Order & Chaos || Friday Magnify

 “Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.”
Psalm 34:3

Have you noticed that God is a God of order?

We see it in flowers, in the patterns of geese, in human DNA. We see it in the plans He set for the Temple in the Old Testament; we see it in how He asks us to make right our own sins before pointing out someone else’s, and in the way we go about solving relational issues (Matt. 18).

We see His order in how He arranged the planets, in math and science as we study, in baked goods as we experiment to create.

There is order everywhere if we look close enough, and it makes beautiful what seems like chaos. In fact, even chaos has order and structure to it.

Now, hold up. I was planning to write this about the need for order and structure in our homes as a magnification of who God is. Rhythms and routines are necessary for many reasons. Structure is crucial for us and our kids.

But what about spontaneity? And what about when chaos ensues? Well, God is pretty good at adding some spontaneity and chaos in the mix. Even though He is the Master of order! Ever wash your floors and then the dog and kids stomp through with mud? Or, have plans for a weekend and then your toddler ends up in the ER?

So, life happens and we smile and do the next thing.

Gets me thinking about the whole order-our-homes thing.

As my wise husband pointed out, a proper order of priorities is more important than a focus on keeping the home orderly.

In his words, “is the house tidy and the kids well behaved, but there is envy and bitterness? Better a tornado touched the house than that.”

Our priorities have to be right before God. First and foremost, are we spending time in His Word and prayer? All else is lost if we aren’t faithful with this. Our daily lives are 100% affected by what we believe about Him.

We can better keep our homes when we study and learn who He is. He will influence our decisions. We can better teach our children when we are fed by His Word; we can put a quick stop to any envy or bitterness or other sin trying to creep in. Much better a home made of forts with children who know how to share than an Instagram-worthy room void of [angry] children because Mom won’t let them touch the armchair. And vice-versa: better a home that is kept both in looks and hearts than a home that is disheveled and unruly in the same ways.

Our priorities must be in the right place, not just our decor.

May we take joy in how He orders and scrambles life, and may our homes magnify Him!

Dependence || Friday Magnify

“Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.”
Psalm 34:3

A couple weeks ago I wrote about how the Lord has always been faithful to provide for our family. We have always had what we need, when we need it.

This week, I am increasingly thankful that God’s provisions do not depend on any government, good or bad. Many governments have been shaken, and - gasp - proven to be made up of sinners. They are faulty, often narcissistic, and they can’t possibly do everything for everyone. They aren’t God!

He alone is; He alone can provide for us at every time in our lives. He knows us, He cares for us.

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”
Matthew 6:25-26

I am so grateful that the God we serve is Lord of all. We have Someone greater to look to in challenging times. We can receive help from people, but we are not dependent on humans. We are dependent on the Lord God, who made Heaven and Earth and who sustains it all. Hallelujah!

Stopping Up Drips

“The beginning of strife is like releasing water;
Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.”
Proverbs 17:14

What better example of this than toddlers?! Whether you have multiple children or one, you have probably seen how strife can quickly escalate. It starts as a little thing, and before you turn around there are fists and angry words being thrown.

A little strife is like releasing water – how forceful and damaging it can be! Best to stop up a drip before it turns into a spraying hydrant. Or worse, an ongoing waterfall!

Such practical advice for us moms. When we see strife beginning with our children, we need to be faithful to stop it up quickly. Show them how to de-escalate and think through the situation. If an argument or fight can be avoided, great!

Sometimes the fight has already begun and needs to be addressed. Bringing peace doesn’t mean covering over problems – that would ultimately be detrimental to our children and our households. But it does mean taking the time to assess the issue, help everyone communicate, and lead the children to a good conclusion. Our kiddos need to know how to control emotions and problem solve, taking others’ desires into account. And as our children work through these situations, they will see how they can avoid contention altogether. They will learn how to share, how to talk things through, how to deal with hard things without automatically resorting to an argument or fight.

Easier said than done sometimes, but remember the Proverb. Stop the drip before it becomes a rushing torrent! Think of how this can serve them: handling disagreements in marriage someday, in a healthy and productive way? being able to communicate with a challenging boss? maintaining good sibling relationships instead of drifting away because of a petty miscommunication?

Take heart, God has given you the tools you need in His Word. There will be times a fight cannot be avoided, and you can teach your children how to handle that well. Even when they do their best in a situation that still ends ugly, you can praise them for a good job and help them find comfort in Christ.

Keep their futures in mind as you plod along faithfully. One step at a time, one day at a time. Stop up those drips!

Sweet Provisions

As I folded laundry this afternoon, I thought about our family’s last few years. Have you ever had moments where you realize how God has consistently answered your prayers?

About five years ago I was super pregnant with our oldest, and the bathroom ceiling in our apartment fell in. It wasn’t a situation I handled particularly well; I was thoroughly done living there and used the mess as a way to get out. We moved in with my parents while we looked for a new place.

Finding another place was challenging, but we kept praying. Even though I hadn’t handled it all well, God provided. We finally found a sweet little 642 square foot condo that looked like a dream. We were able to move in a few weeks before our boy was born, which was an extra blessing as I had time to unpack and settle.

We made friends with our neighbor on the other side of our wall and chatted with her regularly. She loved seeing Levi grow and she was a great support as we temporarily cared for another little one. Then one day she found a place that suited her better, so we said our good-byes. Since we had the same landlord, she invited us in to see if we’d want to move our things over to a more updated condo. The layout and functionality of her condo was even more of a dream to us (me), so we worked it out and moved over. Another sweet provision.

Eleven months after Levi was born, we discovered another little boy was on the way. We would need to find another place to live, since our landlord only allowed for three. We began praying for another place where the boys could have their own bedroom and we would have a bit more space.

Some time later, my parents found an investment property they loved. A big, old, beautiful duplex with a great yard. We weren’t expecting to rent from them, again, but God worked it out wonderfully. Two bedrooms, an eat-in kitchen, a bright and sunny porch - it wasn’t hard to fall in love. We helped with some dirty work to get the place move-in ready, and were able to get in just before Caleb was born. Another provision.

Standing in the basement of our duplex, folding laundry for the umpteenth time, I am so thankful for how God has provided for us as our needs arise. He has given us just what we need, when we need it. Often He gives us extra, more than we were expecting or could realize we’d need. He sees ahead and He brings us where He knows is best.

Do you have stories like that, of His provision? Do you think of them sweetly, remembering how good He has been to you? I hope you do (and I’d love to hear them). He is such a good, gracious, generous God!

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18