Does being brave mean putting on a happy face and pushing through even when times are extremely tough?
OR
Does being brave mean admitting that you can not do it on your own and you need help?
This is a question I have seriously struggled with over the years. In the last few months I feel God has given me a better understanding of what true honest bravery is. If your interested, I would like to share my perspective and understanding with you in this blog entry.
Some would lean towards the belief that being brave means you face things head on and act like you have everything under control on your own. A chin up, glass half full attitude is encouraged in society, but is it really how God wants us to approach life's challenges? In no way am I saying that negativity or making a mountain out of a mole hill is that appropriate path to take either. I'm simply asking what is a true attitude of bravery and how would God, not society, like us to live out that bravery?
If you look up the word Brave it can be used as an adjective, noun or verb, some synonyms for brave in all three contexts are courage's, valiant, warrior, to endure, to withstand, and so on. The definition and synonyms are interesting but still don't answer the question of how to be brave. So lets look at what the Bible says, the Bible speaks about community, the church body, and accountability.
How can any of the things the Bible speaks to be accomplished flying solo through life's struggles?
It is my belief that they can't be accomplished. Community, the Church body and accountability can not happen with out true honest bravery. Bravery that calls us to stand up for ourselves, not letting the world steam roll us into believing that we are alone and there for always needing to face things with/in our own strength.
We have each other, we have support, love and strength in numbers when we pull together. This is what has led to my belief in true honest bravery meaning that we humble ourselves and ask for help. The word humble here is key. Humbling ourselves in order to become stronger through the love and support of friends and family is true honest bravery.
So my challenge for you is, are you being brave? Are you letting others surround you and help you in your toughest time, or are you being the opposite of brave, a coward!? Wow, that word hits hard! Think about your definition of being brave, does it call you out to a honest humble place, or does it keep you bottled up in the lie that a cowardly life of putting on a happy face is a better place.
To be honest that cowardly place definitely seems like a safer place at times. No need to admit fault, failure, weakness, confusion, brokenness and many more qualities that may seem negative. It is only in and through these qualities that we can have true community, a true church body and true accountability. They are not negative at all, only twisted into that by a world full of fear in what others may think of them. These seemingly negative qualities are in fact our most positive expression of who we are as humans and how much we need each other and a gracious God.
This is something that I am only beginning to learn. It has been a hard lesson and I am no where close to having true honest bravery completely nailed down. I feel like this may be a lesson that takes me the rest of my life to grasp. It involves understanding grace and being able to extend that to yourself as well as others. It involves honesty with yourself and others. It also involves vulnerability, this is the aspect I personally struggle with the most.
I pray that when you finish reading this entry you're not over whelmed with how hard true honest bravery may seem, but rather I pray that you realize that the support and encouragement that you are needing right now is in your own hands. Open up to someone you trust, allow them to see your heart, the hurts and all. You will be blessed even in knowing that you let yourself be honest with where you are at in life, no pretending.
Listen to the words in this song, they are for you....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Hi-VMxT6fc
God bless.
Shauna
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Let go to God.
I am writing this blog from a place of mental, emotional, spiritual and physical exhaustion. I am truly not trying to be over dramatic, I just feel like I have hit a big brick wall rather suddenly. I am feeling extremely drained and done fighting this battle. I feel like I have just about reached my breaking point and something needs to change quickly in order for me to be able to pull myself out of this slump.
Read that paragraph again...
I - hit a wall
I'm - feeling drained
I'm - done fighting
I've - reached my braking point
I - need change quickly
I - pull myself out
Hmmmm?
Have you caught the problem here?
Where is my focus? Who am I relying on?
Whether your reading this as a believer or a non believer there has to be a part of you that thinks, 'Man this women sounds pathetic.' The truth is, your right! This women (me) is being a little self centered, self focused and self absorbed.
That first paragraph is truly how I feel sometimes. Is it right? Probably not. Can it change? Yes. But the question is how?
First I think we need to be aware of the spiritual realm. Satan likes to kick us when we're down, he sees his opportunity to make us feel unimportant, useless, worthless, broken, the list goes on and on. We also need to be aware that as women there are certain times of the month that are a lot harder then others to stay positive, focused on who we were designed to be, and what we were designed for.
