 Creating a toxin free home is incredibly trendy right now. It can also feel incredibly overwhelming. And it is worth so much more than just keeping up with the trends. Trends come and go, but the health benefits you and your family can enjoy when you cut out unnecessary toxins and chemicals can literally last you a lifetime. Now before I go any farther, I need you to know that I am not a die-hard crunchy mom. There are currently marshmallows and candy canes in my pantry. Bleach and Shout are gracing my laundry room shelves. I am not a super radical person and I do things best in small steps. So, if you want to radically overhaul your house and lifestyle, you might want to find another blog. But if baby-steps are your gait and taking things one bit at a time fits your lifestyle, then stick with me, because we can be baby-step besties! The first step... If you want to start stripping your home of toxins and chemicals, you need to turn that want into a why. Why do you want to get rid of your harmful chemicals? What's making you try to decipher the ingredients on your baby's lotion? Everyone may have slightly different reasons, but it's important to know your own why, if you want to stick with it. You don't need to write it down or make a chart or anything. Just know it in your head. If you want to write it down on the cover of your planner though, go for it! Do what works for you.  For me, eating healthier and cutting out mainstream products isn't about always keeping the flu at bay, but about being proactive about my family's future health. If I can ditch the name brand baby powder and drastically reduce my daughter's risk of cancer, why wouldn't I? The second step... What is in your home that you would like to change? Most of us have a mental list of things we'd like to change. Does it bother you to use your microwave? Maybe you find it hard to use any of your baby products, because you just read an article that outlined some of the potential health risks. Maybe your child has eczema and you want to get rid of it. Or your cleaners give you a coughing fit every time you use them. Whatever you want to change, make a mental list or put your pen to the paper and write it down. Or type it out. Just figure out what you want to change. Talk about it with a friend or your spouse. Do some research and find some of the most harmful, risky-to-your-health products you use every day. The third step... Just take one step at a time. Your switch over doesn't have to be as dramatic as a landslide. You can make one simple switch a week or even a month and slowly change your lifestyle. Our tendency as humans is to go all or none. If we can't change everything at once, we throw our hands in the air and say "what's the use?" But I'm here to tell you that taking baby steps is the best way towards progress. Look or think over your list and pick one thing and go with it. Figure out which thing would fit in with your lifestyle the easiest. Is money an issue? Pick something that doesn't cost extra. Go a month without using the microwave. Cut sugar or white flour out of your diet or maybe stop using fabric softener.  If money isn't the issue, start with the easiest thing on your list. It's pretty simple to throw away your aluminum filled deodorant and order a healthy alternative. Maybe you're looking at a lifestyle change because of some health issues, so start with that. Find a chemical, toxin-free product that targets that particular issue. (i.e. ditch the Johnson baby lotion for one that doesn't disrupt hormones or irritate eczema.) If you need a diet change, start a pinterest board or order a cookbook and get started. The bottom line It is so easy to slowly start living clean. You don't need to change everything at once, but neither will you see any benefits if you sit on your hands in sheer overwhelm. Pick one thing, the thing that makes the most sense with your why and your current lifestyle, and change it. After you get in the groove with that, pick another thing. When we add healthy changes slowly and at a doable rate, the chances that we'll stick to them increase drastically. If you're a busy mom, the last thing you need is to add unneeded stress and pressure to your life. You don't need to be changing 5 things at a time (unless it's because of health reasons for yourself or a family member). You just need to pick one thing to change and focus on it until it fits into your life as naturally as the thing you replaced. Easy peasy, friends! Have you made any health conscious changes the last while? Share in the comments - I'd love to hear what changes were important to you and your family!  If you liked these posts, you might like these:
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I waved down a taxi and quickly settled into the front seat. I used a map, motions and my very limited language skills with the taxi driver. He smiled and nodded and we started off. I stealthily pulled a piece of literature out of my backpack and slipped it into the pocket of the door, praying that God would use it to point the driver to Himself. I was in a restricted country and was not free to openly speak of Jesus to anyone.
