MassHOPE

Here I sit, in an awesome hotel room, at 6:30 am, and I've been up for over an hour! But I think that even that is a good thing. I've been thinking, pondering, meditating...on all that I've learned over the past 24 hours. I am so thankful to be here and to have spent yesterday at the MassHOPE convention. And I'm looking forward to getting back there today- maybe that's why I couldn't sleep; excitement!
I had every intention of writing a 3 page post, sharing the things I've learned, but I don't think I'll do that. I'll be brief:

* Confirmation that I (finally) know my purpose in life, well, this season of my life anyway. I am right where God wants me to be. Such peace knowing that.

*My children are not and will never be perfect. (If you know my kids, you're thinking, 'no kidding, you JUST learned that' !) But my goal should not be to try to raise perfect kids, but to instead raise up brothers and sisters in Christ. To train them and be an example to them of how to live; and to admit when I fail them, or others, so that they can see humility and grace and forgiveness in action and not just as lip service!

*My confusion and uncertainty about keeping my son home for high school is gone. I know that is what he needs, that is what is best for him and I can and will succeed.

*The direction I've been going with my kids, especially my girls, is indeed the right one.

*My children are not the only children who fight over invisible swords, imaginary friends, who looked at who when they clearly didn't want to be looked at and who got more grains of rice at dinner! But instead of settling each battle as it comes, I'm so much better equipped to deal with the heart issues. The place from which each battle begins.

There was so much more that I heard and learned and that encouraged me. I'll save that for another post. I'll leave you with the Word, a portion of scripture that I will be spending a lot of time in and learning from in the days to come.

James 4
Submit Yourselves to God

1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
4You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? 6But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
11Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

I pray these words will become ingrained on my heart and the hearts of my children.