Right now, in this exact moment, this is what I am doing to stand with integrity, eyes focused on God, and trying to be open to a plan that I do not yet see, I am crying. I am literally and figuratively crying. I so desperately want to please the Lord God almighty and live the life he has planned for me that I am crying tears of awe and reverence as well as crying words of thanksgiving and truth!
Life is hard, at times ridiculously, beyond all understanding, H-A-R-D! I will never pretend it's not, God himself will never pretend it's not. Jesus lived here on earth, he died a brutal death here on earth, he knows life is hard. We as humans have something special, we have a God given gift in the Bible. The Bible is full of some strong truths, those truths help is stand against the lies that Satan tries so desperately hard to feed us moment after moment, day after day. Unfortunately those truths cant stop that certain time of the month from coming, but they do still help us get through all the emotions and hormonal changes that effect our attitude and tolerance levels during that time. A childlike freedom is what I desire for us, an ability to stay focused on the truths and leave all the hard stuff at God's feet.
I was watching my kids dance the other day, it's not that uncommon and normally it wouldn't be that eventful. This time however it took place in the car, they were both buckled into their five point harness car seats. Those harnesses seriously hinder any movement in hopes of keeping them safer in the event of an accident, only limbs have mobility. So to watch my kids dance with fierce joy and excitement while buckled into a five point harness is priceless. Limbs are flying in every direction imaginable perfectly to the beat of there new favorite song. In order to keep up with the tempo they are throwing their heads from side to side laughing the whole time! This is what I want, pure, real joy, aka Freedom!
I am writing this blog more for me then for you. If you can relate then great, I hope your learning lessons along side me, but I just needed to put my sinking feeling into print. It frees me of the lies, the doubt, the worry and allows me to stand firm on the truths that set me free. I am blessed to a level I could never have imagined or even asked for, but there are times when all the other stuff still feels like too much to handle. So when that point comes, hand it over, let go to God, feel that fierce joy and excitement that can only come from the safety of knowing you have let go to a good and gracious God.
God Bless.
Shauna Redekop
In case your wondering, this is the song my kids were dancing their hearts out to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAdxaXSnMq4
Toby Mac - Eye On It
Read that paragraph again...
I - hit a wall
I'm - feeling drained
I'm - done fighting
I've - reached my braking point
I - need change quickly
I - pull myself out
Hmmmm?
Have you caught the problem here?
Where is my focus? Who am I relying on?
Whether your reading this as a believer or a non believer there has to be a part of you that thinks, 'Man this women sounds pathetic.' The truth is, your right! This women (me) is being a little self centered, self focused and self absorbed.
That first paragraph is truly how I feel sometimes. Is it right? Probably not. Can it change? Yes. But the question is how?
First I think we need to be aware of the spiritual realm. Satan likes to kick us when we're down, he sees his opportunity to make us feel unimportant, useless, worthless, broken, the list goes on and on. We also need to be aware that as women there are certain times of the month that are a lot harder then others to stay positive, focused on who we were designed to be, and what we were designed for.
Right now, in this exact moment, this is what I am doing to stand with integrity, eyes focused on God, and trying to be open to a plan that I do not yet see, I am crying. I am literally and figuratively crying. I so desperately want to please the Lord God almighty and live the life he has planned for me that I am crying tears of awe and reverence as well as crying words of thanksgiving and truth!
Life is hard, at times ridiculously, beyond all understanding, H-A-R-D! I will never pretend it's not, God himself will never pretend it's not. Jesus lived here on earth, he died a brutal death here on earth, he knows life is hard. We as humans have something special, we have a God given gift in the Bible. The Bible is full of some strong truths, those truths help is stand against the lies that Satan tries so desperately hard to feed us moment after moment, day after day. Unfortunately those truths cant stop that certain time of the month from coming, but they do still help us get through all the emotions and hormonal changes that effect our attitude and tolerance levels during that time. A childlike freedom is what I desire for us, an ability to stay focused on the truths and leave all the hard stuff at God's feet.
