JOURNEY NOT DESTINATION

JOURNEY NOT DESTINATION

  • Encouragement, JOURNEY

JOURNEY NOT DESTINATION

On the first day of our JOURNEY class, I explain that there is always more and we can always go deeper with God. The goal is not to be airdropped in the middle of the ocean just to be able to say, “I have arrived,” but to enjoy the JOURNEY with Him every step of the way. I ask parents if they can see God’s invitation to come out deeper with Him, and the #1 response I get from parents reflects fear that He will ask something of them (like sell everything and move away) or make them do something their heart doesn’t want to. This reflects areas of our heart where we have yet to discover that He is indeed a GOOD Father. He knows the desires He has placed inside of us, and they are to prosper us and give us hope, not shut us down. It is like parents crave and hunger for more but at the same time do not want it because they fear what He will require of them. If this is you, I want you to know that this is not God’s heart or voice speaking but the enemy to try and get YOU to shrink back from His goodness.

KINGDOM COME

There are scores and scores of testimonies building up of how GOD is using this season to strengthen the family. If you could peel back the rooftops and have a birds-eye view into many homes, you would see this. Dads are connecting with their children. Mothers are letting out the pain instead of carrying it around. Fathers are on the floor, laughing with their kids. Moms are teaching respect. Marriages are being healed and restored. The kids’ love tanks are overflowing. Connections are being restored with siblings. Children are being taught who they are. Parents are teaching their children about His goodness. There is laughter. Families are talking again. Offenses are being forgiven. Siblings are playing and releasing joy. Children feel like they belong. Moms are being seen and heard. Dads are relaxing. Pain is being addressed and resolved. Dads are laying down the idol of money. Pillars of peace are being contended for. Families are readjusting their focus. Families are seeking Him together. 

Keep going! You are doing an incredible job allowing Him to use this season for GOOD. I know you are tired, and there are still so many unknowns, but you are doing it one choice at a time. When the FAMILY is strengthened, there is an advancement of His Kingdom. Revival happens when the family is REVIVED! May Your Kingdom come into the FAMILY ROOM!

GIVE HIM ROOM

Testimony from a mom taking our online Kingdom parenting class: “I never thought of teaching them this young. I’m inspired as I know it would be so good for them. Let’s see what Holy Spirit does. I’m determined not to plan the outcome.”

What I LOVE about her response is that she went into it full of faith that Holy Spirit would show up and do His part and that she didn’t need to control or force the outcome. This is a perfect recipe for God to show up in our living rooms. #1. An intentional parent willing to teach their child. #2. Have faith that He cares more about encountering the child than you do! #3. Willingness to go with the flow and give Him room to move.

IN HIS IMAGE

Your children are knit together in His image but with you in mind. Who can relate to this mom’s journey? 

“This was definitely a deeply emotional lesson. Lots to pray over and be still and quiet to let Holy Spirit speak and to let the Lord heal. But this lesson hit me to my core – I absolutely know that the Lord sovereignly entrusts us with the specific children He has planned for us to have – and for us to be their parents. Our Father does not make mistakes, and ‘random’ is not of His character. And I can very clearly see exactly what the Lord wants to teach me through each of my children and their unique personalities… but I needed this reminder, as I had lost sight of it. It’s such a beautiful picture when you keep this wisdom at the forefront. These children are gifts that the Lord has sent to grow me and to draw me closer to Him.”

GET UP AND FIGHT – JOY

Finding pockets of joy is a deal-breaker in the midst of the battle because it increases a chemical in our brain that gives us the will to endure hard things. Laughing when you are heavy is hard, but it is one of the greatest muscles you can utilize in the midst of a battle. Make a list of 3-5 things that would bring your heart a smile – DO IT!

FIRE SEASONS

We walked through some very refining seasons, and little made sense to me at the time. I was following Him to the best of my ability, and few understood. Not everyone around me was able to stand with me in my journey. I know it was heavy and hard at times, and sometimes we have to endure the reality that no one else can fully understand our world except Him. Some suggested maybe we weren’t to move to Colorado because the journey was so long. Others let me know that the hardship on the kids wasn’t good. I am not sure anything frightens a mother’s heart more than knowing her children are ‘suffering.’ Nothing makes a single mom feel more vulnerable than knowing she is the sole parent making decisions that radically affect her children. This was the hardest, most excruciating part of the process. I went before the Lord and asked Him (repeatedly) if I was missing something that was causing undue hardship to my kids. He said, “Lisa, yes, your children are indeed going through a very challenging season (on top of what everyone else is enduring), but your children will see the breakthrough, the provision, and the outcome. Your children will witness My hand move on their behalf.” Suddenly my countless tears turned into glory and praise to a God who continues to woo and wow His children.

As a mother, what I long for the most is for my children to see the hand of their Father. Psalms 107 speaks of tossing around the waves of hardship and how God brings us through the storm into our safe haven. I was never looking for a house. I was looking for His peace, and we found it!

NOW IS THE TIME

We are not living in normal times. We are raising a generation who will be like no other generation. Children need to be equipped with tools not just to survive but thrive. I cannot stress enough NOW is the time to get your hands on these tools for you to empower and equip them! 

You can learn more and register here: Journey – ONLINE CLASS – Let the Children Fly

MUTE PARENTING

During day three of the online Kingdom parenting class, we talk about having conversations with our Creator. Could you imagine your relationship with your children if you had no communication? It would be so hard to express love, acceptance, correction, and joy. Do you know the only purpose of your ears is connection? One can live without them, unlike a heart or brain, but connection with others becomes limited and challenged. God gave us a mouth and ears for a reason! He longs to connect with us and has much to say to us. I ask the question: “How many times a day do you talk to God?” Then I ask, “How many times a day do you allow Him to talk to you?”

If this is an area you would like to grow in, download this resource now! Conversations with our Creator eBook – Let the Children Fly