Encouragement

Last Sunday we spent the afternoon with Kathryn & David and their kids at their house.

Yeah everyone is looking! Kathryn is due with #3 (a boy) in September. Her oldest, Jonathan, turns three in December...you can do the math. Whew! I finally calculated how much milk the kids drink in one week. Here is the case of milk that gets us through one week. It costs between $15-20US.

Ana made the most delicious empanadas from scratch. She has perfect form will all the food she makes.

Now to get to the encouragmentpart of my post. Most of you know I've been daily working on being gentle with my children. My goal as a mother is to show my children Christ, which includes his love and gentleness. God is also a God of wrath and judgment, and my children need to also understand just judgment, but I want them to see God's mercy, love, and grace through my actions. Correct discipline will show them just judgment and mercy all in one.

Someone is praying, because I've had a very good week with controlling my tongue and temperment while working with Adeline and Darton. However, Adeline's actions (phyically lashing out at her brother or me, attitude/harshness in her words) this week have shown me that one good day for me doesn't mean that Adeline will be able to change her habits that she's formed from watching me for the past three years. So I will continue to run the race set before me (Hebrews 12:1).

I have been encouraged by these words from God's Word in the battle for a gentle spirit.

Isaiah 58:6

Is this not the fast that I have chosen:

To loose the bonds of wickedness,

To undo the heavy burdens,

To let the oppressed go free,

And that you break every yoke?

Our natural man wants to walk in the flesh (i.e. outbursts of wrath Galatians 5:19-21), but we must fight to walk in the Spirit (i.e. producing fruit of kindness, love, joy, goodness, gentleness, self-control Galatians 5:22-23).

Think about what we traditionally believe a fast to be...that of doing without (i.e. food). I saw in this verse that God is saying that the fast (or that which He has chosen for us to do without) is the bond of wickedness, heavy burdens, oppression, and breaking of our yokes.

One of my yokes is a harsh tongue and hand. Jesus' words in Matthew 11:28-29

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,

for I am gentle and lowly in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.

Jesus' yoke isn't difficult to carry. He asks that I learn from Him how to be gentle and lowly in heart and in return I will show my daughter Christ through my actions. I pray you are encouraged by these verses as I was!

On a side note: Isaiah 58 lead me to Isaiah 61 & 25, and Ezekiel 34. All of these verses describe what God has for His people. Is 25: lavished banquet and defeated enemies. Is 61: the mercies given to the afflicted. Ez 34: God will take care of His sheep.