Tag Archives: Family

Changes – Alycia Morales
avatar

Posted on by

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV

“I don’t want to go to school today. I want to stay with you, Mommy.” My kindergartner wedged himself between the back two rows of seats in our Yukon.
As I struggled to pull him loose, I asked what he hated so much about school.

“My teacher yells at us.”

Again, I tried to coax him out. “I’m sure she’s not yelling at you. You have smiley faces on your report each day.”

When he wouldn’t come out willingly, I tried pulling him again. “Come on. Mommy doesn’t want to hurt you.” Meanwhile, my arms were pinched between the seat and my struggling child.

I folded the middle seats down, opened up the space, and removed any place for him to hide as the school coach prepared to receive my pass-off. I pulled away from the curb as my baby screamed from the lap of another teacher, “I hate you Mommy. I want my blankie.”

Everything inside of me wanted to turn around and take him home for the day. In better judgment, I left him on the teacher’s lap, knowing he’d benefit from spending the day in school.

Sometimes God wants us to come out of our comfort zone, leaving our security blanket behind. He knows something better is waiting for us, just as my son’s education awaited him. And just like my son, we fight and kick and scream. God wants us to learn and to grow in the things of Him but we want to stay where we are, in a familiar place. We fear the change. We don’t understand that He has more for us than we have now.

What comfort zones has God been coaxing you out of? What changes does He desire to make in you, bringing you closer to Him?

Alycia Morales home educates her four children by day and writes by night. Married to her best friend for over ten years, she is co-founder of Together Ministries, offering discipleship, marriage enrichment, and parenting assistance to the local church. A seasoned packer, Alycia is enjoying seeing various parts of the country with her family as they travel for her husband’s work. Share in the adventure at www.amoralesthinks.blogspot.com. Read Alycia’s devotions.
Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!

A Bunny Did It – Megan Breedlove
avatar

Posted on by

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

“Mommy! Jessica’s coloring herself purple!” My five-year-old son announced the news at the top of his lungs.

I froze in the midst of my kitchen clean-up duty. The memory of a purple marker on the coffee table flashed through my head. I’d passed by it with the intention to pick it up later. It had been well within my two-year-old’s reach.

“Where is she?” I asked.

“In the chair,” Kenny said, pointing to our new, leather recliner.

Visions of purple-striped tan filled my head as I dashed into the living room. Jessica sat looking small in the midst of overstuffed comfort, a purple marker in one hand. Her right leg bore a single purple streak while the left leg showed the brunt of her artistry.

“Jessica,” I said slowly, in that I-know-what-you-did-so-you-might-as-well-admit-it voice—the one I imagine God used in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve sinned. “Did you color yourself purple?”

Jessica blinked. She looked at the marker in her hand, then at me.

“No,” she said. “Well, I colored this one.” She pointed to the leg with the single marker streak.

“Somebody else colored the other one?” I asked.

“Mm-hmm,” she said, nodding her head.

“Who colored it?” I asked.

“Umm…a bunny,” she said.

Too often, we do the same thing Jessica did. We search for ways around our guilt. We’re experts at blaming our guilt on others but expecting them to toe-the-line where we’re concerned. But we don’t fool anyone. Deep down, we know our guilt. Others may know it too. Our omniscient Creator certainly sees and knows.

I used to be reluctant to confess my sins to God. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I think I was afraid that if I put my sins out in the open, I’d really be in trouble. The fact is, God already knows what I’ve done. He doesn’t ask me to confess just so He can zap me with a consequence. Instead, He wants me to admit what I’ve done so things can be right between us.

When you have something to confess, remember God’s not going to condemn you for your sin. Jesus already suffered the entirety of God’s wrath on your behalf when He died on the cross. Yes, there may be consequences for your actions, but there won’t be condemnation. Rather, God offers  forgiveness and a loving embrace. Take Him up on His gift.

Megan is a married, stay-at-home mother of four children, ages 7, 5, 4, and 2. Visit her at MannaforMoms.com, which presents weekly devotions for moms.
Read Megan’s devotions.
Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!

Children are God’s Heritage – Phyllis Freeman
avatar

Posted on by

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. Isaiah 54:13 KJV

We had two toddlers; a daughter, and then eighteen months later a son. Oh, how I enjoyed my little ones. We made a decision that I would stay home with the children and we’d manage on Bill’s salary. It wasn’t easy, but we made it.