Several months later I was home again, hiking several miles back into the woods. A backpack full of emergency medical supplies was on my back as I carefully walked across a log that acted as a bridge for a small stream. My co-workers and I hurried as fast as we could, stopping only to switch the medical gear or hold a branch out of the way for those behind us. We finally reach our patient and hurried to stabilize her the best we could. The Search and Rescue crew quickly cut down some of the towering pine trees that surrounded us so that the helicopter could land. My EMS friends and I went home that night feeling good. We had made a difference in someone's life! While I didn't think about it much at the time, my life was full of adventure and purpose during that season. I was young and single, with a heart full of dreams and the passion to pursue them. Greater Adventure Fast forward a few years and I had started my parenting journey. And I found myself in the most overwhelming and far-reaching position I'd ever been in. I wasn't actually sure how to navigate it. 
How does one go about shaping tiny souls for eternity? It didn't take me long to realize how strong human nature was or that I wasn't the only one concerned about their eternity. These tiny people were born in the middle of a war zone between God and Satan and God ordained my husband and I to protect and train them during the most crucial years of their lives.
None of my medical training answered my questions. Sneaking tracts into their cribs when they weren't looking didn't help at all. (Surprising, right?) I didn't know exactly how to start pointing them to Jesus. It took several years of trying things on my own. It took getting broken and learning things in God's boot camp. Slowly it dawned on me...the most important thing I can do for my kid's future is have a radical relationship with Jesus myself. Walking it Out I can preach to them until I sounded like a walking sermon, but unless I can demonstrate what loving and serving Jesus looks like in the daily grind of life, I am not going to influence them very much. And I discovered my greatest adventure lay in the everyday mundane. As I made this discovery I realized that God created me to be more than just a mom - He designed me to be a warrior mom with fire in my heart and passion in my soul. 
It isn't always easy for me to remember this though. While I know that my greatest adventure is in the everyday moments of life, it's also those moments that threaten to overwhelm and distract me. But there is good in this because it makes me realize my own helplessness and forces me to rely on God and His strength, not my own.
The very nature of my mission sends me running to Jesus, my tower of refuge, over and over again. And as I have journeyed several years deeper into parenting, God has showed me that this parenting thing isn't a haphazard mission. He has my purpose as a mom carefully planned, from the boot camp and the gift of His own armor, to giving me a new identity and teaching me the reason behind the battle. Motherhood is an exhilarating and purposeful journey, full of adventures that are often enacted behind the walls of our own homes. While our mission may be hidden from anyone but our immediate family, our fulfillment of it has the potential to impact the far corners of the world. Will you join me in unleashing your warrior heart as a mom? I want to journey with you through:
I was hungry for answers and I know other moms are too. So I hope you'll join me in this mission God has called each of us moms to fulfill.
The souls of our children are at stake at we cannot afford to sit back and do nothing when God has clearly called us to battle. Join me in the trenches! 
 When I was a little girl, I loved to play dress-up with my sisters. We were always acting out different stories we made up and our favorite was usually a royal adventure. We turned sticks into fancy scepters and office chairs into elegant thrones while our play area was transformed into a throne room of rare beauty. Each story always centered around whether or not the royal monarch would hold out their scepter to some poor peasant and grant favor to their requests or withhold it and send them to the royal dungeon. As I've grown up and matured I have often found myself in this peasant mindset when it comes to approaching God. I feel like everything must be just right. I wait for a quiet and private time so that I can kneel and humbly bring my requests before God, hoping He will hear and approve my desires. This is not the inheritance of God's children though! God doesn't require everything to be just perfect before we can approach Him. His answer to our request does not have to do with His current mood or the way we use our words.  No, instead of this, our God sympathizes with us and He understands our hearts and needs better than we do ourselves! He is like a King who spends so much time with His people that He knows everything they face. (And He does!) The writer of Hebrews reminds us of this, "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:14-16 NKJV) There is no need to hesitate to bring anything and everything to God! Our thanks, our concerns, our confessions and the desires that we have kept secret in our innermost heart. He understands all and He will not turn us away because of our circumstances, temptations or wording.  Prayer brings us into the throne room of Heaven and gives us an audience with the King of Kings, the One who has conquered death and sin and has unlimited power! It is not to be taken lightly or for granted but neither is it to be done hesitantly, because we are not peasants but children of the very One to whom we pray. Prayer is a gift and privilege and one that we can and should use freely. "Prayer should be the natural outflow of the soul: you should pray because you must pray, not because the set time for praying has arrived, but because your heart must cry unto your Lord." (Charles Spurgeon) My kids say "Mom!" about 200 times a day. Ok, I haven't actually counted, but it is a constant call. They call when they need help, when they're sad, when they're bored and when they just want to say "I love you!" This is how we should approach the throne of grace; with the freedom of a child. There are times I respond to my kids impatiently or tell them to wait until I'm not busy but God never does this to us. Why do we hesitate to bring everything to Him when He has never turned us away but always welcomes us with open arms? Let us create the habit of being in a constant attitude of prayer with our God. He welcomes us into His presence and invites us to stay. Let's trust His invitation, believe in His grace and come boldly and freely before Him!  If you liked this post, you may like these:
Do you ever feel done in, exhausted and ready for a retreat?