I was watching my kids dance the other day, it's not that uncommon and normally it wouldn't be that eventful. This time however it took place in the car, they were both buckled into their five point harness car seats. Those harnesses seriously hinder any movement in hopes of keeping them safer in the event of an accident, only limbs have mobility. So to watch my kids dance with fierce joy and excitement while buckled into a five point harness is priceless. Limbs are flying in every direction imaginable perfectly to the beat of there new favorite song. In order to keep up with the tempo they are throwing their heads from side to side laughing the whole time! This is what I want, pure, real joy, aka Freedom!
I am writing this blog more for me then for you. If you can relate then great, I hope your learning lessons along side me, but I just needed to put my sinking feeling into print. It frees me of the lies, the doubt, the worry and allows me to stand firm on the truths that set me free. I am blessed to a level I could never have imagined or even asked for, but there are times when all the other stuff still feels like too much to handle. So when that point comes, hand it over, let go to God, feel that fierce joy and excitement that can only come from the safety of knowing you have let go to a good and gracious God.
God Bless.
Shauna Redekop
In case your wondering, this is the song my kids were dancing their hearts out to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAdxaXSnMq4
Toby Mac - Eye On It
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Cliche...? Yes! Lame...? Definitly not!
In the last few weeks I have been able to watch God move, not only in my own life, but in the lives of the women at church and in the community! I am extremely blessed to be apart of the women's ministry team at the church my family and I attend . It has challenged and strengthened me in ways I never thought possible, in ways I was desperate for and in many ways I didn't even realize I needed!
I have recently participated in a women's retreat put on by my church. Yearly about 75 women from my church get away to a retreat centre from a Friday to Sunday for a weekend of learning and growing. We always hope and pray that God will show up, but this year He far surpassed our expectations! This past retreat was titled, 'Redefying Beauty, Seeing Yourself Through God's Eyes'. What a huge and much needed topic for so many women?!
During one session out speaker challenged us to take sometime with God and listen to what he was saying to us individually. As I was sitting, waiting expectantly, I started writing. My hand didn't stop moving until I ran out of lines to write on. I know that non of what I wrote was from my own doing. It spoke directly to my hear and where I was at in that exact moment. When I was done reading what was written on the paper before me I knew that it was a message I was going to be sharing. I truly believe it is not just for me...
Daughter,
I don't find parts of you beautiful, I find all of you beautiful. I know you feel that's cliché, but that doesn't prevent it from being true. I made you, I have given you a dream. I want you to be brave, trust and succeed.
You are my daughter, my joy! You make me proud and I want everyone to know you are my child. I am completely and totally that cliché parent, accept it!
You will face trials and tribulations, but I am your Father and will walk EVERY road with you. I was there and am here always.
You are lost and confused because of human flaws, but the truth will always remain in me.
Run, run to me. Do not be afraid for the Lord your God is with you until the end of the age!
Your Father
These words spoke deeply to me and I pray they reach many more hearts that need to know that no matter where they are in life they have a Father who not only wants to be there for them but needs to be there for them. He is a proud, devoted, and at times an over bearing cliché Father filled with acceptance, and never ending love for you. I don't know who else needs to hear these words, but I trust they will reach the exact people they were intended for.
I am at a place in my life where I feel I am leaving some dark, and hopeless times behind. I would not be here had it not been for a ton of hard work and learning to accept that God actually wants more FOR me (not FROM me)! Life can take many turns and can pull you in many different directions, your may be in a great spot or a dark broken spot. It may feel like you have ran away too many times or that there are too many big things you have done wrong. Like the letter says God was there and is still here for you, and with you! Pray with you hands open, expectant and holding onto nothing, I guarantee he will meet you no matter what!
This is a song that has meant a lot to me as I continue to grasp how loved I truly am!
https://soundcloud.com/jennyandjameskids/cherished
God Bless
~Shauna~
I have recently participated in a women's retreat put on by my church. Yearly about 75 women from my church get away to a retreat centre from a Friday to Sunday for a weekend of learning and growing. We always hope and pray that God will show up, but this year He far surpassed our expectations! This past retreat was titled, 'Redefying Beauty, Seeing Yourself Through God's Eyes'. What a huge and much needed topic for so many women?!
