Hope and Healing for Moms

Wednesday, October 25, 2017 The Wholeness in Submission: The Discipline of Submission, Part 1 (Inspired by Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster) Scripture: Mark 8: 34 “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” Matt. 10: 39 “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it” From Celebration of Discipline: Self-denial does not mean the loss of our identity as some suppose. Without our identity we could not even be subject to each other. Did Jesus lose his identity when he set his face toward Golgotha? Did Peter lose his identity when he responded to Jesus’ cross-bearing command, “Follow me” (John 21: 19)? Did Paul lose his identity when he committed himself to the One who had said, “I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name” (Acts 9: 16)? Of course not. We know that the opposite was true. They found their identity in the act of self-denial. (Foster, Richard J.. ...

Thursday, October 12, 2017 The Dark Night of the Soul: The Discipline of Solitude, Part 3 (Inspired by Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster) Scripture: Isaiah 50:10 “Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness And has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord And rely upon his God. Devotional: As we pursue the discipline of true solitude, it is common and even expected that we will enter into seasons of what often feels like a spiritual darkness or dryness. This is labeled by the men and women of wisdom who have gone before us as a “dark night of the soul.” God uses these often confusing times to teach us to rely less on our feelings as believers, and to draw us into a more intimate reliance on Him in our walk of faith. It is tempting to keep seeking a more emotional spiritual experience during these times, and we might even find others questioning our obedience to the Lord when we share our strug...

Tuesday, October 10, 2017 Silence and Solitude: The Discipline of Solitude, Part 2 (Inspired by Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster) From Celebration of Discipline: “One reason we can hardly bear to remain silent is that it makes us feel so helpless. We are so accustomed to relying upon words to manage and control others. If we are silent, who will take control? God will take control, but we will never let him take control until we trust him. Silence is intimately related to trust. (Foster, Richard J.. Celebration of Discipline: The Path To Spiritual Growth (pp. 100-101). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition).” “Catherine de Haeck Doherty writes, “All in me is silent and… I am immersed in the silence of God.”  It is in solitude that we come to experience the “silence of God” and so receive the inner silence that is the craving of our hearts. (Foster, Richard J.. Celebration of Discipline: The Path To Spiritual Growth (p. 102). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.)” Sc...

Monday, October 9, 2017 “A Portable Sanctuary of the Heart:” The Discipline of Solitude, Part 1 (Inspired by Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster “We can cultivate an inner solitude and silence that sets us free from loneliness and fear. Loneliness is inner emptiness. Solitude is inner fulfillment. (Foster, Richard J.. Celebration of Discipline: The Path To Spiritual Growth (p. 96). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.) “Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Life Together titled one of his chapters “The Day Together” and the following chapter “The Day Alone.” Both are essential for spiritual success. He writes, “Let him who cannot be alone beware of community…. Let him who is not in community beware of being alone…. Each by itself has profound pitfalls and perils. One who wants fellowship without solitude plunges into the void of words and feelings, and one who seeks solitude without fellowship perishes in the abyss of vanity, self-infatuation, and despair.” 2 Therefore, we must seek ou...

Thursday, October 5, 2017 The Outer Manifestation of Simplicity: The Discipline of Simplicity, Part 5 of 5 (Inspired by Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster) Devotional: When the inner life is centered around the Kingdom of God, we begin to see the outward working of simplicity in our lives. Some practical areas to help our minds to focus on simplicity are listed in this final section on simplicity. We are encouraged to remember not to make a legalistic idol of this list, but reminded that we can use these as a litmus test and prayer focus for our pursuit. Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you Develop a habit of giving things away Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry Learn to enjoy things without owning them Develop a deeper appreciation for the creation Look with a healthy skepticism at all “buy now, pay later” schemes Obey...

Good morning! I am so excited to share with you today. I pray you are richly blessed by God's Word today. Thank you for joining me! Wednesday, October 4, 2017 The Inner Heart of the Kingdom of God: The Discipline of Simplicity, Part 4 (Inspired by Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster) Scripture: Matthew 6:31-34 31  “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  32  For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  34  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day  is  its own trouble. 1 Peter 5:6-7 6  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,  7  casting all your care upon...

Tuesday, October 3, 2017 God’s Heart of Balanced Provision: The Discipline of Simplicity, Part 3 (Inspired by Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster) Scripture: Deuteronomy 8:7-19 7  For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; 8  a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey;  9  a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills. 10  When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.  11  Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.  12  Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build ...

Good morning! I pray this finds you blessed. Hugs and prayers for you today! Monday, October 2, 2017 For The Love (Of Money): The Discipline of Simplicity, Part 2—What the Bible Says (Inspired by Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster) Scripture: Psalm 62:10b (NKJV) If riches increase, set not your heart on them. Proverbs 11:28 (NKJV) He who trusts in his riches will fall, But the righteous will flourish like foliage. Luke 16:13 (NKJV) “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Luke 6:20, 24 (NKJV) 20  Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: “Blessed  are you  poor,     For yours is the kingdom of God. 24  “But woe to you who are rich,     For you have received your consolation.” Matthew 6:19-21 (NKJV) 19  “Do not l...