Jesus's disciples knew how that felt. One time, fairly early in His ministry, He sent them out to all the surrounding cities, telling them to not even take provisions for themselves. They were to preach, heal and cast out demons. When they came back, their faith was stretched, their eyes were opened to the power of God and they were worn out. Jesus had compassion on them and took them out in the middle of nowhere so they could rest. But it was not to be - Jesus could not be hidden and throngs of people followed them. So Jesus preached & healed. And then all the people were hungry. Now the Son of God could've asked for manna from Heaven or created a banquet in the wilderness. But He didn't. He turned to the disciples. "You feed them," He said. 
Any Mom knows the exhaustion that sentence can bring.
Feeding a multitude is no small deal. These men were worn out. But here was Jesus, asking them to serve again and they had nothing to give. They were hoarding the little that was available, trying to refresh themselves with it. But Jesus asked them to give it up. And they did. And we all know what happened after that. Jesus took their little bit of nothing and multiplied it far beyond what was even needed! Everyone was satisfied, everyone was happy. And the disciples learned that it wasn't about them and their lack of strength and resources. It was about Jesus and His ability to make something out of almost nothing. 
So next time the tasks pile up and the exhaustion sets in - when you've given almost everything you've got and you're longing for a retreat way out in the middle of nowhere - take it to Jesus. Offer Him your little bit of nothing and sit back and see what He will do.
And be ready to see your faith stretch before your eyes. 
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Become a Warrior Mom - get your Battle Plan now!
The TruthBytes for Moms app is available in the Play store for Android devices and here for Apple devices.  Reading about the women in Proverbs isn't something that has made me smile very often. Rather than feeling inspired, I have come away from Proverbs with a deep sense of lack. The energy portrayed by those women, especially the one in Proverbs 31, of course, feels unattainable to me. And so, in the years since I've become a wife and mom, I've skipped over Proverbs, focusing on passages of Scripture that feel good and are sure to encourage my heart. But then I decided to do a Proverbs 365 challenge. I dove into the book of Proverbs, finding one for each day. I meditated on it and shared a picture and some thoughts on Instagram. I wasn't able to keep up with the daily challenge, but several times a week I was reading through Proverbs, pondering the deeper meaning and learning to appreciate the worth found in each verse. And I gained a respect for the women of Proverbs because I started getting to know them beyond face value.  There is so much spiritual gold to be found in Proverbs, even for a Mom who is busy, overwhelmed or even one who struggles with exhaustion and physical sickness. I'd like to invite you to join my friends and I as we jump into Proverbs with a fresh perspective, learning how to apply the lessons taught in its pages to our everyday life, especially as it applies to Moms. Starting on January 1 we will be devoting two week to the study of the women found in Proverbs and how to truly live a life of wisdom and honor as they did. We will be sharing our thoughts on the TruthBytes app- a Bible study app created just for busy Moms who want to stay committed to spending time with God, even during their busiest seasons. Learn what it means to build your house, be a blessing to your husband and redeem those contentious moments that make everyone in your home want to flee to the rooftop. We talk about what it means to be excellent, generous and hospitable. This is an awesome series you don't want to miss, complete with a weekly Bible memory challenge and Scripture prayer! You can find the app in the Play store for Android devices (search "TruthBytes") or here for Apple devices. I'm super excited about this series and I'll hope you join us for it and the many more that will follow!  The TruthBytes for Moms app is available in the Play store for Android devices and here for Apple devices. 
When our family started the adoption process, we had no idea how long of a wait we were in for. We knew that adoption could take a long time, but every thing stretched out so much longer than planned and there were times I really needed to learn to give the wait to Jesus and allow Him to calm my heart.