During one session out speaker challenged us to take sometime with God and listen to what he was saying to us individually. As I was sitting, waiting expectantly, I started writing. My hand didn't stop moving until I ran out of lines to write on. I know that non of what I wrote was from my own doing. It spoke directly to my hear and where I was at in that exact moment. When I was done reading what was written on the paper before me I knew that it was a message I was going to be sharing. I truly believe it is not just for me...
Daughter,
I don't find parts of you beautiful, I find all of you beautiful. I know you feel that's cliché, but that doesn't prevent it from being true. I made you, I have given you a dream. I want you to be brave, trust and succeed.
You are my daughter, my joy! You make me proud and I want everyone to know you are my child. I am completely and totally that cliché parent, accept it!
You will face trials and tribulations, but I am your Father and will walk EVERY road with you. I was there and am here always.
You are lost and confused because of human flaws, but the truth will always remain in me.
Run, run to me. Do not be afraid for the Lord your God is with you until the end of the age!
Your Father
These words spoke deeply to me and I pray they reach many more hearts that need to know that no matter where they are in life they have a Father who not only wants to be there for them but needs to be there for them. He is a proud, devoted, and at times an over bearing cliché Father filled with acceptance, and never ending love for you. I don't know who else needs to hear these words, but I trust they will reach the exact people they were intended for.
I am at a place in my life where I feel I am leaving some dark, and hopeless times behind. I would not be here had it not been for a ton of hard work and learning to accept that God actually wants more FOR me (not FROM me)! Life can take many turns and can pull you in many different directions, your may be in a great spot or a dark broken spot. It may feel like you have ran away too many times or that there are too many big things you have done wrong. Like the letter says God was there and is still here for you, and with you! Pray with you hands open, expectant and holding onto nothing, I guarantee he will meet you no matter what!
This is a song that has meant a lot to me as I continue to grasp how loved I truly am!
https://soundcloud.com/jennyandjameskids/cherished
God Bless
~Shauna~
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Fear is not of the Lord
I don't really know what triggered it, but it came fast and hit hard, I was paralyzed. Paralysed with the fear that comes with out warning and effects every thought process to the point that you don't know how to breath, stand, or talk anymore.
I was never a person who feared too many things. In one three month span of traveling South Africa I signed at least 5 wavier forms stating that if I got injured or lost my life then that particular company would not be held liable. I was able to go sand boarding, take surfing lessons, shark cage diving, repel down the side of a cliff next to an incredible waterfall, and I even went bungee jumping off the worlds highest bungee bridge! On top of all that, a few years ago, my husband and I decided to go skydiving. I have always thought of my self as brave, willing to try everything, not fearing much of anything.
Until that moment of complete paralysation...
My husband and I had recently felt that our family was needing a change of pace, so in a few days we were going to fly a couple provinces over to look for a new home. The thought of moving and starting over with out any family around didn't really scare me to much, which is why I didn't expect what hit that evening.
We had just climbed into bed after a regular evening of supper, dishes, putting the kids to bed, etc. when I was struck with complete panic. For some reason I became convinced that a member of my little immediate family of four was about to die. I was fear stricken and couldn't even properly explain to my husband what was going on in my head. I asked my husband to grab a bucket because I was dry heaving so much I thought I was going to be sick! How could this be, how could I deal with the next 24hrs knowing I was going to have to say good bye to someone so close to my heart. Even thinking about that evening my heart still races a bit. After, what felt like hours of not being able to speak or stand I felt a reassuring voice come from somewhere deep down in my soul. The voice said, "Fear is not of the Lord!". Slowly the voice began to grow louder, stronger, and more adamant. Finally I realised it was because I was actually starting to chant it out loud. Up until this point my husband was still completely in the dark as to what was even happening to me. As my voice got louder, I became stronger, I was able to stand up and haul myself out of the bathroom. My husband met me with open arms and a prayer. I settled down enough that I was able to crawl into bed and start breathing again. I listened to about 3 hours of encouraging sermons, that my husband had downloaded on his phone, before I was calm enough to actually fall asleep. The memory of the paralysing fear that threatened to consumed my mind, body and soul is something I don't think I will ever forget.
