“My HOPE is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ Name!”

I am forever grateful for my parents who raised me in the church singing the old hymns, so that when Holy Spirit wants to speak to me, He often does so through the lines of these anointed songs as He whispers them to my soul when I need them the most. (Parents, take note: the songs that fill the atmosphere of your homes and mini-vans will be the songs that run through your children’s minds and hearts, their dreams and quiet moments. Be intentional, as Philippians 4:8, and Colossians 3: 16-18 reminds us! “Speak to each other/(fill your conversations and HOMES) with songs, hymns, and spiritual songs, always giving thanks to God through Jesus Christ….”))

Today, I am filled with HOPE.

We’ve been to three weddings in the past 2 weeks. In each of the ceremonies, the couples have stood confident before God and each other, and taken VOWS to be faithful to one another in a covenant of love, in great joy and solemnity, till death do they part!

And our hearts swell with joy as we actually KNOW these 3 young couples! We KNOW that they have made decisions to follow Jesus, to honor Jesus, and to display Who Jesus is through their new marriages!

These 3 couples GET IT! They – and many, many other young couples we know – are the ones who will shape the future of this world that God so loves! They are the ones who will birth and raise the next generations of children to know and follow their God! They will be the ones to ‘rebuild the ancient ruins’ (Isaiah 61:5), and restore the places that have been long devastated by us who have been sleeping on our watch, instead of fulfilling our callings to be Watchmen on the walls!

But today – I see it! I see how God is redeeming this next Generation! I see young families loving one another in healthy marriages and raising kids to know the Jesus who loves them and redeems us all!

Today, I am filled with HOPE! This is a gift of grace! In today’s world, for those of us who are awake (not woke) to all that the Enemy is trying to accomplish in this Hour, HOPE is not easy to access. For those of us aware of what is going on in our nation and in the world that God so loves… we must fight for hope, fix our eyes on Jesus, and take time to intentionally ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER, and all the more, as we see the ‘days’ that we are living in!

I feel HOPE rising! God is pouring out His Spirit in this Hour! He is awakening His church – His children – to realize who we are and what He has entrusted to us! He is bringing REVIVAL, and restoration, and re-aligning our hearts and lives around JESUS – our King and Redeemer!

And practically, that looks like our kids and yours, multiplying, filling the earth, and subduing it under the righteous rule and reign of our King! It looks like Mamas & Papas in the faith pouring into the next generation to pass on our flames of love for King Jesus! It looks like young people following hard after Him in worship, in devotion, and in choosing their spouses! It looks like young families on fire for Jesus coming together with other young families on fire for Jesus so that the fire of His love will spread and cover all the earth!

Today, be filled with hope! Know that our God reigns, and He has called us to ‘reign in life’ on His behalf, to see His Kingdom come and His will being done on this earth as it is in Heaven!

Today, is there some young person or young couple you could spend some intentional time with, pour into, and disciple in the ways of Jesus? Is there someone needing to know that there is a Way, there is Truth, and there is Life full of purpose and joy in the person of Jesus? Ask Holy Spirit what next steps you could take to encourage these ones, and thus spread hope to those who have none?

And now, may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you hope and trust in Him!

(For more on mentoring and changing the world for Jesus, find the book “Ripples of Heaven” wherever books are sold.)

The inspection came back. The young couple was so excited about this potential new house that they grabbed the report and began tackling the many items with great energy and resolve! “Ah. ‘Some mold.’ Ok. Who do we call? ‘Foundation cracks…. some crumbling… unstable’… Well, it’s an older home; that’s probably normal! We better get moving; there are a lot of things to do!”

And off they ran to the store to continue the furnishing, the decorating, the making of their first home. They had dreamed of it for many months, they knew exactly what colors, what fabrics, what theme they were going with… it was going to be beautiful.

The parents of the young couple listened, nodded slowly, and said, ‘Of course!’ when asked to watch the baby so they could go. Dad asked, ‘OK if I take a look at that Inspection report while you’re gone?’ ‘Sure, Dad!’ And off they went.

