A Harsh Word Stirs Up Anger

This morning David and I were talking about how we are both so often tempted to speak harshly to our little girls when they are not doing as they should. In effect we are trying to motivate them by fear instead of by grace. Then I did my devotions... I am reading through Matthew right now, in my attempt to read through the Bible in a year. So today I read in Matthew 12:34 and 36-37, it says...

"For out of the abundance of your heart the mouth speaks", "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned."

By grace the Holy Spirit has shown me a few times today when I was tempted to speak harshly to the girls and as a result I was able to speak with grace and peace to them. There were also a few times that the Holy Spirit showed me afterwards as well.

I am a great sinner, in need of a great savior! And I want to raise my girls, motivating them by grace and not fear.

Battling UnBelief by John Piper

I am reading this really great book by John Piper, called "Battling UnBelief". I think I honestly thought that I didn't struggle with unbelief, but I'm beginning to realize how much of my sin has unbelief at its root.

Yesterday, I read the chapter on Battling Impatience. It is wonderful! I reread some portions of it this morning during my devotions and meditated on the scriptures he referenced.

This is one of the quotes that he had in the book that I really enjoyed.

"Infinite wisdom has arranged the whole with infinite love; and infinite power enables me - to rest upon that love. I am in a dear Father's hands - all is secure. When I look to Him, I see nothing by faithfulness - and immutability - and truth; and I have the sweetest peace - I cannot have more peace."

He then continues, "by faith in future grace he (the man who wrote the above)had learned to wait with God in the unplanned place of obedience, and to walk with God at the unplanned pace of obedience. With the psalmist he said, "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope" (Psalm 130:5). "The Lord is good to those who wait for him" (Lam 3:25).

Hope this encourages you in whatever you are facing right now.

Stepping...

Book recommendation...

A few months back, I read a quote from the book Stepping Heavenward. I was so encouraged by the quote that I bought the book and started reading it. I read it as a single but now as a wife and a mother the topics are so encouraging. I was telling David last night how neat it is that altought the book was written a long time ago some of "Katy's" temptations are much the same as mine. I found myself encouraged that even when life was very different the temptations to sin were the same and I find encouragement in how she worked through those issues. If you haven't read it in a while, bring it back out. I keep in it my bathroom for little snippits here and there - just one more attempt to read more this year.