The year my second child entered kindergarten, I asked the Lord for another child. My heart ached for one more. I’d originally planned to have four children but my husband nixed the idea. I told the Lord that if he would give me a child, I’d give that child back to him.

Our three children grew up in a small house in Cincinnati, Ohio. Kim married and moved to Tennessee for seminary. Kent married and his job moved them to North Carolina. When Kyle’s employer told him that his department might be dissolved, our youngest got a job and later married in Tennessee.

My family nest emptied much too quickly. I was glad the children were happy and pursuing their dreams, but where did that leave me? I missed them all. We visited them and sometimes they came at Christmas, but I longed for them. All those years I’d prayed for my children and I gave them back to the Lord and His service. When they moved far away, I thought I must have failed as a mom or they wouldn’t be so far away. I know, it was selfish of me!

When we give our children to the Lord, personally releasing them to be where and what God wants them to be is hard. In God’s own timing and His way, He gave us an opportunity to move closer to our children.

Have you prayed for your children and asked God to work in their lives? Does it look like they are not listening to His voice? Trust God to work in their lives even if you can see no sign of what He is doing because He’s trying to woo them into His kingdom and His will. You’ve taught them, now let God teach them.

Phyllis Qualls Freeman has over two hundred fifty published devotionals, human interest, and other articles. She is working on her first book. Phyllis loves reaching out to touch those who have long-term, life-altering situations to share God’s love. Married to her college sweetheart for fifty years, they have three children and five grandchildren. Pqfreeman40@yahoo.com Read Phyllis’s devotions.

Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!

Tea Party – Abbey Medcalf Cooler
avatar

Posted on by

…But Martha was distracted with all her preparations… Luke 10:38-42

It was a busy morning! It was filled with laundry, a trip to the grocery store, taking the car through the car wash, picking up the dry cleaning, and then back home to dust and vacuum the house. When we returned home from our many errands, my daughter Ava began playing with her little Fisher Price kitchen. I was busy putting up the dishes and laundry, and wiping down the kitchen cabinets and countertop. I looked in on my daughter playing and she was pulling out her tea party set. She looked at me and smiled.

At first I thought about all the housework I needed to be working on while she was entertaining herself. But then I thought about how fast she is growing up and I did not want to miss out on a “mommy and daughter moment.” So I set aside my “to-do” list and sat down to have a tea party. Ava and I were joined in our tea party by her Cabbage Patch dolls and Curious George.

As I read Luke and thought about the real life experience I had that morning, I was reminded to put everything in my life into the correct perspective. In less then 18 years my daughter will be graduating from high school and moving on into the exciting future that God has for her. She may be going on the mission field, entering college, or starting a career. I don’t want to miss a moment or take for granted the time that God has given me with my precious daughter. My calling as a mother is to invest in the spiritual, emotional, educational, and physical life of my child. When Ava is grown up and she looks back at her childhood, will she remember the perfect house that I kept or will she remember that I took the time to have a tea party?

Abbey Medcalf Cooler is a dynamic and energetic speaker. She has a heart for women, whether young, old, married, single, working, or stay-at-home moms. Her messages are filled with encouragement, Biblical truths, and humor woven together with her own personal experiences. Abbey has a Masters of Arts in Christian Education from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. She also has a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Education from Gardner-Webb University. Abbey has served on the staff of First Baptist Woodstock as the Associate Director of Elementary Ministries focusing on the third-fifth grades. She has served on the staff at Noonday Baptist Church as the Preschool and Children’s Director before moving on to teach sixth grade at Cherokee Christian School. She is currently residing in Acworth, Georgia and is a stay-at-home mom. Abbey is married to Adam and they have a daughter, Ava. Read Abbey’s devotions.
Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!

Promises – Kevin Spencer
avatar

Posted on by

You will increase my honor and comfort me once again. Psalm 71:21

I didn’t see death coming for me that morning. Wasn’t ready for it. But now it stood in front of me in the form of a 6’5” 300-pound grinning sociopath with multiple life sentences–one who had already killed three people, two of them while in prison.

I was in prison too. Several years into my incarceration, I had a job running the prison garment factory. God had been good to me. I worked my way up from running a sewing machine to office manager. I made enough money from my job (.50 cents an hour), that I didn’t need to depend on outside help.

