I’m sorry for the two days I was absent. I was a single mom this week and it caught up to me Wednesday and Thursday. I’m back, though! I hope you all are sticking through this challenge. I enjoy reading all of your posts, even if I haven’t had time to respond!
Encouragement from Brooke
What is joy really? And if my strength comes from the joy of the Lord (Psalm 28:7), then what does the joy of the Lord really look like?
As I write these words, I'm struggling with a deep desire to be grumpy and complain. Most days I handle my husband's crazy shift-work schedule pretty well. But today? Well, today I feel like complaining. So how do I find joy and strength from the Lord? Enough to make me "burst out in songs of thanksgiving?" How do you?
Here's the secret: Focus on Christ. Focus on what He did for you (and for your sons) on the cross. I suspect we Christians have a tendency to misunderstand the phrase, "placing our trust in Christ." Placing our trust in Christ isn't something we did once and never do again. Salvation may be a once and forever event, but trusting in Christ is ongoing. Trusting in Christ's work of grace on the cross to be important enough to change my grumpiness to gratefulness. Trusting in Christ's work of grace on the cross to get me through a rough day with my children. Trusting in Christ's work of grace on the cross to be enough when I'm enduring tantrums in the grocery store. Trusting in Christ's work of grace on the cross when my sons choose their own will …
"The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my
heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him." ~Psalm 28:7
Janine, Thank you for everything you are doing in this challenge :)
ReplyDeleteA few days ago you asked if there was anything you could do for us. I think it would be helpful to me to have a "syllabus" for the study. I am doing several studies/challenges at this time, and I find myself losing track of what day/page we are on in Warrior Prayers. Would you be able to do a post listing what page/topic we are doing each day? Doesn't have to be terribly elaborate, just something simple like the titles you have been putting on the blog posts.
Study Questions
ReplyDelete1. There comes a time in every child's life, when the sin-nature starts to show it's ugly head. For Brooke and her husband, this came accompanied by a difficult, life-altering challenge that made it difficult for them to train their son. Can you relate?
We are seeing it now in our 3 yr old son, as he has recently discovered his ability to say "no." We do not allow him to exercise that "no" if it is in defiance. (Ex: If we tell him to pick up his toys and he says no, then it's timeout and when timeout is over, he has to pick up his toys)
2. When things don't go as planned, and life seems to throw you a curve-ball, what is your heart's response? Do you get angry with God? Stop talking to Him?
My heart's response has been to get angry. Not with God but with life. I am working to change that through constant prayer. I tend to forget to talk to God when things are good and easy, to take Him and His work in my life for granted. I am working on that too.
3. Have you had times where your children's behavior or illness has threatened your family life or your marriage? Describe a time like that here.
For us just having our son was enough to throw us into turmoil. I had post-partum depression, which neither of us expected. I did not bond with my son right away, I actually didn't even really like him all that much; that really hurt and dismayed my husband. Also both of our jobs were on shaky-ground at that time, so it was that much more stressful.
4. How did you resolve the situation above? If it's not resolved, how can you begin to pray for God's protection and leading?
We sold our house (by the grace of God, it only took us 3 weeks to sell our house in a declining market) and moved in with my in-laws. That allowed me to be able to stay home with my son. We began attending church again. We are now beginning to get active in church and in other ministry activities.
5. Have you ever felt like one of your children's personalities changed practically overnight? How did you respond?
My son's personality has been, how do I say this nicely, "exuberant" since he was born. While it wasn't a change in his personality, it was a change in our household. We are getting used to it. We are worried about helping him get his personality "under control", while not crushing his excitement for life, while he is still young so that his teen years are not unpleasant for us all.