And then we finally got the long awaited call. We were matched with a precious baby girl, due in a few months. The countdown was on! We could hardly wait. Fast forward a few months and we finally had our darling daughter in our arms. We knew she was the one we were waiting for the instant we saw her. Or was she? Painful waiting Suddenly, a few days later, we were thrown into a more agonizing wait than we have ever experienced before. Waiting to see if she would truly, physically be ours, or if our dreams of her would be shattered. It was hard. It was painful. And it seemed to last forever. And I had to battle worry constantly. I wasn't only worried about the pain to my own heart. I thought about our 2 kids at home. At ages 3 and 4 this would be way too big for them to understand. Would it ruin their faith? How would we explain how to trust in God, even in the middle of an unexplainable situation? What kind of damage would this do to their already attached little hearts? We were right in the middle of a hard wait and it was causing worry and stress like I had never experienced before. 
But God...
God is so faithful to us, even in the middle of our shortcomings. He was able to get my attention and pour peace into my heart, even in the middle of the worry. Shortly before we went to meet our baby, a friend gave me a lullaby CD and we played it for our little girl over and over again while we waited in the motel. But the words jumped out at me and filled my heart with so much peace. "Don't you worry about anything; instead pray about everything....and the peace of God, far beyond what we can understand will keep your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus."
Beautiful, beautiful, truth-filled words. God is so very faithful to us.
And He gave me the grace to turn those words around to worship Him! He is so worthy of our worship because He created our hearts, He created the waiting time and what's more He created it for a purpose! And so we can freely worship while we wait for Him to reveal His purpose in our hearts. Worship is the anecdote So friend, if you're going through a hard time of waiting; if your heart and your patience are getting stretched thinner and thinner, take a minute to stop. Be still and let God speak to your heart. Maybe it will be a verse or a simple song, or both, like it was for me. Maybe He will whisper words to your heart, just for you! Whatever it is, take it and use it to worship God, with your whole heart. Worship is the anecdote for worry - every single time! Have you ever been faced with a worrisome wait? What did God speak to your heart during that time? 
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 "What doesn't kill you will make you stronger." "Do hard things; they are good for you." "Hurts have a way of refining you; embrace it." "Life was never made to be easy. Learn and grow." >>Insert 100 cliche quotes here.<< The truth is, growing stronger doesn't always feel good. Hard things are...hard. Hurts really, really hurt sometimes. And sometimes life is so far from easy that hiking a mountain while balancing a teacup on your head sounds like a walk in the park. And no cliche words of wisdom are going to make it feel much better.  Sometimes we simply feel raw. Broken. Lonely. Overwhelmed. Sometimes we feel oh so fragile. And the hard is too much to cope with. Sometimes we feel like we can hardly keep breathing. I could say all kinds of things like: "You're feeling exhausted because you're not drawing your strength from God." or "You just need to trust it to God. He has a reason for this particular trial you're going through. It's for your good and you just need to trust that." But when you're over your head in raising your kids, in the middle of hard relationships, stretching yourself to reach all around, and being pulled in so many different directions you know you're going to break, guess what? Those words will do nothing but burn like fire and sting like salt being rubbed into an open sore. Those are not the words anyone needs to hear while feeling burned out, exhausted and stretched to the breaking point. So what words do you need to be hearing? Well, I can't say for sure, but I think maybe they would sound like this: "Yes, you are hurting. Those hurts in your heart? I know they are real. And they probably hurt more than I know. I can see you struggling to do the hard things, the right things. And I'm so proud of you. And I know you're working to see God in the middle of your exhaustion and I notice you sharing encouragement with others even when you hardly believe it yourself. Because you know that God is good. You know He's got this. You know His reasons are far, far beyond yours. But do you know this?  It is ok for you to rest. It is ok to step away. It's ok for you to heal. There are times to dive into battle even though you're wounded, but there is also a time to retreat to a safe place and Rest. Regroup. Heal. There is a time to be restored. Sometimes doing hard things means stepping away from who you think you're supposed to be and allowing God to restore you into the person He created you to be. Friends, we get so busy trying to be somebody, trying to be everything, that we wear ourselves thin, internalize hurts and create hard places that aren't even supposed to exist! Step away. Ask God to show you who you really are. Then you can step into the hard and see reason. Then the hurts can shape you into something beautiful. Then you can be made stronger through tough times. Then things will be as they should and the wisdom behind those cliche` words will ring true, in the way they were originally intended to. Gather up those broken, hurting pieces of your heart, those exhausted fragments of your soul. Give them to Jesus. Ask Him to renew a right Spirit in you, to restore your soul and to show you who He created you to be. Slow down long enough for Jesus to bring restoration and plant His truth in your heart. Rest in Him. Be restored. <3  If you liked this post you might also like these:
Do you take care of yourself? Being a Mom can wear away at a person mentally, emotionally and physically. We find our hearts longing for refreshment. Sometimes our love cup feels like it needs to get filled before we can pour out one. more. drop. Oh I know how that feels!  When our first baby was born I kind of smirked at moms that acted like a trip to the grocery store alone was heaven.