This was hard. It may even be heartbreaking. All the dreams and the decorating and the paint colors and plans… all of THAT was beautiful. All the ways to make this old ‘house’ a ‘home’…. there was just one problem. There may be no house left of which to make a home. The young couple is planning for next month and next year and birthday parties to come in this home, … but there may be no HOUSE left to host these future dreams.

It’s not that the young couple isn’t bright or intelligent! They are smart and gifted and responsible! It’s just that they have never done this before, nor heard those terms used before, or lived as many years as mom and dad to know what the implications of this ‘report’ could mean. The parents don’t fault the kids – it’s just a matter of experience, living a few more years, and having a few more gray hairs.

Gray Haired Ones! We have some work to do! Our kids are dreaming and planning and so excited about the futures they envision … but unless we older ones stand in the Gap, read the Inspections and the signs of the times, and take our place in God’s plan for OUR generation, there will be no house for our kids to even live in. Said differently: now is our time to get on our knees and pray for this nation and this world, for there are termites and spreaders of mold who want to destroy the very foundations of this nation and the nations of the world.

I’m not writing from a place of fear. Nor am I trying to be overly dramatic. Our Good Father is quite capable of restoring our foundation! The Great Architect who is the Almighty God of Heaven and Earth knows exactly how to rid this earthly home of the mold and the termites and the DEstructive forces of evil that want to see His good creation crumble and His plans fail.

This is where we with Gray Hair come in: He is calling us to wake up. Read the Inspection reports and know the times we are living in. He is asking us to get on our knees and CONTACT the Great Repairman, the Redeemer Himself, for He waits on us to ASK before coming to restore! We’ve got to put in the call! We have the wonderful privilege of knowing the One to whom nothing is impossible; the One who has called US to join HIM in His great Awakening and Revival and Restoration process!

“Behold! I am making all things new!” He has the plan! He has designed this to be a partnership between the Father and His adult sons & daughters who are managing this beautiful planet we call HOME; a co-laboring effort where we are His representatives on this earth, filled with His Spirit of power and authority in order to implement His good plans and heart’s desires here on the earth as it is in heaven. (see Luke 10:19)

It’s our time. There is a battle over our earthly home and our kids’ futures. It is not a battle with flesh and blood , but with the powers of the unseen world, the principalities of evil in the heavenly realms…. And the Father of us all has given us the exact weapons of warfare to WIN this battle on behalf of our kids: Jesus’ death and resurrection defeated the Enemy for all time and gave us access to all we need: Weapons of PRAYER. WORSHIP. THE WORD OF GOD ON OUR LIPS. DECLARATIONS AND DECREES from the throne room to unseat these evil invaders and commanding them to leave. AUTHORITY to take back this earthly house and bring it back under the Management of the Good Landowner and His children, who will rule and reign to bring good instead of evil, truth instead of lies, and love instead of hatred. Where God is back in charge, building takes the place of tearing down, life flourishes again, and the broken is made whole. That which was lost is saved, those who were hopeless look up with hope, and that which was crumbling in darkness begins to thrive in the LIGHT OF HIS WAYS, HIS LEADERSHIP, HIS PEOPLE ACTING ON HIS BEHALF.

Those with Gray Hair have been around long enough and seen enough inspection reports to understand the weightiness of the times. Let’s rally, Gray-Hairs! Let’s get on our knees and then take our stand against the de-construction of marriage, family, faith, and home. We are not just hanging on till heaven. We are to make God’s name known and honored, and then pray/declare His Kingdom come and His will be done TODAY on earth as it is in heaven. And when HE is in charge again, through His people, of the increase of His government and PEACE and restoration, there WILL BE NO END.

It is our time, Gray-Haired friends. Let’s wake up and take up our cross and our callings from our God. He has entrusted the care of His estate to us to love the world even as He does. The future generations – our kids and yours – depend upon it.

As we begin a New Year, 2022, I feel Holy Spirit inviting us to a New Way, a Higher Way, a more consistent and sustainable way to live! A Way we can follow EACH day, with some practical guidance from our Good Shepherd. And as I am passionately making a call this year to Make Disciples of Jesus through Mentoring Relationships, this Way IS the way of discipleship: both for me, and any I may be mentoring! (New book Ripples of Heaven, Changing the World through Mentoring One Discipleship Relationship at a Time available now at Amazon, B& N, or locally at Gratitude Boutique and Gifts, Fishers, IN)

If you’re like me, the last few years have been like a roller coaster, with ups and downs and highs and lows. One moment I was walking by faith, safe and secure, abiding in the love of Jesus; and the next I was bombarded with fears, troubles, threats of sickness, and despair! This alone has just been exhausting; I knew there was a better way!

