From Chaos to Creating Calm

Dear Family, 

Is this a chaotic time for you?  Teresa & I, want to encourage you to reach out to others who can help and encourage YOU! It is important during this time that we don’t try to go this alone.  This is a time of physical distancing and creative social connecting.  

Are you looking for calm? Turn to the Comforter, He can lighten our load.  We pray extra patience during this time.  May we extend grace and mercy to our children during this time, our spouse, whoever we are shut in with, and to ourselves.

Fathers, Mothers, & caregivers, remember if you are struggling, most likely, so are your children.  Ask them.  Share, appropriately, your feelings.  Here are four things you can do to help them and you:

1. Together, look for the many blessings that our loving merciful God has given us such as food, shelter, and the love of family and friends.   

2. Count your blessings, make an actual list.  

3. Then, look for creative ways to enjoy your blessings more. But don’t stop there!

4. Look for more creative ways to reach out and share your blessing with others especially those who don’t have their basic needs met.  

Sons and daughters, you are so important during this time. You are young, full of life, and you matter. Be a blessing to your family, look for creative ways to bless others and encourage your peers.

Remember when life gives you lemons, make lemonade, it's up to you how sweet it is!  As you come to God ask Him for guidance and direction during this time.  God can be trusted, take Him at His Word, His yoke is easy.

What can you do this week to comfort and bless your family and reach out to others? 

Ask God to show you.  His burden is light, let Him use you to lighten someone else’s load.

““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.””

— Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

Choose to Love

Lord,

Help me to choose love when...   
what I hear offends me, 
what I see, seems like all there is 
and, what I feel wants to lead me. 

Help me to choose 
faith over fear
hope over helplessness

Help me
to Love like Christ.

It’s a simple command…”love one another…” (John 13:34) but not an easy one to practice. And yes, choosing to love takes “practice!”

It takes repeated loving actions before choosing to love becomes the first choice. And, even so, I find I still don’t get it right on the first attempt. But what I know is if I give up practicing I definitely will never get it right.

Now there is no one way to practice choosing to love but here are 7 I offer:

7 Ways You Can Choose To Love:

1. Hug your mom or dad or send them a thinking of you card.

2. Give up your spot on line.

3. Ask the person if they need help.

4. Call the friend who talks your ear off and just listen.

5. Pray for the next person who cuts you off in traffic

6. Pray for your spouse and their day, then tell them.

7. The next time your kid makes you angry pray Proverbs 22:6.

Regardless of what you do, or don’t do, just remember…you choose.

What are ways you practice choosing to love?