Seeing with New Eyes

Some days I get up and I know it's going to be a good day by how good my quiet time was and how patient and calm I feel once Jossy and I get going. Other days are a bit more stressful. I get out of bed late. Quiet time is cut short. Jocelyn doesn't listen and begins whining as soon as she gets out of bed. Those days are the days that I feel get lost and I just keep continuing on in the same impatient ways as if the day is already ruined. I began my day yesterday and it was one that started out bad. About half way through the morning it dawned on me: God gave us a do over when He sent Jesus. If we can start our lives over, why can't we start our days over? I mulled on this for a bit and then asked Jossy to come pray with me. I thanked God for the freedom to start not only my life again moving from the past. I also asked Him to help us start our day over and this time with His guidance instead of all of the other stuff that gets in the way. I love do overs! 1 Cor. 5:17 Je

When I read the title of this post, I automatically assume "her" is my daughter. But "her" really means me too. I am currently working through a bible study called "Power of a Praying Woman" by Stormie Omartian. In the past two weeks, there was a few days where I studied obedience to God and what that should really look like. I so often hear Him speak to me but I turn a deaf ear. The problem with that is it becomes a habit and God becomes harder and harder to hear the more I ignore Him. I relate this to Jocelyn too. I put myself in God's shoes (of course not literally). Jocelyn will deliberately disobey me when I can see she has heard me loud and clear. It gets very frustrating and many times I just want to give up and stop disciplining her. And when she cries out to me, it takes a bit for me to want to go running to her aid after episodes of her disobedience. I can see why God isn't as quick to answer prayers when I ignore Him regularly. My desire

I am currently in a season of growth where I am learning what it means to Honor, Respect, and Submit to God by Honoring, Respecting, and Submitting to others. This is a difficult thing for me to do since I often feel as if I am smarter and wiser than pretty much everyone else in my life.  This is an especially hard task for me when I am trying to teach my daughter how to respect her elders if I don't do it myself. She has been on the "no" train again for the past few days and throws a huge fit when she doesn't get her way. It would be pretty ridiculous if I did the same things she does when I don't get my way but I imagine this is how God sees me. It's such a tough lesson to teach a toddler that life doesn't revolve around her and that throwing a fit doesn't change the outcome. It just makes things more difficult on both of us. Once again, a very fitting analogy with my life. The most important thing for me to teach Jocelyn in this little life lesson i