Since that night we have in fact moved provinces and have settled into a pretty awesome little life! We found a great house that fits our family perfectly, and an incredible church where I was able to get involved and make friends really quickly. The timing was perfect, God most definitely went ahead of us and prepared a flawless transition for our whole family! Not to say it hasn't been tough with missing our family's and my husbands learning curve of now running his own company, but all in all we know that this is truly where we were being called to go.
I have had many more anxious moments since that one overwhelming night, but I am finally starting to learn the power we have in our words when we pray in Jesus name. Fear is not of the Lord is a phrase that I often find myself muttering through out my day. It's a simple truth that came to me from somewhere deep down that night when I spiritually, mentally and emotionally had nothing left. Now that a year and a half has past, God has greatly increased my knowledge of him and his mighty power in those times of feeling completely powerless. Jeremiah 29:11 comes to mind as I write this, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." This is a God given truth, one we can claim out loud in the name of Jesus when we truly feel like there is no way out of the pain, fear and despair we are living in.
God has put so many amazing people in my life to help strengthen and challenge me into a deeper, more committed relationship with Him. Something I have learnt recently is that the Bible truly is the sword to fight off any and all attacks that I am currently facing! The more I pray His word into and over my life the freer I become. I am in no way claiming I am at a level of complete freedom and ultimate peace, I know there is a long road to walk and until His work is done here on earth I plan to keep walking that road. I have a lot of fears and anxious thoughts that still plague me, some on a daily bases, but as I take steps closer to God I am realizing he was never that far away to begin with.
Psalm 46:1 - God is our refuge and strength, and ever present help in trouble.
God bless
~Shauna~
If you were impacted by my story or feel you know someone who is going through what I went and am currently going through please share this post. Also, please leave me a message, I would love to hear your thoughts. If you would like to receive my future posts click the 'Follow' button.
I was never a person who feared too many things. In one three month span of traveling South Africa I signed at least 5 wavier forms stating that if I got injured or lost my life then that particular company would not be held liable. I was able to go sand boarding, take surfing lessons, shark cage diving, repel down the side of a cliff next to an incredible waterfall, and I even went bungee jumping off the worlds highest bungee bridge! On top of all that, a few years ago, my husband and I decided to go skydiving. I have always thought of my self as brave, willing to try everything, not fearing much of anything.
Until that moment of complete paralysation...
My husband and I had recently felt that our family was needing a change of pace, so in a few days we were going to fly a couple provinces over to look for a new home. The thought of moving and starting over with out any family around didn't really scare me to much, which is why I didn't expect what hit that evening.
We had just climbed into bed after a regular evening of supper, dishes, putting the kids to bed, etc. when I was struck with complete panic. For some reason I became convinced that a member of my little immediate family of four was about to die. I was fear stricken and couldn't even properly explain to my husband what was going on in my head. I asked my husband to grab a bucket because I was dry heaving so much I thought I was going to be sick! How could this be, how could I deal with the next 24hrs knowing I was going to have to say good bye to someone so close to my heart. Even thinking about that evening my heart still races a bit. After, what felt like hours of not being able to speak or stand I felt a reassuring voice come from somewhere deep down in my soul. The voice said, "Fear is not of the Lord!". Slowly the voice began to grow louder, stronger, and more adamant. Finally I realised it was because I was actually starting to chant it out loud. Up until this point my husband was still completely in the dark as to what was even happening to me. As my voice got louder, I became stronger, I was able to stand up and haul myself out of the bathroom. My husband met me with open arms and a prayer. I settled down enough that I was able to crawl into bed and start breathing again. I listened to about 3 hours of encouraging sermons, that my husband had downloaded on his phone, before I was calm enough to actually fall asleep. The memory of the paralysing fear that threatened to consumed my mind, body and soul is something I don't think I will ever forget.
Since that night we have in fact moved provinces and have settled into a pretty awesome little life! We found a great house that fits our family perfectly, and an incredible church where I was able to get involved and make friends really quickly. The timing was perfect, God most definitely went ahead of us and prepared a flawless transition for our whole family! Not to say it hasn't been tough with missing our family's and my husbands learning curve of now running his own company, but all in all we know that this is truly where we were being called to go.