One day not many weeks ago, Father God led me to Psalm 23; yes, the one we know best and some know by heart. But He opened my eyes to new revelation on this well-known Psalm: I heard Him say, “THIS is the way to walk with Me each day.” This is what it looks like to be a Disciple of Jesus!

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters.

He restores me soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

As we begin the first week of a brand new year, I’m going to take multiple blogs and go through this beautiful Psalm verse by verse. For today, here’s an Overview of This New Way to walk each day.

First, the LORD is my Shepherd. First things first. Who is my LORD? Whom have I bowed down to, believed, obeyed, given up control to, and surrendered the throne of my heart to? If you and I can re-start this year and once again joyfully declare: JESUS IS LORD! BE MY LORD! I SURRENDER TO YOUR KIND KINGSHIP, LORD JESUS! HAVE YOUR WONDERFUL WAY! YOUR KINGDOM COME, YOUR WILL BE DONE!~ NOT MY WILL, BUT YOURS BE DONE!

I must start there, posturing my heart to say YES again, that, “I WILL follow you Jesus! Because you are the Loving One I want in charge of my life. You alone are worthy. You are Lord,” THEN , and only then, can I know the safety and provision of Him being my SHEPHERD! Otherwise, I’m like one of those sheep who continually goes MY way, and that leads me ASTRAY from THEE way that He is, and that He leads me on!

What a glorious place to start! Who will I trust in 2022 to be MY SHEPHERD! The LORD, because I have decided to follow Him; & He now can lead me like a Shepherd. And Oh, the blessed life of being led by THEE Good Shepherd. I already feel the weight lifting of trying to figure out life on my own, figure out WHICH WAY to go, which voices to listen to, which path to take… Now, I breathe deeply and easier already, knowing I don’t have to know the way, when I know THEE WAY; I know whom I will follow, and my heart is filled with TRUST as I know He will faithfully lead me to what I need each day.

Now He can lead me. And what He showed me recently is that there is an ORDER to each of these things… First, I decide and declare that the LORD is MY Shepherd: NOW He can lead me.

First to lie down in green pastures. Sheep eat and rest in green pastures. Here, I am fed by His Word and His voice, for man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. He has caused me to actually lie down. As in, stay. THIS YEAR, starting now, in this NEW YEAR of 2022, start each day THIS WAY. Spend some time with Him. Rest with Him. With Him is key. He causes me, MAKES me remain in His presence where I can hear His voice, read His word, and be FED. This is where my empty soul is filled. He knows what we need.

Next, he leads me by still waters. Here, sheep can drink deeply and be refreshed. Here, you and I can drink deeply of the Living Waters of His own Holy Spirit, that is within us like a fresh spring. Life-Giving Water. Holy Spirit is Life-giving water to our thirsty souls! We take time to be still and be FILLED with Holy Spirit again. Daily. Before moving on. This progression is so important. We must not get dehydrated by the life-less things this world offers us. We must drink deeply. Daily. With Him. Of Him!

“He restores my soul.” This is the goal of discipleship. Read that again.

Our Shepherd saw that our souls were fractured by sin. Without Him, we are ‘dead in our sins’. But as we receive Him as LORD and we drink deeply of His Spirit, “If anyone is in Christ, he/she is a new Creation. The old has gone. The new has come.” Discipleship is learning to walk out the FACT that Jesus restores us to our original intention: “He who knew no sin became sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ.” Sins forgiven, our relationship to the Father is restored, we become one again through His Spirit, and my soul is healed. My soul is restored. At peace. At rest. Content and full. My Father pulls me up on His lap and lavishes His love and joy over me. No more guilt. No more shame. I am not only accepted, I am wanted and loved and delighted in. My soul’s greatest need is Unconditional Love. Here, I find my Father. I find myself. My soul is restored.

