Potential

This is again something that speaks to my heart. It's so easy to look at the things we cant change right now and look at those as excuses for not starting one some of the things we want to change! I am so guilty of that; I'm pregnant so I cant get my body back to the way I want it; I'm in a rental house so I can't do the DIY/Home Improvement projects that I want, etc. Those might not be the best examples, but I love the visual I got of this, of the pouring the concrete but having to have something to pour it in too. We all have excuses, and places we wish we were at in our lives or our hearts and aren't quite there yet, we all have situations and circumstances in our lives that we can't change but that doesn't mean we can't live up to our potential in Christ!

Develop Your Potential

by Joyce Meyer - posted August 08, 2014

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.
— Ecclesiastes 9:10
Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language defines potential as “existing in possibility, not in act.” Potential cannot manifest without form. Like concrete it must have something to be poured into, something to give it shape and make it useful. To develop potential properly you must have a plan and pray over that plan, you must have a purpose, and you must be doing something.
Many people are unhappy because they aren’t doing anything to develop their potential. In fact, many of them never develop their potential because they don’t do anything except complain that they’re not doing anything!
If you want to see your potential developed to its fullness, don’t wait until everything is perfect. Do something now. Start laying your hand to whatever is in front of you. You cannot start at the finish line. You must start at the beginning like everybody else.

Lovies

Two memories I want to make sure I keep when this time in our lives and these ages of the kids are long gone:

Brayden: You love to do the whole "I love you more" thing with me, and its so sweet when you do it, as well as your "one more kiss, one more hug" before bedtime or when I leave for work. Everyone just about melts into a pool of butter too because you affectionately call Paytin "Baby" all the time, and you have for quite awhile, in fact you rarely ever use her name unless your mad at her or trying to get her attention! I hope you still call her that when we have the new baby, but I treasure everytime I hear you say it because I know it wont last forever!

Paytin: You love to tell us that you love us "SO MUCH" and you love to yell it, jump up and down when you exclaim it, and occasionally throw your arms out to your sides as far as they can reach just to let us know the magnitude of your feelings. It's the sweetest thing ever. And you love to tell Dad, Bray, and I that we are your "best friends". Not sure where you came up with that, but we each are told that multiple times a day by you. I hope we always remain your best friends, but no, that doesnt mean I'm afraid to be your enemy during the times you dont love my correction and discipline.

When I think of my shortcomings as a mom, and they are many, I'm so grateful for these glimpses into your hearts that are full of love. I love you more, I love you SO MUCH, and you two are two of my very best friends.

Joyce Meyer Devotional again

If you will turn (repent) and give heed to my reproof, behold, I [Wisdom] will pour out my spirit upon you, I will make my words known to you. (Proverbs 1:23)

We need to pray and obey God’s leading when He speaks to us. Obedience is not to be an occasional event for us; it is to be our way of life. There’s a big difference between people who are willing to obey God daily and those who are willing to obey only to get out of trouble. God certainly shows people how to get out of trouble, but He bestows abundant blessings on those who decide to live wholeheartedly for Him and who make obedience to Him their lifestyle. The only pathway to true peace is obedience to God.

Many people obey God in the big issues, but they aren’t aware that obedience in the little things makes a difference in His plan for their lives. The Bible says plainly that if we are not faithful in the little things, we will never be made rulers over much (see Luke 19:17). There is no reason for God to trust us with a major responsibility if we are not going to be faithful to do the little things He has asked us to do.

I strongly urge you to be obedient to God even in the smallest of things. A sixteenth-century monk called Brother Lawrence was well known for walking continually in the presence of God. He said that he was pleased to pick up a piece of straw from the ground in obedience to God and because he loved Him.

In the verse for today, God says He will make known His words to us if we listen to Him when He corrects us. If we follow His guidance and are pleased to do each little thing He asks of us, then He will open His wisdom to us, and we will have more revelation than we could ever imagine.

God’s word for you today: If you are faithful in little things, God will make you ruler over greater things.

MercyMe - Greater

My happy song today! Hope it blesses your day too!

Felt you move today!

Little Babe #3,

It was itty bitty, a tiny little movement but I could easily tell it wasn't just my stomach or whatever. Since I'm getting WAY bigger with you WAY faster, I guess it doesnt surprise you that I would feel you WAY earlier than your brother and sister! Oh, and Dad and I picked your name out already too! I guess now we just have to wait the long next 26-28 weeks to find out if you are a boy or a girl!

Love, Mommy

Don't want to forget

how excited our two sweet kiddos are about this third babe growing in my belly! They've been elated since we first told them about tiebreaker (our affectionate nickname for little #3), Brayden especially. He talks about the baby, wants to share his room with the baby, already bought a toy for the baby, asks so many questions about the baby. It's beyond adorable! He kisses my tummy every single day, and usually asks to be able to kiss it more than once at a time, he says he wants the baby to know him, melt me! Paytin just kills me with laughter, a pretty age appropriate response is that she knows to her knowledge ability that I have a baby in my tummy but she also think she has a baby in her tummy, more specifically a baby boy named Brayden, very creative huh? Everytime she sees Brayden kiss my tummy she always wants me to kiss her baby too. When I tease her about her belly chub when she's in the bath, she insists it's her baby :). They just melt me and add to the overall excitement! I'm 1/4 of the way there and just over 10 weeks along!

Just what I needed

I had a really bad day yesterday, and today set out to find some encouraging words from a few daily devotional websites I sometimes read. I was really blessed when not one, but ALL three spoke exactly to the day I had before and gave me the exact encouragement, three different verses, for how I needed to approach today. Here's one that blessed me in particular and I hope it blesses you too:

Give Yourself a Break

by Joyce Meyer - posted July 03, 2014

And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.
—Philippians 1:6
If you find it difficult to like yourself, you are not alone. I struggled with self- rejection during much of my life and I have discovered many others also struggle with the same thing. But that is not God’s plan. He doesn’t want you to feel afraid and insecure . . . or to be consumed with achieving perfection in hopes of being considered valuable.
God is the only one who can perfect the good work He has started in your life, but it takes some time. And during the process He wants you to recognize you are making progress. So give yourself a break and say, “I’m okay and I’m on my way!”