I have had many more anxious moments since that one overwhelming night, but I am finally starting to learn the power we have in our words when we pray in Jesus name. Fear is not of the Lord is a phrase that I often find myself muttering through out my day. It's a simple truth that came to me from somewhere deep down that night when I spiritually, mentally and emotionally had nothing left. Now that a year and a half has past, God has greatly increased my knowledge of him and his mighty power in those times of feeling completely powerless. Jeremiah 29:11 comes to mind as I write this, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." This is a God given truth, one we can claim out loud in the name of Jesus when we truly feel like there is no way out of the pain, fear and despair we are living in.
God has put so many amazing people in my life to help strengthen and challenge me into a deeper, more committed relationship with Him. Something I have learnt recently is that the Bible truly is the sword to fight off any and all attacks that I am currently facing! The more I pray His word into and over my life the freer I become. I am in no way claiming I am at a level of complete freedom and ultimate peace, I know there is a long road to walk and until His work is done here on earth I plan to keep walking that road. I have a lot of fears and anxious thoughts that still plague me, some on a daily bases, but as I take steps closer to God I am realizing he was never that far away to begin with.
Psalm 46:1 - God is our refuge and strength, and ever present help in trouble.
God bless
~Shauna~
If you were impacted by my story or feel you know someone who is going through what I went and am currently going through please share this post. Also, please leave me a message, I would love to hear your thoughts. If you would like to receive my future posts click the 'Follow' button.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
To blog or not to blog?
Hello blogging world!
This is a very new and very scary world to me. Blogging is something I have never done and honestly something I never thought I would ever do! My heart is pounding, and my fingers are stumbling all over the key board! Thank goodness for spell check, however I'll still probably miss some. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation have never been something I was very good at. Well actually English in general has never been a strength of mine! So those of you who are easily annoyed by that you have been warned! haha
So your probably wondering why on earth I am entering this blogging world if, from what I wrote above, I have little skill and a lot of fear. The truth is I'm not even sure myself. I would love to share about my life. What lessons I have learned so far and different challenges I have faced. I have very few challenges in my life compared to a lot of people in this world, but rather then compare, I hope simply to use my challenges to encourage all of you.
To start I would like you to know a little about me. I am married to an extremely supportive husband. A man, I feel, that was hand picked by God just for me. He is definitely not a perfect human being, just perfect for me! He loves me unconditionally and because of that he challenges me in many ways. He challenges me in my faith and calls me out when I'm in the wrong. He also steps back when there are lessons I need to learn on my own. All of which cause huge amounts of frustration at times, who really likes to be called out or challenged, and when you feel like your in over your head who doesn't want someone to come along side you and lift your burden. The truth is my husband always leaves room for God to be my ultimate strength, comfort and support. My husband will always be by my side, my God given rock in this world. Gods earthly example to me of strength, love, and loyalty. I know he was placed in my life by God, definitely not to be my God.
I am an unemployed mother of two. Wow that's an oxymoron if I've ever heard one!! haha My 24/7 job is to me a mom to my two amazing little boys. They provide me with a ton of strength and motivation as well as exhaustion and worry. I always heard that once you become a mom you will never stop worrying, worrying about everything from what they are going wear to if your effort to instill good values is sinking in, and SO much more. This has definitely proved true for me, I so badly want the best for my boys that I often forget that they aren't really mine. God has actually intrusted these incredible little boys to my husband and I to raise, that's huge! (but also incredible humbling.) As much as I want the best for them I can times that by a million and I still haven't come close to what God wants for them. I merely have to be willing to facilitate the bigger plan and watch while my sweet boys start catching it. Like the time when I was getting frustrated, scratch that, I was full out blowing up because there was cereal ALL over the kitchen floor. To make it worse they had both walked through the cereal, it was crushed into little pieces and tracked around the rest of the main floor of our house. As I began cleaning up and starting to lecture the boys on how getting the cereal out was a mommy job, my ears were starting to actually smoke with rage! My oldest son looked and me and said, "Mom, I'm going to pray that you wont get so angry." He sat down on the floor and folded his hands, the way I beg him too at the dinner table, and started praying out loud. I don't think that there is anything in the world that motivates you to be a better mom then when you hear your own child praying for you. The smoke from my ears instantly stopped, my heart was so moved that I couldn't help but sit down on the floor next to my little man and pray with him! I asked for forgiveness from him and God, together we cleaned up the mess of cereal.