Oh love that will not let me go! The Daily Joyful life of Walking with Jesus is made possible because “YOU ARE WITH ME.” This union with Jesus, as we lie down in green pastures with Him, are fed by Him, drink deeply of His Spirit within…. this is what restores our souls. His love makes us whole.

His is the Love we have been looking for in every other pasture, on every other path. His is the safety & assurance we search for even hoping to find in the latest news headlines. There is only One Love that is sure. Unchanging. Never-ending. Never- leaving. With me always. Knowing me completely. Saving me entirely. Washing me. Cleansing me. Filling me with His own Life. Healing my orphanhood. Restoring my relationship. Restoring my soul.

“I will fear no evil. For you are with me.” The WITH of Jesus. It restores our souls.

This is the WAY I’m going to start each new day in this New Year. It leads to the next steps. There is an order. He is so good and kind to LEAD us. One step at a time. Check back tomorrow as we will see where He LEADS NEXT.

HAPPY NEW YEAR as you WALK THIS BLESSED WAY!

-Lori

“Go into all the world and make disciples; baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey all I have commanded you. And I will be with you always.” Mat.28: 19-20

We’ve heard the Great Commission so many times, we sometimes no longer hear it! Or it sounds so overwhelming and impossible to DO, that we assume that command was meant for the Evangelists and pastors in the crowd!

But what if it’s NOT overwhelming? What if every command Jesus gives us is not a heavy burden, but a ‘burden that’s easy, a yoke that is light’ when we are ‘yoked’ to Him.. because He promises, “I will be with you always!” What if the Great Commission is just that: a Great CO-MISSION, one in which we CO-LABOR with Holy Spirit in us to do the work as we abide in Jesus and let His love just flow through us like sap through a Vine/branch!

Jesus didn’t just command us to make disciples; He MODELED for us HOW to do it: “Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve – designating them apostles- that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.” Mark 3: 14-15

“When Jesus made disciples, he didn’t just invite them to a six-week class. He didn’t toss the Torah to Thomas and tell him to read it. He didn’t ask them to write a summary of his last sermon so that when he came back into town they could get together and debrief. Instead, he said three of the most powerful words to ever be spoken in relationship: “Come with Me, ” Mark 6:31. To Simon and Andrew, he said it this way, “Come, follow me,” Mark 1: 16.

Jesus didn’t just invite them to a lecture or a church service, he invited them to be WITH Him. He invited them into His very life. He invited them to JOIN Him, to learn from Him, to travel with Him, and to KNOW Him. He invited them into RELATIONSHIP.

There is no shortage of information in this world. There IS a shortage of relationship. Face to face relationships. Close enough to look into another’s eyes or hold another’s hand. We need hearts that care enough to spend time and invest in the heart of another.

This all began in the heart of our good Father. From heaven, he didn’t just send commandments, He sent His Son, who came to BE WITH us, to seek and save the lost, and to love the ones in front of Him. Then the ones in front of Him were so transformed that they naturally turned and loved the ones in front of them. Ripples that began in heaven. Became waves of love that changed the world. One mentoring discipleship relationship at a time.”

Today – whom can you just invite into relationship – or to go get coffee – or work with you on a project? Could it be that mentoring and disciple making is as simple as “Come With Me?” and I’ll show you Jesus!

>Today’s excerpt taken from my new book, RIPPLES OF HEAVEN. Available now at Amazon and B& N. OR locally in Indianapolis/Fishers at Gratitude Boutique and Gifts.

Friends! I am so excited to announce the release of a brand new book entitled, RIPPLES OF HEAVEN: Changing the World Through Mentoring – One Discipleship Relationship at a Time!!

I’ve been mentoring younger women, teen girls, moms raising kids, premarital, and married women for over three decades. I often have people come to me and say they would like to mentor someone, but they don’t know where to start, how to go about it, what materials to use. This equipping book will answer these questions and more!

I share personal testimonies of my experiences mentoring others, practical steps to equip you, and stories from those I have mentored. We believe this book of testimonies will INSPIRE you to step out and begin to mentor.

This world needs spiritual mothers and fathers. This world needs mentors.

This world needs you.

There is no shortage of information in the world; there IS a shortage of loving relationships.

