Poem - God First

May we persevere to give God first place
Even with things rushing at a fast pace
Then we won’t drown, but will manage it all
Resting in God, He won’t let us fall.

by Christina A. Morley

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Giving God Control

When God is controlling our day, we won’t have any regrets. He helps us have the right perspective on ourselves, our families, and our work. He leads us through our day so that when we’re being pulled in five different directions, we can figure out what comes first and what can wait. The supernatural dictates the natural because our ability to stay close to God will determine the quality of our lives and our work.

Outside pressures only bring confusion and rob us of our peace. When the Holy Spirit from the inside is controlling us, then we’ll experience true peace of mind. He is our Prince of Peace. He is able to keep our minds from all worry and strain. We can’t look to our husbands or anyone else to give us this because they, too, can let us down. God, on the other hand, is always faithful and true.

Jesus never promised His followers an easy life, but He did promise that He would never leave them or forsake them. It’s from His Spirit that we draw that much-needed strength, that inner guidance, and that supernatural protection for ourselves and our families. With His life flowing through us, we can bear much fruit.

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A Busy Day

Keeping Focus

We are living in an extremely busy society, but what are we spending our time and energy on? Are we carrying all that stress and strain for the right reasons? Our motives determine whether we’re being busy for the right reasons or not.

The result of being distracted is that we lose focus. When we lose focus, then the enemy finds ways to steal our joy, our hope, our future, and the fruit of our labor. Our labor produces spiritual fruit when it’s endorsed by God, but becomes meaningless when it’s not.

How can we lead busy lives and still keep our focus? How can we live in a natural world where dishes need washing, meals need cooking, or laundry needs doing and still feel like supernatural beings in the sense that we are part of a spiritual kingdom too?

Living a Balanced Life

Whatever the work is that we are committed to, it’s not meant to rule our lives. We need to live balanced lives. By allowing God to lead us in our activities, we won’t be jealous or feel unfairly treated by others. If, however, we continue to live like Martha, we’ll run out of steam and eventually burn out totally.

Jesus knows that without Him we can do nothing. Just as the vacuum cleaner cannot work until it is plugged in and switched on, so we too need to get plugged into Him and switched on. He wants to be our Source and our Life.

It’s His holiness working in us and through us that makes our work of lasting value. It’s not about having the perfect day, but it’s about doing our best and leaving it in His hands. When our lives are flowing out of a relationship with Him, then we’ll live victoriously and successfully.

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Poem - To be a Christian

To be a born again Christian
Requires one act of honest confession
Receiving Christ’s forgiveness brings total redemption
It’s the only way for true restoration
God and man finding reconciliation
Accept this offer of Christ’s salvation
And in Him become a new creation
From there begins the work of sanctification
In heaven is our final destination
Where we’ll receive complete transformation
Amen!

by Christina A. Morley

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Poem - Patience

Give me patience with runny noses, dirty hands, and whining kids.
Help me see past the constant messes, accidents, and endless bids.
I might feel pulled in every direction without a minute’s recovery.
I need Your wisdom to help plan some timeout just for me.

Teach me how to laugh – not to cry and complain.
Change my views so duties don’t feel like a pain.
Give our home music – help us brave the high seas.
I want to build my home on positive memories.

by Christina A. Morley

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The "Perfect" Mom

When you’re not managing it all and feel below standard, it’s okay. Perhaps you’re tempted to think that other mothers are perfect all the time and you’re one of those that just can’t get it right. God never intended making us all the same, just as He made every snowflake unique. We each have our own personal weaknesses and our own special strengths, so don’t measure yourself by others.

We may be human, but once we become born again, God puts His Spirit inside us. His Spirit is perfect, and yet He’s willing to live through imperfect believers like you and me. At the same time, He doesn’t intend us to be trapped by our weaknesses.

Just as we wouldn’t like to keep a messy house, so the Lord doesn’t want His children’s lives to be cluttered by burdens or shortcomings. He will gladly carry our burdens. As far as our shortcomings are concerned, the Holy Spirit is careful not to overwhelm us by pointing out everything at once. He knows how much we can handle.

Sometimes we might be tempted to try to perfect ourselves without His leading, or we might be tempted to point out other people’s faults. However, that is His job and not ours. We must remember that God is the Father and we are the children, not the other way around. He just wants us to be willing to take time to listen to His promptings.

He has called us to be holy as He is holy, but He hasn’t called us to be perfectionists. Perfectionism is a form of pride as it places the focus on our own performance instead of on His grace. When trying to do everything right becomes the goal, we are operating in our own strength. This puts us in a difficult situation because if we are attempting to keep up our impossibly high standards, we’ll eventually burn out.

On the other hand, when holiness comes by His grace then the glory is His, not ours. It’s about exchanging our lives for His. It’s the difference between self-righteous living and God’s life that He wants to give us. We have success only when we allow God to live His life through us by the working of His Holy Spirit.

Whether you are a perfectionist or not, I have good news for you: you are already acceptable in God’s eyes because of the blood that Jesus shed for you. You don’t have to prove yourself to Him. He loves you just for being you.

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Motherhood

As a mother you have the highest calling in life, but even so there will probably be days when you feel alone and unappreciated. The “heartbeat” of "Happy Moms, Happy Homes" is to let you know that you are not alone and that no matter what you’re going through, there is Someone who wants to go through it with you.

I was often disappointed when I couldn’t create the perfect family environment. For instance, I would take extra trouble to cook a special meal, and my toddlers would refuse to eat it. Similarly, we would go on a family outing and all they seemed to do was cry. When these kinds of things didn’t turn out as I had pictured them in my mind, I would feel crushed.

Since then I have come to learn that the absence of trials is not what produces a happy family environment. Instead, it’s achieved every time I’m not shaken when trials come my way. I may not embrace them, but I’ve come to accept them. What is out of my control is still under God’s control. He’s there to comfort and guide me.

Hardly anyone welcomes trials, but the truth is that God allows even trials to shape our lives. He does not want to harm us, but to enrich us. The Bible promises that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance produces character; and character produces hope. It goes on to say that this hope will not disappoint us, because His love is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:3-5). Knowing this, you don’t have to go under when you feel you’re going down. Just keep reminding yourself that God allows difficult times to change you, but not to break you.

Trust the leadership of His Spirit and watch Him go to work in your life, your marriage, your family, and your world. Never give up. Run the kind of race that is pleasing to God, which is to have an open and honest relationship with Him. Then you will reach the goal and gain that prize!


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Poem - Blue Ribbon

You might not receive a blue ribbon
at the end of the day
And being a mother is not
a job that will pay
But your reward is the journey
every step of the way
And “Well done!” are the words
that my Father will say.

by Christina A. Morley

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