When our second baby was a few months old I understood, and self-care became very important to me. I would feel a little petulant if I went too long without an outing on my own. My self-care routines focused on me and I didn’t like when they were upset. By the time we brought our third child home we had spent two years waiting for her and going through many heart wrenching experiences in the adoption process. God stretched my heart and my faith as He readjusted my attitude to focus on Him. And He showed me what my soul was really craving... Read More 
If I would mention the armor of God, I'm pretty sure you would know what I was talking about. You know, the Shield of Faith, the Helmet of Salvation, the Sword of the Spirit.
Powerful, weapons, forged by the very hands of God, given to us for battle! There is a fight between good and evil, a war between God and Satan going on. And us as women are ready to defend our marriage, our children and ourselves against the enemy. But do we know what battle truly is? We hear about it in church and discuss it in our small groups. And we pat ourselves on the back when we shine up our armor a bit every day with the polish of quiet time. If we can fit in some time with God every day we feel like we are really on our way! We are getting there! But my friend, we are not even scratching the surface. What if we are called to do so much more than to ward of the attacks of the enemy? I believe with all my heart that as Mom's we are supposed to be on the front lines of the battle, initiating the attack against Satan and his minions instead of defending whenever we feel we are under attack. We are equipped with a full suit of armor to use in the defeat of the enemy but so often we underestimate the most powerful weapon we have!. The super-weapon of prayer. For some reason we look at it as a spiritual gift, but it's not in the list of spiritual gifts. We talk about "Prayer Warriors" as if there are only a few people really gifted to pray. 
But Jesus has called each one of us to be Prayer Warriors. Especially us as Moms.
Our children are the future church of Jesus. And these are scary times. People are leaving the church left and right. Our kids are going to hear so many reasons that Christianity is not for them. They are going to face attack from every side. Mom friends, It is imperative that we initiate the attack against the devil and his evil army before they make an attack on our kids. We must cover our kids daily in prayer, over and over and over again. The Bible says "Be alert and of a sober mind. Your enemy the devils prowls around looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8 Unless our children are covered in prayer every single day that someone could very well be them. Our kids have so much to face as they grow into adulthood, we cannot neglect this very important part of the battle for their souls. It is a very real possibility that they will not only face the lure of Vanity Fair, but also face persecution. Will your child be able to stand against imprisonment and worse? Mom's, we must pray for their very souls, daily! 
God talks about the down-spiral of the world in Romans. If we do not start setting up a wall of prayerful defense, this could be the description of our own children.'
"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not proper..." Romans 1:28 As Mom's we need to band together as a great army, on the march against the enemy, claiming our children for Christ! We need to be prepared to get on our knees and fight for their souls in wrestling prayer, every day. We need to be Battlefield Mom's, changing our armor from shiny and perfect to battle-scarred and used. Praying for our kids as we work is awesome, but we need to get serious about it. We need to set aside time every day to pray for their future in Jesus. Are you ready to join me? 
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The young soldier threw his arms against the rock behind him and could almost feel it tremble. He lifted his left hand to shield his eyes from the sun, trying to get a better view of the small band of soldiers coming across the plain. His right hand grasped his sword a little tighter and he reached down to picked up his shield.