JESUS made disciples by inviting the 12 not just to a class or a lecture, but into his very life.

These men got more than his teachings; they got the Teacher himself

These 12 men changed the world.

THIS is mentoring: “Come With Me.” Let’s go change the world.

-Available wherever books are sold. In Indianapolis, visit The Gratitude Boutique for great deals on the book and other gifts galore!

My family lives in the United States of America. The land of the free and the home of the brave. It is not a perfect country, for it is made up of imperfect men and women. But it is a free country. One where we continue to try, and improve, and form ‘a more perfect union.’

America was a great experiment! The first of its kind! It is unlike any other land. Other countries were ruled by Kings or Tyrants or Dictators. The men and women who came to this country did not want to be ruled any longer. They already had a King, and they felt Him lead them to form a Government that was BY the people and FOR the people, where officials were elected to protect the rights of those people to be free. The purpose of Government, they believed, was to protect and defend the people from enemies foreign and domestic.

It was a system of checks and balances so that no man or political party would RULE of their own will, but would always govern according to the will of the people who elected them. It was truly a brand new way to ‘govern’, a government set up by the people and for the people.

Where did they get this wisdom? This model of Governing? From the King of all Kings, Himself, and HIS way of governing. Jesus introduced it as The Kingdom of God. “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent and believe the Good News.” (Mark 1:15) THIS new Kingdom was definitely a SPIRITUAL Kingdom, and all who would ‘turn from’ all other gods, or kings, and declare that JESUS Christ is Lord, were invited to live in this new Kingdom. All who acknowledged and believed that God had raised THIS King from death, this King who had lived a perfect life of truth and justice and mercy and love, paid the price for all of us who could not, and defeated the evil and death that had ‘ruled’ us and caused us to hate and control and manipulate one another. In this new Kingdom, we surrender all to the perfect King of grace and truth, and He comes to live inside of us, make us new, restored to His likeness in which we were created, now ENABLED by His Spirit to love and treat one another as He has loved and treated us. Only THEN can you even HAVE a Kingdom of Heaven, of justice and righteousness. This is the Kingdom we are invited into now, and it mirrors the Kingdom of Heaven that we will one day live in forever, in perfect love and justice and freedom.

The natural result of men and women of this New Kingdom of God would be that they would begin to ‘infiltrate’ this world with the ways of this Kingdom. Jesus did not come to ‘overthrow’ governments, but to overthrow evil in the hearts of men so that they would become the righteous and just governing people that entered into all of society: government, education, religion, entertainment, business, etc. like leaven in dough: slowly but surely causing each of these areas to “rise’ to the goodness and righteousness that God had designed.

The majority of America’s ‘founding fathers’ were followers of this King Jesus. And ALL of them agreed to base their new way of Government upon the Ways of the perfect Government of God. They asked for God’s help. The One truly righteous Leader answered their prayers, led them by His Spirit, and gave them wisdom and understanding to establish this ‘more perfect union.’ The Declaration of Independence and our great Constitution are two examples of this divine wisdom written and decreed for the establishing of a new government in this new land. I believe with all my heart, that in the same way God had chosen Israel to ‘be His people’ in the Old Testament, so he called and chose certain men and women to establish this new country where all people could worship freely, hear the Good news, and choose for themselves who would be ‘king’ of their hearts and their families.

So what are these Ways of the Kingdom that our country was founded upon? Why did they choose and declare to be one nation UNDER GOD, and not under any other King?

Freedom. The Kingdom of God is based on Freedom. King Jesus declared that He came to set all of us FREE. Spiritually free people, no longer ruled by sin or the devil, naturally form a government where people are free. Free to worship whomever and however they want. Free to speak what they believe. Free to pursue whatever career they choose, to buy and sell, to own their own homes and raise their own families.

God does not control people. He gives people FREE will. The freedom to choose. He does not force anyone to follow Him or make Him their King. He wants people who CHOOSE Him, in love. Who make their own decision to follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior and King.

Righteousness. God is a righteous King and Judge. He rules in honesty and faithfulness and integrity. He is LIGHT, AND in Him there is no darkness at all, meaning there is only good! No evil, no lying, no hidden sin. He never changes. His Kingdom is actually called the Kingdom of Light!! God rules by these good ways. He calls us to do the same!