This is what I hope for anyone reading this. I hope you see that I am a really women, someone trying to live for the call I have been given, wife and mom. I hope you are encouraged, inspired, challenged and want to grow with me. In future posts I want to share some of the many things God has been teaching in my life, especially the last year and a half. We are all human and the only way to get by day to day is admit that and love that! By grace we aren't expected to be more then human, but by faith we are able to be much more then human.
God Bless.
~Shauna~
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pIqE-Mxx1g
This is a very new and very scary world to me. Blogging is something I have never done and honestly something I never thought I would ever do! My heart is pounding, and my fingers are stumbling all over the key board! Thank goodness for spell check, however I'll still probably miss some. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation have never been something I was very good at. Well actually English in general has never been a strength of mine! So those of you who are easily annoyed by that you have been warned! haha
So your probably wondering why on earth I am entering this blogging world if, from what I wrote above, I have little skill and a lot of fear. The truth is I'm not even sure myself. I would love to share about my life. What lessons I have learned so far and different challenges I have faced. I have very few challenges in my life compared to a lot of people in this world, but rather then compare, I hope simply to use my challenges to encourage all of you.
To start I would like you to know a little about me. I am married to an extremely supportive husband. A man, I feel, that was hand picked by God just for me. He is definitely not a perfect human being, just perfect for me! He loves me unconditionally and because of that he challenges me in many ways. He challenges me in my faith and calls me out when I'm in the wrong. He also steps back when there are lessons I need to learn on my own. All of which cause huge amounts of frustration at times, who really likes to be called out or challenged, and when you feel like your in over your head who doesn't want someone to come along side you and lift your burden. The truth is my husband always leaves room for God to be my ultimate strength, comfort and support. My husband will always be by my side, my God given rock in this world. Gods earthly example to me of strength, love, and loyalty. I know he was placed in my life by God, definitely not to be my God.
I am an unemployed mother of two. Wow that's an oxymoron if I've ever heard one!! haha My 24/7 job is to me a mom to my two amazing little boys. They provide me with a ton of strength and motivation as well as exhaustion and worry. I always heard that once you become a mom you will never stop worrying, worrying about everything from what they are going wear to if your effort to instill good values is sinking in, and SO much more. This has definitely proved true for me, I so badly want the best for my boys that I often forget that they aren't really mine. God has actually intrusted these incredible little boys to my husband and I to raise, that's huge! (but also incredible humbling.) As much as I want the best for them I can times that by a million and I still haven't come close to what God wants for them. I merely have to be willing to facilitate the bigger plan and watch while my sweet boys start catching it. Like the time when I was getting frustrated, scratch that, I was full out blowing up because there was cereal ALL over the kitchen floor. To make it worse they had both walked through the cereal, it was crushed into little pieces and tracked around the rest of the main floor of our house. As I began cleaning up and starting to lecture the boys on how getting the cereal out was a mommy job, my ears were starting to actually smoke with rage! My oldest son looked and me and said, "Mom, I'm going to pray that you wont get so angry." He sat down on the floor and folded his hands, the way I beg him too at the dinner table, and started praying out loud. I don't think that there is anything in the world that motivates you to be a better mom then when you hear your own child praying for you. The smoke from my ears instantly stopped, my heart was so moved that I couldn't help but sit down on the floor next to my little man and pray with him! I asked for forgiveness from him and God, together we cleaned up the mess of cereal.
This is what I hope for anyone reading this. I hope you see that I am a really women, someone trying to live for the call I have been given, wife and mom. I hope you are encouraged, inspired, challenged and want to grow with me. In future posts I want to share some of the many things God has been teaching in my life, especially the last year and a half. We are all human and the only way to get by day to day is admit that and love that! By grace we aren't expected to be more then human, but by faith we are able to be much more then human.
God Bless.
~Shauna~
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pIqE-Mxx1g
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