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Life was getting too hard.
Yesterday, Tammy shared with us how she realized there was something missing in her life (click to read). What she needed most in her life, she had pushed aside for “living” her life. But her story doesn’t end there. Read how Tammy found peace in each day.
It was almost a “sit-down-and-cry-with-relief” moment when I saw Heidi bring forth the 31-Day Challenge of Change.
A call to sit down every single morning, first thing, to spend time with Jesus. To tell Him He was my priority, my desire, my heart and the very bit of spiritual food I had been so missing. To call on His name, to pray for my children and husband, to improve my marriage, to heal the hurts in my heart…. all with I woke up January 1st by 6:00 AM. I could have used every excuse of “Oh we stayed up past midnight last night though!” to deter me but I didn’t. I knew I needed this fresh start in the New Year.
Praying about where in the Bible to begin, I decided on 1 John. I picked up my Bible and read only 4 scriptures. 1 John 1:1-4. And then I reread. And then I prayed about it. And then I journaled about what these verses meant to me.
Despite the early morning hours, and waking up the night before with babies, I felt refreshed and energized and renewed. I had peace. And I felt so much joy.
Every morning I would repeat the same routine. Only a few verses at a time. In fact, it took me exactly the 31 days to read the 5 chapters in 1 John. And I learned so much about love from them.
I learned to pray more for my children. I learned to speak more softly with my husband. I learned to handle conflict better when it appeared. I found I had more patience with my kids. I found it enriched my marriage; my husband would get up after me, make us a cup of coffee and we’d talk about what I had read that morning and how it applies to our lives.
The thing is my everyday life hasn’t changed. My kids can still be crabby, I can still be exhausted, I can still get into disagreements with my husband, and be saddened by a friend. However, how I am handling everything has changed because God is changing me. He is changing my heart, giving me wisdom and knowledge, and a renewed hope. All because I have chosen to lay down my own selfish desires in turn to know Him more. Because I decided to “Draw Deeper” into His Word.
The Challenge of Change may officially be over but it will continue this month and next month and all year for me. I would encourage you to not let it end for you either. If one month of seeking the Lord has brought this much encouragement and hope then obviously it will only continue and grow. His Word is powerful and strong and will never return empty as Isaiah 55 states.
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” – Isaiah 55:10-11 ESV
As we know, this time with the Lord helps us and blesses us but also remember drawing near to God blesses Him. It brings glory and honor to His name. And that, my friends, is what we are all here for in the first place.
It has been a long time coming but I too have finally realized that the only way for me to “impress” upon my children godliness, I must know God.
One more time…”It’s easy to want something for our kids that we don’t have ourselves.”
Time to change that, friends.
Read more in my ebook…”A Quiet Time, Worth the Time.”
Tammy Moyle met and married Zac, the love of her life,
in less than a year and then quickly added 3 wonderful babies in the
next 4 years… so needless to say, she’s a bit tired. Her utmost desire
to reach out to the hearts of all women: wives, mothers, daughters,
sisters, and friends… to let them know they are not alone in their fears
and to ultimately find their joy in Christ and Christ alone. She is
passionate about her family, cupcakes, pink lip-gloss, and coffee. Tammy
lives in Las Vegas, Nevada and blogs way too much about her children at
blitheblog.com… but that is unlikely to change!