Justice. God is the God of Justice. Justice and righteousness are the pillars of His throne. Therefore, God does rule in FREEDOM, and in His Kingdom you are free- UNTIL your freedom infringes on another’s. You and I are free in the Kingdom of God, but if we choose to disobey and not live His ways, there are natural consequences. Eventually there is eternal judgement. In this land of America, there is also justice – there is judgement and punishment for anyone who uses their ‘freedom’ to hurt another person. Romans 13 specifically states that Government is to punish all wrong-doers so that others are protected from them, and so that wrong-doers would know that there will be consequences, judgement, punishment for breaking laws meant to protect the people and their families and possessions.

These basics things seem so obvious, but they are all three in danger. I long for the America I grew up in to be protected from those who would want to tear it down, RESET it, come up with a different way of Governing. As a mom and now a Grandmother, I long for my children’s children to live in the land of the FREE.

I have felt Holy Spirit calling me to PRAY. Pray that these freedoms and principles would be maintained and not torn down. Pray that the original intentions our founding fathers had for this country would be upheld.

There are those who do not want our nation to be One nation under God. There are those who are Anti-God and His ways. The Bible calls this the spirit of Anti-Christ. They are anti-Jesus. Anti anything having to do with Jesus the King. They have been methodically and strategically seeking to remove Him from all realms of our society. And unfortunately, we the church, have been asleep. We have not stood up for our Christ, and therefore the spirit of Anti-christ has made great strides in our country.

It is time for a Great Awakening. We need the Spirit of God to reveal the greateness of King Jesus. But we also need the church to awaken to the times and seasons in which we live, to get on our knees and pray. Then to stand to our feet and say, “No more, Satan. This is one nation, under God. We are Indivisible. We want liberty. and Justice. For all.’ We need to AWAKEN to his schemes (Ephesians 6). This is spiritual Warfare. There is an Enemy -foreign and domestic – trying to take over our country, remove our God, and remove any ways of God that he can.

This spirit has taken many men and women captive to do his bidding (Eph.2). We do not fight against flesh and bloood, but we had better awaken to the fact that we DO battle against prinicipalities and demonic forces in the spiritual realm who do not want the United States of America to be one nation under God. Satan wants it to be one nation under him, and his kingdom, the kingdom of darkness.

You can clearly see the fruit of these two kingdoms today. There is a great battle going on.

I want to be the kind of wife who loves my Jesus, my husband, my family and my country enough to awaken to the battle, to our calling to fight in the spirit, …. to pray.

Would you join me?

“Clay, see!!  Cows!!”  Two-year-old John was pointing from the front of the stroller to get his older brother’s attention! 

“John-boy!!  Look at that butterfly on the cow’s nose!  Yuck… Why do they smell so bad?”  Laughter, giggling, pure and innocent joy.     

And my cup was full and my heart overflowing with gratitude and contentment and … joy.  They had become oblivious to me as they were talking and pointing and just enjoying the ride!  And I was just purely enjoying – them!   Just watching them enjoy the beautiful day, God’s creation, and each other!  Just hearing their laughter and giggles…  this Mom’s heart was full.  I quietly breathed, “Thank you, Father God.”

And immediately I became aware of His presence.  Like, I knew He was right there.  I suddenly had this ‘picture’ in my mind that if I turned around from where I was walking, I would see that HE was behind me, like I was behind my boys, and Father was pushing “MY stroller” and watching me watch my boys and laughing and enjoying ME as I laughed and enjoyed them!

And I knew.  I knew He was teaching me and showing me:  that in the same way I was delighting in my children, so my Father was delighting over me!  Just like I was quietly enjoying my boys’ joy & they were oblivious to Mom, so was my Father just quietly enjoying me enjoying them!!   Just as I was  pushing their stroller and guiding them along, excited for them to see & experience all the beauty around them, so my Father was guiding and directing me along, so truly excited for me to see and experience all the blessings He had created for me to enjoy. 

Moms.  This was a turning point for me.  This encounter with my Father’s love and delight changed forever how I saw myself, my Father, and my role as “Mother.”

Maybe this Mother’s Day, it might encourage you.