Although the rules said all inmates were equal, I suppose it could be said I was first among equals. The garment factory was an oasis in the prison, staffed with civilian supervisors (“free people” we inmates called them) instead of Department of Correction Officers. In my position I dealt with the outside world (placing orders for raw materials, arranging deliveries, shipping finished goods). A great deal of trust was placed in me. In my desk were items I needed to do my job; things like indelible markers, numerous sharp instruments, and tools that the free people trusted me not to abuse.

But now the giant in front of me wanted something out of my desk–a tool I couldn’t give him. He demanded. I refused.

“Gonna be waiting on you come lunch.” he grinned sadistically. “Gonna kill you.”

“We don’t have to wait for lunch,” I said, “We can go outside right now.”

His grin widened. “Come on.” Turning on his heel, he headed for the exit. I shrugged goodbye to my close friend, then headed for the door. My mind registered the quiet that fell over the factory floor as the sewing machines spun to a halt and hundreds of inmates watched.

I wish I could say my mind was focused on God’s peace or that His promise to keep me safe in prison was uppermost in my mind; or that the Biblical examples of David and Daniel were all I thought about. But that’s not what happened. I focused on staying alive.

Time slowed and my brain shifted into high gear, struggling to deal with the fight that was coming. I wasn’t a fighter, not like this guy, and I wasn’t going to survive. I was dead. And to my shame, I had forgotten completely about God’s presence and His promise to me.

But God hadn’t forgotten about me or His promise. The giant passed through the exit door. I followed a few feet back. A step from the door and through the tunnel vision that had descended on me, I heard a voice calling my name. It was my civilian boss. “Spencer, stop!” he commanded. I ignored him.

“I said, STOP!” This time, it registered and I stopped inches from the door.

To my astonishment, a miracle occurred. The giant was handcuffed and led away by a squad of correction officers. They had no business being there, but here they were, standing right outside the door to the factory. The officers were doing a random inspection when the giant walked into their midst. Since he had no pass or authorization to be outside, he was charged with escape. I would have been too, had I walked through the door. I never saw him again.

As I returned to my desk, I caught the eye of several fellow inmates—saw several quiet nods. Later I learned I’d done okay in their eyes…passed a test of sorts; earned a new measure of respect. I’d never be bothered or challenged by an inmate in the factory again.

The noise on the factory floor returned to normal and in that moment a still voice in my heart said to me, See, I promised that you would be okay; that you would be safe and My promises are forever.

Yes they are Lord, yes they are. Bless you, Father. And thank You for loving me so very, very much.

Kevin Spencer lives in Tennessee with his beautiful wife Charlotte and grandson Caleb. A former prodigal son, Kevin is now trying to use the gifts God gave him, and by the grace of God has a life far better than he ever deserved.Read Kevin’s devotions

We Deserved More Time – He Said
avatar

Posted on by
We Deserved More Time

We Deserved More Time

Come, my lover, let us go to the countryside, let us spend the night in the villages. Let us go early to the vineyards to see if the vines have budded, if their blossoms have opened, and if the pomegranates are in bloom­ there I will give you my love. Song of Solomon 7:11-12 (NIV)

Listen to We Deserved More Time – He Said

Dear, I’m sorry.

I meant what I said oh those many years ago when I promised you the moon and stars and days filled with rich foods and sweet drink, but then came the hard work of making a living and honestly honey, how much of the world can we see with just two weeks of vacation each year. You understood. Of course you did. You were the frugal one, the one who set budgets and banked paychecks for unseen emergencies. So we shelved our travel plans, packing our dreams into folders marked “beach house,” “Europe,” and “Yosemite.”

For a while we enjoyed weekends in cottages borrowed from friends. But the days were too few and besides, the boys needed us at scout meetings, on ball fields, and in the kitchen where you made our house a home. Here, look at this photo. Here you are sitting on the sea wall in St. Thomas. See that smile? See how, even with the glare of the tropical sun in your eyes, you’re still beaming with that carefree smile that now sags, thin and pale.

There was hope for a time after the boys left for college, but then our parents became sick and then the grandkids… my God, think of them. Would you really have wanted to exchange their laughter and cooing for a few months in the vineyards of Tuscany?

Before I heard—before the oncologist called—I was dusting off those dreams. I wanted to see if we could recapture the magic we’d enjoyed oh those years ago. But now it’s too late. Now there’s only you and me and each day there is less of you.

