Worshiping Through

My sweet girl is teaching me to worship through. To understand how powerful this video is let me tell you about her morning. She woke up and wanted yogurt for breakfast, we didn't have any more. As her dad fixes breakfast I shower and prepare for a client who's coming to get her hair done. She wants me out of the shower and playing with her instead. We're scrambling around cleaning so Summer's morning was filled with, "stop, wait, don't touch that, no, and put it back."  

Finally, we were done with the busyness or the morning and we put on some music. Immediately her hand shoots up into the air, her eyes close, her head bows and shakes as she walks through the house saying, "Hallelujah." This is what it looks like to worship through. Sometimes we get into a place where God tells us "stop, wait, don't touch that, no, and put it back." We get frustrated, much like my 23 month old. However, when the opportunity comes to worship we need to take it. Worshipping did not get Summer the things she wanted, but that wasn't the intent of her worship. It did, for a moment in time make everything else insignificant. Worship changes the atmosphere. Her worshipping touched my heart and I'm sure it moved the heart of God. 

Psalm 29:2 Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name;Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.  

A Little About Me

Before getting pregnant I had a plan. I knew exactly how things would go. My husband and I had just gotten married. We would wait three years, two if I could reach my goal sooner. During that time I would work my butt off and get to the point in my career where I could work from home. I would finish my MBA and be done with school all before my first trimester of pregnancy. We would have two incomes and be financially stable so we could raise our children without much worry. Sounds good right?

Well God revealed to me that my plan had nothing to do with Him. It did not require much faith, or any room to grow closer to Him. Sure I could have penciled that into my plan but God did not want to be penciled in to my life He wanted to consume my life. Proverbs 19:21(NIV) says, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose which prevails.”

My having a plan wasn’t the problem, the problem was I did not make sure my plan lined up with God’s purpose for my life. As the word of God says His purpose prevailed in my life. Six months into being married, I got pregnant and my whole world changed. I was working as a temp for an HVAC company, working on my MBA and learning the ropes on being a wife.

When I was 5 months along with my daughter, Summer, I was placed on bed rest and my husband became the sole provider for our family. It was unexpected, and it was a stretch of faith. Even then, God was using this precious baby girl to teach me to rest in Him. Being pregnant and on bed rest was one of the hardest things for me to do.

I felt fine, I looked fine but there was something going on inside of me that required me to be still. Have you ever felt God stilling you when all you want to do is run? I wanted to be out and about, I wanted to work, I had a plan, but God told me to rest and wait.

With my next pregnancy it wasn't as hard to trust God. My husband’s job moved us to a new state, my blood work during pregnancy showed early signs of cancer and I was far away from my friends. This time I knew to trust God and rest. I could see this child, my son, was teaching me early. God blessed me with good friends, after much prayer and months of testing it was found that I did not have cancer, and my son Kristian II was born perfectly healthy.

Since then we have added third child. AJ and she is just the sweetest little baby girl. Life is still crazy, fun, and so full of joy. I see myself in my kids all the time. Not so much in their features as in their actions. I thought I was older spiritually but God is revealing to me that, at times, I don’t act much older than the children I am raising. While trying to raise children for a purpose, God is yet still raising me.

Updated 9/2016

Quiet That Tongue!

At church last night Pastor Rich of Destiny Church spoke on creating a culture in your home. This reminded me of a word God gave me concerning things we speak over our children.

Zechariah was told by an angel of the Lord, he and Elizabeth would have a child. Zechariah questioned God and was struck dumb until his son’s birth. Sometimes the plan God has for us or our children is so beyond us that we question its validity.

God has laid out a purpose that is impossible to complete without him. Thank God for His mercy! Rather than take away Zechariah's son and give the gift of his parenthood to another couple He took away Zechariah's ability to compromise that gift or the circumstances surrounding it.

Dream big and speak life into the dreams of others around you. If you don't understand it, it is better to quiet your tongue than to speak against a God given dream.  

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

Every now and then I convince my husband to share his thoughts. This is what he has to say on the subject. 

Zechariah story is such a great encouragement, because it shows the power a man has over what he speaks in his home; it also shows how lightly we take that power. I've been guilty of looking at my circumstances, rather than looking to heaven, and speaking to my problems like they are bigger than God. Zechariah felt this too and in his lack of faith he spoke against his own child, John, and his greatness. Proverbs 4:23 says, "Above all else guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 13:3 says, "Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin." 

Zechariah's inability to speak was a blessing; he could not speak against his sons destiny. Imagine he retained the ability to speak. I'm sure the story would have been quite different. He would have placed doubt in his wife's heart with his words. His words and our words as fathers and husbands are powerful because we operate as priest of our homes.

Unfortunately, our mouths aren't sealed. I don't see many mute men walking around, as I do damaged children and hurt wives. Our words have power, either we use that power and authority to build our families or to tear them down.

So, instead of speaking against your children by telling them how bad they are or how disappointed you are in them. Speak life into them by telling them who God has called them to be. Tell them who they are at their best. Speak against the behavior you don't want to see in your children by speaking life into who God has called them to be.

- Kristian James