First, you are so dearly loved.  Twenty-seven years ago, when little Clay was born and the doctor laid him in my arms, my heart exploded.  I did not know this kind of love was even possible;  and in that moment I knew that Father loved us even more. Even MORE?  What?   When I looked into his little blue eyes, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt I would do anything for him, give up anything, even give my very life for this new life that would now know me as his Mom.   And Father began that day to let me feel and experience just a glimpse of the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God who loved you and me so much that He gave His only son…  He gave His only Son.  Wait.  What?  He loves you so much that He gave His only Son so that you could know Him as Father, belong in His family, and that you’d have eternal life with Him, enjoying days here and all of heaven together, forever.   John 3:16, paraphrased.

Second, He is with you.  Always.   “Sing, O Daughter of Zion . . . Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem!  The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy.  The Lord, the King, is with you;  never again will you fear any harm.  . . Do not fear… do not let your hands hang limp.  The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”       Zephaniah 3: 14-17

 In the same way you love your children and are “there” for them no matter what, so your Father God is WITH you all the time and is intimately aware of your joys, your fears, your excitement, your tears.  He longs for you to trust His guiding voice, to know and believe that He’s got you, and that His way is full of blessing for you;  He truly wants you to lay back and enjoy the “ride” and delight in every blessing He has surrounded you with as you journey on.     

Third, you don’t have to get it all right.   Yes, He has chosen you to be the mother of your specific children.  He has chosen you.  He trusts you, He believes in you, He knows that YOU are who they need as ‘Mom.’  You have a high calling!  There is purpose in your days, whatever their ages, whatever stage or season of mothering you may be in.  But here’s the thing:  not one of us does it perfectly!  Not one of us Mothers, from the time of Eve until now, has gotten it all right.   You cannot.  And He knows! 

This one was huge for me, and as I have mentored younger women and moms for over thirty years now, I happen to know it’s huge for every mom I’ve ever met.    Maybe huge for you.   Let’s say it again:  You don’t have to get it all right. 

I grew up loving Jesus, married a godly man, and wanted to raise a Jesus-loving family.  I just didn’t realize it wouldn’t be so easy, and that I would make mistakes, and that I would even lose my temper and raise my voice and become the very thing that I longed to protect my children from!!!!   I would spiral down in shame, condemning myself and fearing I was MISrepresenting Jesus!  I vowed to try harder and do better, and thus became even more uptight and more stressed out in the trying….

And one day I heard the Holy Spirit quietly whisper to my soul:  “Lori, you don’t have to get it all right.”  “I’m so sorry, God,  I … “   “Lori.   You don’t have to get it all right because Jesus got it all right for you.”

What?  Like, for me?   Like, in my place?  As me? 

“God made him who had no sin become sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God.”      2 Corinthians 5:21

Moms, the pressure is off!  You’ve become RIGHT.  He took our sin and our punishment and our guilt and EVEN OUR SHAME!  He invites us to receive His forgiveness (each & every day, every hour) as a free gift, that we might walk in the light, continually cleansed by His blood, and FREE!  He wants you to know that He is good and He is kind, and He has paid for it all!   He fills in your gaps, is strong in your weakness, and will give your children all that you cannot!  He wants you to REST in his grace~   Rest in knowing you are clean and righteous because of Jesus!   There is no more striving to get it all right!  Jesus truly got it all right for you, and He wants you to rest in His love and gift and joy.

These three things have helped me more than any other in my 27 years of being a mom.  Why?  Because only when I see Father, see myself, and see my role as Mom as HE SEES them – which is the truth – can I relax and enjoy and BE the daughter of my Father He longs for me to be.   And only THEN can I see my role as Mom as the greatest privilege and joy…  but not as my identity.  Let’s say that again:  Mom is a role God has given me;  Daughter of God is my identity! 

When we begin to get that, girls, we can relax and let go of control and let go of fear.  No more fear of failing;  no more fear of our kids veering off course forever;   He’s chosen you to steer, but He’s right behind you guiding you and correcting your course should you veer left or right!  He longs for you to enjoy the gift of motherhood, the gift of your children, and the blessings of joy he loves to see you delight in!