Were we to leave right now it would be too late. So we won’t. We’ll stay right here in this room, on this bed, among the deepening shadows that diminish the light in your eyes. All that is left is the moon and stars and they are not enough.

Oh dear, I am sorry. Please forgive me. When you said I do, I didn’t. I didn’t take you to the pyramids and glaciers and mountaintops like I promised. You deserved more. You deserved the world.

We deserved more time.

Losing Me – Kevin Spencer
avatar

Posted on by

He must increase, but I must decrease. John 3:30

I need to lose weight. I have been working away at it all summer, but I still have a way to go. It seems that every few years or so I’ll buckle down and make a concerted effort to get my weight back down to a manageable level, only to watch it drift back up again. I blame it on my wife, Charlotte, who is such a fabulous cook, eating is sheer joy. Now, perhaps my somewhat sedentary state of mind is a contributing factor as well, but it’s easier just to blame it on Charlotte’s wonderful cooking.

John the Baptist had a weight problem too. As he said, there needed to be less of him. But I’m pretty sure physical weight wasn’t what John was talking about. A diet of locust and wild honey isn’t likely to cause you to have to let your britches out.

One of the things John was trying to say, I think, was that there needed to be a lot less of John the Baptist inhabiting his body, and a lot of more of Jesus the Messiah.

I can understand that. There needs to be a lot less of me period, physically and spiritually. There needs to be less of me trying to live in this body, and a lot more of Him.

It’s not easy, though. At least it’s not for me. In fact, it’s a lot harder than just trying to lose physical pounds. It’s hard for me to see this loss of self. There isn’t a scale you can step on. It’s only by looking back over many years that I can see less of Kevin living in this body, and more of my Lord. I’ve still got a long way to go, not only in losing me, but also in trying not to reclaim the parts I’ve given up. Just like my physical weight likes to sneak back around my middle when I‘m not looking, so does my old ‘self’ like to sneak back in to rooms I thought I had cleaned out and given to Him. Thank goodness my Lord is a patient Lord.

Thank you, Father, for loving me so much you’re willing to live in this poor body with me as long as I keep making room for you.

Now, if I could just stop thinking about that quart of chocolate ice cream in the refrigerator. Sigh…

Kevin Spencer lives in Tennessee with his beautiful wife Charlotte and grandson Caleb. A former prodigal son, Kevin is now trying to use the gifts God gave him, and by the grace of God has a life far better than he ever deserved. Read Kevin’s devotions

Not Impossible – With God – Pat Jeanne Davis
avatar

Posted on by

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord Psalm 27:14 (KJV)

“It’s not utterly impossible, but it’s extremely improbable you’ll become pregnant. You might wish to consider an adoption,” my gynecologist suggested after my latest surgery. We took the brochure that she handed to us containing the information for an upcoming adoption seminar.

When we receive unwelcome news it’s so easy to lose heart and forget that God is in control of our lives.

My husband and I realized in our mid-life marriage that the chance of my carrying a child were slim due to age and because of a progressively worsening condition often resulting in infertility. John and I weren’t certain that pursuing adoption was what we wanted to do, but we attended the meeting.

Then we became very enthusiastic about this way of gaining our family. Since we were well above the age limit for an agency adoption, we retained an attorney who specialized in private independent adoption. I did much networking at the hospital where I worked. While letting others know of our desire to adopt, I found I was far less timid than I had expected.

Still, one-and-a-half years elapsed with no real adoption prospects.  Nevertheless, we were still determined and hopeful and continued to get the word out. Then, through divine orchestration, we were eventually successful in adopting a newborn. Now our family was complete, or so we thought.

Then my husband and I discovered that what is impossible from a human perspective is possible with God. Fifteen months after Johnny arrived in our home, I became pregnant at age forty-eight.

There has never been another time when I felt closer to God and sensed His power than during those months while caring for an infant and pregnant with another child.

Today I pray for wisdom as we raise Johnny and Joshua. When some days are rough and I feel the demands of child-rearing, I remember when God answered the desires of my heart in His own time and manner.

We must look to our Heavenly Father for His perfect timing in our life and realize that He knows the end from the beginning. God has his own timetable, and He grows our faith by permitting delays.

