Link Up...

This week in our Moms Group on Thursday, I felt burdened to have the ladies share what the Lord is doing in their hearts and lives- how He is growing and teaching them and making them more like Christ!  I admit sometimes it is hard to see this in the midst of the mundane, the daily chaos of dishes, laundry and bath time routines.  I am hoping to share these two articles this week of some things the Lord is faithfully reminding me of in this season- serving to the glory of God when only He sees and realizing my true satisfaction and treasure is Christ and not in the idols I want to create.

When Mothering Is Hard and No One Sees

The Idols Of A Mother's Heart
 

Happy 5th Birthday to Jeremiah!!!

It's been a crazy weekend... More details to come but for now Happy 5th Birthday to our energetic, fun loving Jeremiah Michael Lyons!!!  Jeremiah makes like fun and full with his fun smile and energy.  He loves playing outside, hiking, exploring, riding bikes, building legos, and playing dump trucks in the back with his cousin.  So far we have seen a sensitive heart for the Word of God- he is quick to memorize God's Word and is sensitive to pray for others!  Thankful  you are our son little buddy!

 

Mom-Mom...

 My grandma (dad's mom)- Mom-Mom passed away Tuesday, February 2 into the arms of Jesus.  At one point, her and I were close- sharing with each other and encouraging one another.  The past few years, she slowly lost her memory forgetting me and many in her family.  This Christmas she had definitely gone down hill when we saw her- she never let her hair go white- she always colored it and she was slumping over and barely spoke to us.  The Lord finally took her home this past Tuesday.  Some things I remember about her- her love for flowers.  I remember going to her house and it was always beautiful with so many flowers.  I think I got my love for flowers and flower beds from her.  I remember going on long walks with her in the woods or on a forested path- she and I as well loved to walk!  And when we went to visit Pop-pop and Mom-mom they always served us yogurt and pretzels.  I remember her exercise bike she always had in her room.  And I remember how she worried and at times got discouraged and negative.  I don't think she ever was taught nor learned how to deal with these negative thoughts and emotions.  We are thankful she is now free from pain and sorrow in the presence of the King!

Delp Christmas Flashback Pics...

This Christmas it was hard to see my grandma who is in her 90s.  She always had her hair colored and done so nice and it was a bit of a shock to see her all white and slumped in a chair.  It was humbling  to watch her and even have her not really know who I was.  Michael and I were talking afterward and noting that her life brings glory to God even though she is in such a frail state and that He still has a purpose for her being here- He has not taken her home yet.  

The Invisible Woman...

Before Christmas, a sweet lady who has become a sweet friend and mentor sent me a book before she left to move back overseas.  The circumstances of her and I meeting this Fall were God ordained.  We have skyped once since she moved overseas and she has such sweet words of encouragement and wisdom in this season of motherhood.  On the same day I received this book, I got an article from a mentor friend about the same thing.  I think God is trying to teach me something lately. 

The book is the Invisible Woman- When Only God Sees by Nicole Johnson.  I have been struggling the last few months with motherhood.  I feel like I have been having a motherhood mid-life crisis.  I love my sweet little ones the Lord has given me and yet there is at times a longing for more- more serving more ways to be involved in ministry outside the home.  I know they are good desires but they have become cravings and have blinded me to my main role of motherhood at home.  Face it, we as mothers do not get pats on the back often.  Our children scarcely or may never rise and call us blessed and I know I was beginning to feel lost in the shuffle.  I know my role is to support my husband in ministry but often I felt like I was the one left at home while he went out and met with people and did real ministry.  Was I desiring the praise of men or applause?  I am still thinking through all those things.  This book challenged me that God does see what I am doing and my work in doing dishes AGAIN and wiping noses and changing diapers is to His glory! 

In the book she mentions how no one really knew who built the great cathedrals in Europe- many gave their whole life build something they would never see finished.  They lived with the applause of God and worked as unto Him because only He sees!!!  She says that our invisibility is love’s most beautiful gift.  My prayer is that I would see my job as a mother as building a cathedral in little hearts as unto the Lord!  She says, “Invisibility is not inflicted upon me, it is a gift to help me truly serve.”  “The deepest satisfaction of my heart is found in the faith to work and build and love for a greater purpose than my own.”  She says “invisiblity is love’s most beautiful costume, given only to its choicest servants when they are really serious about serving.”  She says, “invisibility is no longer a disease that is erasing my life.  It is actually the hard cure for the disease of self-centeredness.  It is the antidote to my stubborn pride.”  A challenge is for us all to think of ways to be anonymous and to truly love and serve our family and others in invisible ways- expecting nothing in return.  My prayer is that we as moms remember that God sees our labor of love- that our invisibility is a cure for our pride and a beautiful act of love given by Him.  May we see and encourage invisible women around us that they are great builders to the glory of God.

A passage that a friend shared with me on this subject- Heb. 6:10- “For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love that you showed for His sake in serving the saints, as you still do.  And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”  Philippians 2:4-8- “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but to the interests of others.  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but made Himself NOTHING, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death- even death on the cross.”  And another I read today- Colossians 3:17- “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

House Help?

Every other Tuesday night- Lydia and I have been cleaning for Gigi in her apartment.

Lydia brings her vacuum that she got for Christmas and I bring my cleaning supplies and we clean for Gigi.  She is a hard worker too!

Crazy Matching Cousins...

Forts and Bed Tents...

Lunchtime Listenings...

This month our family is working on the hymn- Crown Him With Many Crowns and memorizing Proverbs 30:5- "Every word of God proves true- He is a shield for those who take refuge in Him."
During lunchtime, thanks to my sweet friend Laura's Christmas gift- we are listening to Little House in the Big Woods- one chapter at a time and thanks to the audio book- I don't have to read it- I can just eat lunch and listen too! :)  I am amazed listening to this book and the hard work of these pioneer women on the frontier!  And I think I have it rough not having a dishwasher! :)

And thanks to my friend Laura again- she has all these great recommendations- I have really been enjoying a group- I AM THEY... that she told me could be streamed for free with Amazon Prime!!

Love new books to read and things to listen to!!!

Yum...