I am forever grateful to Father for the privilege of getting to be Clay and John’s mom.  I am forever grateful I had parents and grandparents and generations of believers who prayed for me and modeled for me how to love my children well.  Not perfectly, mind you, but well.   I am grateful we desired above all things for our boys to know and love Jesus – above all.

You may not have had parents or grandparents like this.  You may be some of the first in your family to even KNOW Jesus…  do not despair!   It is NEVER too late to start!  You could be the very one to begin a generational lineage of Jesus-followers!  You don’t have to do it alone:  you ARE part of a Jesus-loving Family!  This is what God’s church is meant to be!  You are surrounded by spiritual Mommas and Poppas whom you can learn from, ask questions, and be mentored by! Invite them for dinner!  Ask for their guidance and wisdom.   We did.   I have learned so much. 

I’m thankful we memorized and made up bathtub songs to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind….”   I loved hiding the Word in their hearts from the earliest of ages.  I love that Mama and Dada and Jesus and Bible were their first words… and our first priorities as they grew.  I’m thankful that in all their studies of school, we always made studying the Bible the FIRST priority, and loving God the first goal in all things.   I love that we worshiped every day of their young years and danced around the living room singing ‘King Jesus!  Our great King!”   I’m thankful we learned to pray and LISTEN for God’s voice as He is still speaking and guiding and leading them today.  I’m thankful we disciplined to ‘disciple’ instead of to punish, and that we trained their hearts to love God first , knowing this would affect outward behavior.

These are things I have learned as a mom.   None of these did I do perfectly!  But all of them I did because I love Jesus, I knew He loved me,  and my greatest desire is that our boys would love him too.

And now we are entering a new season of life:  Years of planting seeds have resulted in bountiful new seasons of HARVEST:   years of praying for their spouses has resulted in adding two beautiful daughters-in-law to our family.  We started praying for our boys’ wives when they were infants;  Father loves when we ask HIM, and our prayers matter, moms.   It’s never too late to start! 

Finally, this is my first Mother’s Day with a NEW role, a new TITLE:   they are now calling me “Gigi!”  And when I hold Millie Kate and sing over her, my heart explodes again with overhwhelming love – every time.  And I sing through my tears, because I’ve seen through the years, we moms matter – every song we sing, every prayer we pray, . . .  but this is another topic for another blog….

For now, I pray you spend this Mother’s Day in joy and take a long walk, maybe with your kids.  Maybe pushing a stroller through God’s beautiful world.  Either way, as you go, remember there is a good Father walking with you, guiding you and loving you and enjoying you more than you will ever know.  You are so dearly loved.  You are never alone.   And you don’t have to get it all right!   Jesus is singing over you.  Relax, let go, and enjoy the ride.

Happy Mother’s Day.

As a new year – a new DECADE begins today, I am thankful for NEW beginnings, and time to stop and recalculate and make some adjustments in the trajectory of my life. What am I hoping for? What am I wanting to be in this new year/new decade?

One of the things I want to become is the kind of wife who continues to cultivate an atmosphere of FUN. One who doesn’t take myself – or life- too seriously; but realizes that each day is a gift, my man is a gift, and the years are beginning to fly by.

Cultivating anything takes time and intentionality. Gratitude and Fun don’t just happen. Today, I’m going to take time to thank my God for His incredibly good gifts, for my husband, and for the ways God has blessed us this past year. I want to look for ways to encourage and laugh and have fun; and even when ‘stuff happens’ and life is hard, I want to be thankful for a best friend and partner to go through the stuff WITH!

What are you hoping to BE in this new year, this new decade? What steps can you take right now, today, to begin to cultivate this in your life?

They say a merry heart doeth good like medicine… Here’s to a Merry 2020 in your marriage and ours!!

marriagemomentsimpact.com

We are excited to officially announce the release of our new book called Marriage Moments, as well as our new website where you can find all the details and information!

Go to marriagemomentsimpact.com and check it out today!!

Books are available at Barnes & Noble as well as Amazon! We’d love it if you’d check it out and leave us a review!

Bless you and your marriage today! And remember that investing a few moments each day in your marriage could change the course of not only your marriage, but your generational family line!

Some moments really do matter for a lifetime!