Called out.

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"You say you have a conviction to be home with the girls. I don't think you do. I think when you say that, you mean you just don't want to work outside the home. In fact, I think it means you don't want to work at all....your problem is that no one is calling you out on your "conviction". You need to be called out to see if you really mean it."

Sometimes, the words that cut deepest are the ones that might have some truth to them. Sometimes, those cutting words come from those who are closest to us, whether they mean us harm or not.

Sometimes, I need to be called out and made sure that I'm sure of what and why I hold the convictions I cling to. Why do I feel the need to be home? Is it because it's easier than going out and working? Maybe. I do struggle with laziness and I don't like confrontation, so it's easier for me to be home and out of humanity's way. My kids can't fire me when I have a terrible day; they are much more likely to hug & forgive me.

I'd like to think it's more noble than that; that I am called to be home with my daughters because the Lord of glory determined it from the get-go - but I'm often met with 'yeah, that's everyone's excuse: God wants them to. and you can find a verse or two to back yourself up" when I say that.

So now, it's time to reassess what I have come to believe about a mother and a wife...back to the Word I go. Lord, should the truth be laziness, reveal it to me plainly and cause me to turn my back on it by doing what You need me to do to be the wife You've called me to be.

Have you ever been 'called out' to examine why you believe what you do?

for Your glory, Jesus,
call me out into Your truth,
~Lisha

I may be sharing this post at these Link-up parties.

Top Ten Posts of 2013!

Here are the top ten most-read posts of 2013. If you have liked, shared, commented on, or pinned any of these best-loved posts, I am grateful! Thank you!

#10 - Haven or Hollywood? (Pin it!)

#09 - How to Deal with the Fools in Your Life! (Pin it!)

#08 - Our Afternoon Routine (Pin it!)

#07 - Take cover! (Pin it!)

#06 - Confession of a messy mom. (Pin it!)

#05 - Unfulfilled Dreams? (Pin it!)

#04 - You just don't understand! (Pin it!)

#03 - Teaching children to sit through church (Pin it!)

#02 - No wonder she's not listening (Pin it!)

and the most-read, best-loved post of 2013...

#01 - Our Morning Routine (Pin it!)

Thank you all! I am waiting with great expectation for the lessons the Lord has for me to learn & share in 2014!

Writing as He moves me,

for His glory!

~Lisha

I may be sharing this at these wonderful Link-up parties!

If this has blessed or encouraged you, please comment, pin it, or share!

Turn to Me!

"Now, therefore,” says the Lord,

“turn to Me with all your heart,

with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning!”

So rend your heart, and not your garments;

return to the Lord your God,

for He is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger, and of great kindness;

and He relents from doing harm!!

[Joel 2:12-13]

God has been doing a deep and mighty work in my heart lately.

He is teaching me (or, I'm finally realizing even though He's been showing me all along!) that I have been living:

1) acting like I have it all together, instead living honestly even when I don't;

2) serving my family because it's a necessary duty, instead serving my family joyfully because I love them;

3) wanting others to see how spiritual I am, instead of openly acknowledging that I am not unless I'm in Christ; and

4) feeling guilty under the weight of my sin instead of fearing the LORD in such a way that I do not choose to sin in the first place and accepting His total forgiveness.

It is a painful place for me to be. Daily I'm being reminded that I, apart from the redemptive work of Christ, am not.

Am not what?

complete. wise. mature. spiritual. loving. kind. joyful. patient. faithful. tempered in my appetites. an excellent wife. a dedicated mother. a decent friend. a decent human being.

Lest you think that I'm in a state of despair - read on! When the Lord chastens and humbles His daughter in such a way, it's because He loves me. Fiercely and completely. Enough to inflict a momentary hurt in exchange for eternal freedom. I hurt, but I know it's because I am loved by Almighty God. I know that this is a good pain to be experiencing. I am not hopeless! Sorrowful, ashamed, angry with myself at times - yes. But never hopeless. The joy that I have right now is that I can put full trust in Jesus and His Word. There will be exuberant joy afterward. But now, a quiet underlying joy that reminds me that He is molding me to be more and more like Jesus.

And here are the sermons and studies that God used powerfully to bring me to this place in my journey with Him:

Examine Yourself - Paul Washer

If My Words Abide In You - John Piper

Seeking Him

...and pretty much any of the Psalms and the book of Romans.

Humbled and clinging to Jesus,

for His glory!

~Lisha :)

For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;

You do not delight in burnt offering.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,

a broken and a contrite heart—

these, O God, You will not despise! [Psalm 16-17]

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God!, that you may obey His voice!, and that you may cling to Him!, for He is your life and the length of your days!!!!; [Deuteronomy 30:19-20]

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and instruction. [Proverbs 1:7]

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

When pride comes, then comes shame;

but with the humble is wisdom. [Proverbs 11:2]

From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life!! Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!" [John 6:66-69]

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wonderful weakness

But I will sing of Your power;
Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; 
For You have been my defense 
And refuge in the day of my trouble.
To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises;
For God is my defense, 
My God of mercy.
[Psalm 59:16-17]

I am so weak right now: physically weak because of the blood loss that I experienced and everything associated with that and emotionally weak from a heart that is still broken and trying to process and understand what has happened in the wake of the miscarriage. It has been a wonder to me that my friends have mentioned my strength this week. I need to tell you, friends, that my strength does not come from a strong heart, a strong body, or even a strong faith; my strength comes from God alone.

If I was strong enough to carry myself in any capacity through this trial, why then would I need to cry out to God at all? There is none stronger than God; and for all of the Mr. Universes and Mrs. Strongwoman competitions, there is none who even comes remotely close to Him in strength and power. The Bible makes it clear that He spoke everything you see and feel (and everything you don't see and feel!) into existence. Spoke. As in, He said, "Let there be light!" and light just appeared. "Let there be trees! Mountains! The Marianas Trench! All of dry land! Fish! Duck-billed platypusses! Bacteria! Diplodocuses!" ...and they existed. He has more strength in His voice than you or I could ever hope to have in our bodies. He fashioned man out of some dust and woman out of one of the man's ribs. He is the same God who was strong enough to bear the weight of all of the sin ever on His shoulders and carried it to Calvary and He is the same God who was strong enough to overcome Death. And He is the same God who will rend the clouds and return to destroy Satan.

Why would I want my strength to come from myself, when I could find my strength in Him??? I am not strong in any means of the word. Any faith I have, He has given to me, so it's not my strong faith to begin with. It's His. 

I thank you all for the encouragement. Please, please don't mistake me; I have appreciated and been encouraged in my faith by your comments and I am so blessed to know that you realize that my God is all that I have and everything that I have. But I don't want to take the credit for being strong, when truly my strength comes from God Almighty! And I am so grateful for that. I don't have to be strong; I just need to be willing to rely fully on the strength of the God with whom all things are possible!!