Pat Davis is a homemaker and writer living in Philadelphia, PA. Her essays, stories and articles have appeared in The Lookout, GRIT Magazine, The Mennonite, Renewed and Ready, Guideposts, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Blessings for Mothers, God Answers Prayer, Woman Alive, and Woman’s Touch. She has completed an inspirational historical novel. www.patjeannedavis.com
Read Pat’s devotions.

For Better or Worse – Andrea Merrell
avatar

Posted on by

So again I say, a man must love his wife as a part of himself; and the wife must see to it that she deeply respects her husband — obeying, praising, and honoring him.
Ephesians 5:33 TLB

When I got married, I’ll have to admit I paid little attention to what the preacher said. My goal was to make it though the ceremony without tears, without passing out, and without committing a major faux pas. When I repeated the words, “for better or worse, in sickness and in health, ‘til death do us part,” they were just canned words with little meaning – at least at the time.

Being young and in love can cause us to be short-sighted and naïve. We tend to live in the moment, get caught up in the excitement and romance, and fail to see down the road when romance has a head-on collision with reality.

Saying “I do” meant a lot more than I realized. What I was actually saying was: “I do dishes, I do laundry, I do dirty diapers, I do nursing duty, I do chauffeur service,” and so on. All that “I doing” earned me a BA (bad attitude) until I found out it was part of the package.

Storybook romance paints an unrealistic picture of wedded bliss, perfect relationships, and happily ever after. That’s the better part and most of us think that’s what we signed up for.

The true test comes when we’re faced with the worse. That’s when we have to make a decision. We can turn and run or dig in our heels, call on the love of God to see us through, and give it all we’ve got.

When my husband said “I do,” I’m sure he didn’t expect to deal with bad hair days, difficult in-laws, and PMS. But, for thirty-nine years he’s put up with and loved me through it all – sickness, insecurity, disappointment, tears, and heartbreak. He’s also been there through the laughter and the good times, the joy of raising children, and the thrill of becoming a grandparent. He’s always by my side, sharing my faith, being my friend, and cheering me on to pursue my dreams.

If you want the real thing, invite God to be the Lord of your life and your marriage. He will bless you beyond measure and the better will always outweigh the worse.

Andrea Merrell is a freelance writer and editor with a passion to help others see God’s Word as practical and relevant for ordinary, everyday life. She enjoys writing fiction, articles, and devotions and is featured in Spirit & Heart: A Devotional Journey and Faith & Finances: In God We Trust.  Andrea is a staff writer and Associate Editor for www.ChristianDevotions.us.  She is also a contributing writer and copy editor for www.DevoKids.com, and lives in South Carolina with her husband (and best friend), Charlie. Visit her at: www.andreamerrell.com or www.andreamerrell.blogspot.com.  Read Andrea’s devotions

Sweeter than Honey – Kevin Spencer
avatar

Posted on by

The Word of God is more desirable than gold and sweeter than honey. Psalm 19

“Wow,” I thought, as I traced with my finger the crack in the leather spine of my Bible. I’d finally managed to wear out my first Bible. Not my first Bible, in that it was the first Bible I had ever owned. I had owned several Bibles. They did a great job collecting dust on book shelves. But this was the first Bible I had ever read and studied enough to finally crease the spine to the cracking point.

This was a special Bible, given to me by my parents. It had my name embossed in gold on the cover. And, in my Mom’s neat handwriting, it has an inscription inside that simply says it is to me, from them, on the occasion of Christmas, 1998. To me, though, it says much more than that. It says that my parents loved me, despite everything.

You see, that Christmas of 1998 I was going through the latest in a series of self-inflicted low points. My parents had every reason to wash their hands of me. But God put it in their hearts that Christmas to give me a Bible, and they listened.

The Bible stayed in the box it came in for another couple of years, in the bottom of a drawer. Out of sight, out of mind. But on that day when I finally fell to my knees and begged God to help me, the Bible my parents gave me that Christmas called to me from the bottom of the drawer. I pulled it out, and began to read.

Now, a decade later, my old Bible is full of sticky notes, and highlighted passages. There are a dozen different bookmarks scattered throughout with index cards stuffed here and there, and notes jotted in the margins. I suppose I’ll have to start over with a new Bible, but then the “…Word of God is living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword.” So it will always be new and fresh and alive.

Thanks Mom and Dad, for loving me so much and for listening to the gentle nudge of God that Christmas many years ago. Read Kevin’s devotions