Fight to be a Mary in this loud season. Find His feet and linger there. This affects your mind and heart and brings a calm and peace your children are desperate for at this hour. They don’t want to be doing more; they want to know the peace from a mother that has gazed upon Jesus long enough to transform her.
I have a family of five people. That means we have five different journeys, opinions, and experiences. My goal is not to have my children look, act, and talk just like me but to figure out how to do life together in unity because I trust God put us all together for a unifying purpose. I need them as much as they need me. Marrying our differences to make us better people. I do not tolerate things like slamming doors, screaming “I hate you,” or a child feeling isolated in my home. I have core values for unity, connection, and peace. Not superficial peace that suppresses one’s heart but actually processing things so that peace is the organic fruit. I believe my heart for my family comes from the Father’s heart for His family.
Reliving old testimonies are my memory stones of what God has done. This is from six years ago.
Housing update for those of you who have been watching this journey unfold and want to know how to pray for us. Our house was rented from under us, and although it wasn’t right, I felt led to accept it and move on. I had great faith that God would provide as that is His testimony with us. However, weeks turned into months of looking for our next home, and yet nothing lined up. It wasn’t for the lack of finances, leads, references, or interest from the owners but rather a lack of peace with each place. Time was ticking as we were scheduled to be on the road for two months, speaking at over 17 engagements with Let the Children Fly in three different states. I was overwhelmed by the details of it all. Finding lodging for eight weeks was a full-time job in itself, let alone caring for the kids, securing storage, a home for our dog, launching a new product, teaching weekly, working daily, and all the year-end activities, PLUS finding a house! I just about signed an application for a one-bedroom apartment just to feel secure that we had SOMETHING to call home when I heard the Lord say, “You can do that if you wish, but I am not in it.” With an attitude the size of Mississippi, I said, “Do You mean You want me to go on the road with four kids bouncing from hotel to hotel for eight weeks straight with no home?” to which He so tenderly said, “YES!” In that moment, I surrendered the battle and stopped striving to find our housing. We threw everything in storage, found a home for our dog, packed our suitcases, and left. The deep joy and peace that we have endured on the first part of our travels have been indescribable. There is something about facing what we fear the most and allowing Him to take us to the other side. When you are led by the presence of God, peace becomes your pillar, and where there is no peace, the choice becomes clear. I can’t tell you just yet how this is all going to unfold.
Our goal as church leaders and parents should not be peace. Instead, our goal as believers has to be FREEDOM from what causes the patterns of chaos in the first place. It is the freedom that naturally produces peace. But to go after peace without freedom is nothing short of behavior modification, legalism, and denying the power of the Cross.
A mom shares: “One day in our church nursery, I was rocking two very unhappy babies and tending to three needy preschool children. All five of them were loudly voicing their sadness the way babies and preschoolers sometimes do. In the complete opposite spirit, I began singing ‘Jesus Loves Me’ and ‘Jesus Loves the Little Children’, and peace began to infiltrate the atmosphere. The preschoolers began to sing with me, and complete peace came. Only minutes later, a dad came to pick up his child and said, ‘Wow! It is so peaceful in here.’ I love it when Holy Spirit shifts the atmosphere, and we get to partner with Him to bring heaven to earth!”
Ephesians 2:14 – “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.”
This word is in reference to the Jews and Gentiles and the relationships of the five-fold ministry, all working together, not divided. If this verse is for nations and opposing people groups, SURELY, it is applicable to our families as well. Next time you have two sibling groups that are walking in disunity and conflict, show them this verse and remind them that Jesus is their peace and He has destroyed the inability to work together!!!!!
How is your peace level? Increase it with TRUTH.
Jesus, Jesus, Your name makes the darkness tremble. Your name cannot be overcome!
When a child (of any age) is having an emotional meltdown, they need either compassion or comfort. We have to find their rhythm of receiving compassion and comfort as some like to be touched, others like to be verbally comforted, and others feel comforted by being alone. AFTER they have calmed down and we have connected with their hearts, THEN we can teach, train, and equip them how to increase their capacity and do it differently next time. When the child is upset, teaching and training is like teaching a dog where to poop when he is in the middle of it. He won’t be able to hear you. Teach and train in the time of PEACE so that you can cash in on it in your time of need. Parents end up breaking connection because they want to be teachers when their child needs a comforter.
Perhaps one of the greatest ways you can increase peace and love in your homes is to speak your child’s love language and empower siblings to do the same with each other.
Teach and practice in the time of peace so that they can use it in their time of need.
