God.

We have chosen to do just that.
We have chosen not to worry.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 
~1 Peter 5:7~ 

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you. 
~Psalm 55:22~ 

We are choosing to trust God.
We are choosing to trust God wholeheartedly.
We are choosing to trust God in everything and through everything.
We are choosing to trust God EVERY day.

We are choosing God every day.

 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. 
~Matthew 6:33~ 

Be Still

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I have been trying to find the time and motivation to sit down and write a post.
Nothing has been coming to my brain and out of my fingers.

Then I realized, I have been so busy the last week, that I have not been getting my God time in every day like I need to.

I cannot expect to hear a word from Him if I do not sit down and be still.

So I think that instead of sitting here again and trying to figure out something to try to write about, I am going to go and spend some time with my Heavenly Father.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, 
he leads me beside quiet waters, 
he refreshes my soul. 
He guides me along the right paths 
   for his name’s sake.
~Psalm 23:2-3~ 

Come unto me, ye who are weary and overburdened, and I will give you rest.
~Matthew 11:28~

I must become less

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I saw this verse over at Getting Down with Jesus and it seems to fit perfectly with what we are experiencing in our house right now.

He must become greater, I must become less.”
~ John 3:30

We are really going through some big changes in our house right now. We are completely and utterly relying on God and His leading. In the process thus far, I am starting to learn that it is not all about me. It is about Him.

The stuff around us does not matter. The latest fashion trend does not matter. All those books that I have piled up over the years to read “someday” do not matter. All those toys scattered around my kids’ rooms does not matter. Even the four walls around us that we live in every day do not matter.

I am learning to embrace the important stuff.
I am learning that it is all about Him.
I am learning that everything belongs to Him.
I am learning what really matters.
I am learning that relationships matter.
I am learning that I matter.

It is an interesting journey that our family is getting ready to embark on. A new chapter. A new season. I have become completely at peace with the road ahead. While I know it is not going to be an easy path, I do know that He will help me get through it.

Because in the end, all that matters is Him.

His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
~Matthew 25:21~ 

Five Minutes

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As I am sitting down and trying to think of something wonderful and profound to write, my children are running around in complete chaos; not doing their homework and being quite loud. As a mom of 3 children it is often difficult to try to find quiet time or time to just be alone or time to just……be.

I have come to realize just how precious those five little minutes of time alone can be. At this season of my life, it is just not fathomable that I will be able to carve out large blocks of time. I have to come to terms with the fact that the only thing I am going to be able to get right now is little snippets of time placed throughout the day.

Whether it is five minutes alone in the shower or if I have to lock the door and hide in the bathroom or even if I have to put a movie into the DVD player just to find some peace and quiet for more then five minutes, it is enough to fill me back up and to help me feel a little more refreshed to face my mom duties again.

In this same way, God realizes that in the season of life we are in, we are not going to be able to sit down and devote large amounts of time to Him. We are not going to be able to spend 30 minutes of quiet time every day with Him. What He does want us to do is to find little pieces of time throughout the day that we can spend with Him. Whether we get up five minutes earlier in the morning to spend some time praying or we lock ourselves in the bathroom with a daily devotional, or even just talking to Him while we fold the laundry or do the dishes; He gives us grace and accepts what we can give Him.

What He wants most from me is my heart. He wants my love. He wants is my conversation and my attention. All He wants is just…..me. Even if it is just for five minutes while locked in the bathroom as my children are banging on the door and wondering what I am doing.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
~Matthew 11:28~