One Day at a Time

Hey girlies!

I hope you are well this bright, sunshiny day! :) I love the calm before the storm, at least when it comes to the weather! It always forces me to enjoy this day and to use to its full extent!

What an awesome week God has planned for us! I encourage you, as you go through the daily "grind" of being a mommy, a wife, a homemaker, an employee, a student, a friend, a taxicab driver, that you pause in those quiet moments and dwell on the blessings the Lord has provided for you.

How quickly our minds go to the negative: the overwhelming, the boring, the icky, the frustrating, the maddening things that seem to weigh heavily on our shoulders. And yet, when we put the effort forth to flip our thoughts and see things through His perspective, we ARE blessed!! Even in my squeaky car...with my larger-than-life rear...and not enough time in the day to feel on top of things...we are BLESSED!

If you doubt that, turn on Fox News and watch a few stories about Haiti...and allow yourself to take in the images in their raw hurt and chaotic desperation. For no matter, what we have or don't have...we are blessed. For our hearts rest in His peace and understanding. If you don't feel awesome now, give yourself an hour of good wrestling with the circumstances surrounding your life, lay down at His feet all your iniquities, and allow Jesus to take up your cross and carry it at least through this evening.

One day at a time, mamas! Just one day at a time. As Kim often says, "New mercies every morning...His mercies are new every morning..." and for that matter every hour, every minute that we choose to stop what we're doing, listen to His leading, and choose His path instead. Ladies, it all boils down to self-control...and that's where we're going today!

Proverbs 25:28

"A person without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls."

Sometimes when I watch reality tv (which is almost all my shows...I know, it's a sick addiction, but at least I haven't stooped down to Jersey Shore!!), you can see the results of the lack of self-control all over the place. On The Bachelor, the girls are so desperate to get the man they think they want, that they will behave in the most unabashed and ridiculous ways. On Tough Love, a dating show where the matchmaker tries to "fix" the girls with typical dating problems, the girls lack so much confidence in who they are that they become easily hurt, volatile, and succumb to random and idiotic (in my humble opinion) emotional outbursts. On the Real Housewives of Anywhere, the women all lose sight of the line between right and wrong, and what is truly important (like marriage and kids) and spend all their time trying to justify their unwise words and actions. And to wrap it up, on Celebrity Rehab, you can watch those who have truly lost complete control to substance abuse attempt to make sense of the craziness they have created for themselves. (Living with 30 birds and having no human contact for 60 days is NOT sane!!)

So, we might not be on a reality show, but if there was a film crew in your home, what craziness would we all see because of your lack of control? Last week, in my home, there would have been some great drama...all based on my lack of control. Seriously!

For self-control is what protects us from the constant onslaught of temptation. It is what keeps us contained, structured, and safe. Walls allow life to carry on as it should be within the city without worrying about what's going on on the outside. Walls were designed to keep the people in, while keeping the enemy out.

Think about The Lord of the Rings movies and the walls that surrounded each city: thick, layered, the first place where the enemy is spotted from, also the first place where the enemy attacks, rooted deep in the ground and extending high into the sky. It is the first line of defense, but it also defines who we are. The character and integrity of our strength is shown by the construction of that wall.

But when our self-control lacks, there becomes a hole, a weak spot by which we invite the angst of life to get a hold of our hearts. For inside our city wall lies our heart and soul.

In order to create a strong wall, you must lay a foundation. A foundation on which nothing will shake. And girls, that is the Word of the Lord. His words are our rock on which we can build a strong and sturdy wall. That is the wisdom and understanding that comes from a knowing relationship from the Lord. All we are is rooted in who He is.

As we understand more and more wisdom, we are able to discern right from wrong, temptation from desire, admission from justification. We are able to learn self-control, first, in our thoughts and intentions, which is the exhibited through self-control in our words and actions. It's an inward transformation which is then manifested outwardly in all we do. And that is where the strength of the walls lie...in the layer upon layer of Scripture we have applied to our hearts (see Friday's email) that then transform our behavior.

When we are at the center of our city with the walls as fortified as possible, we may be attacked, but the attack will have no bearing on our well-being. We are mildly shaken, but not toppled. We are concerned, but not lost. For we know we are protected by the One who has even defeated death. What can be lost?

Self-control, mamas. This next verse sums it up:

2 Peter 1:5-8 "So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. Godliness leads to love for other Christians (brotherly love), and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

We are on a journey. You must start somewhere. You must know that patience is required. And it is guaranteed that you will stumble and fall. But it is He who picks us back up, dusts us off, gives us a kiss, redirects or re-instructs us, and sends us on our way.

So today, bite your tongue just once. Maybe walk away before you say something out-of-control; or maybe put yourself in a time out; and while secluded, read a verse of two, confess your struggle to the Lord, ask for His strength, take one deep breath, and leave the room with the conviction of starting over. New mercies, girls. New mercies!

Love!!

Rebecca