He paused a moment, gazing at the round disk, his mind leaving the scene around him for a moment. "But my Lord, these weapons look almost like a boy's playthings" he said somewhat hesitantly when he first saw his sword and shield, trying to feel his beloved Master out. The King looked at the soldier and then smiled before answering, "There is one lesson you have yet to learn before you can ever achieve a victory. You will never be victorious. And yet you can win every battle if you choose. But each victory must be won through the power of My might, not yours. That must be your battle cry in every encounter with the evil forces." The memory brought a brief smile to the young man's face as he prepared for yet another battle. It seemed as if he had been fighting one battle after another with minimal respite. He smiled again as he got a firm grip on his shield.The King had not told him that with every battle won his weapons would be come strong instead of worn down - the blade of his double edged sword seemed to grow sharper after each victory won through the power of his King's might. The shield was now a massive piece of armor that had saved his life on more than one occasion and he continued to grow in his skill with both. He glanced up. Three formidable looking men in full armor were closing in around him. The large rock behind him protected his back and he was thankful for it. He checked his breastplate and braced himself for battle. He had been tired and discouraged a few moments before. Now the memory of the victory lesson his Master taught him seemed to give him new life. His eyes now shone with hope and determination as he adjusted his helmet. Holding his sword in front of him, the King's soldier quickly shattered the silence. "I claim victory for the King! I fight you in the power of His might!" His attackers paused almost imperceptibly and then continued toward him, silently. The loud clashes of sword against sword and sword against shield were the next sounds to break the silence. "You are all alone, fool. The King is far away and His power cannot help you here. You are in our power." The large soldier in front of him smirked and attempted a thrust into his chest. "The King's power never leaves those who fight for Him - our very weapons are filled with His might!" And the young man quickly deflected his blade and once again shouted "the power of His might!" The battle was long and hard. The sun moving slowly from the east side of the meadow seemed to pause over head and then began to slip down toward the west. The evilness of the three large soldiers was almost tangible and seemed to thicken the air. The soldier to the young man's right dropped back in a sudden change of strategy. The King's soldier glanced at him momentarily, wondering if he was retreating from the battle. 
The man grinned viciously and began a verbal attack, making it hard for the champion of Truth to concentrate on the battle. "The King has filled your weapons with the power of His own might? Do you really believe that? It's all lies - lies He uses to bring people into His pitiful little Kingdom. Have you ever seen any part of the Kingdom He professes to reign over? He has tricked you and now you will die because of your stupidity."
He paused to allow another malicious grin to run across his face as the young soldier seemed to falter for a brief moment. His grin quickly turned to a disappointed scowl as he saw the King's soldier once again deflect a blade wielded by one of the other soldiers of darkness. He had clearly counted on it being the death blow. The evil soldier continued his bantering of the young man, never pausing for an answer. The soldier to the left seemed to be tiring and the young soldier started directing his efforts towards him. Immediately the warrior that had been talking jumped back into the fight, allowing his tired partner a brief respite. Now the second soldier took up the mocking of the King and His soldiers. This pattern continued into the evening as the sun turned from its scorching yellow to a blaze of orange as it began to sink behind the trees in the distant horizon. The young soldier was at the point of exhaustion and didn't know how he could continue any longer. He had never battled so hard in his life and these were a most formidable foe. His shield was getting too heavy for him and he was getting slower with the handling of his sword. To give up was unthinkable and yet, was there another option? The fact that he was fighting two soldiers instead of three did not make it any easier because of the constant mocking of the third, confusing his mind. The third warrior chuckled as he watched the younger man struggling for his life. "He's not so cocky now, is he?" This he directed to his two companions and they grinned as they continued battle. "Look at him" the representative of evil continued, "He's not fighting to defeat anymore. He's just trying to stay alive." His eyes glittered and he laughed. "You aren't going to win this victory, are you? You with your special Kingly weapons. Those were just dreams, boy. Nobody has ever been victorious over us. What makes you think you would be any different? The King's got no special interest in you. He never gave you His power." He chuckled again, deep, dark and evil. 
But the last statement the large soldier made was a mistake. "The King's power!" the young man thought. "This isn't my victory. It's the King's!" He felt new hope coursing through his veins. His foes faces quickly switched from cruel arrogance to dismay as the young man once again shouted his battle cry.
"By the power of HIS might!!" They screamed curses at him but he heeded them no longer as he continued to yell his battle cry and fell to the battle with such a burst of strength that it was over before the sun could completely disappear. As he slowly put his sword back in its scabbard and let the shield lean against the rock he once again saw someone walking toward him across the plain. This time he ran to meet the man and knelt at the feet of His King. "Through the power of Your might" he said softly. The King reached down and pulled him to his feet. "You have learned the lesson well and so the victory was won. For no matter how alone you may feel, I am always close beside you and you will always be victorious when you are strong through Me and trust in the power of My might."
When it comes to raising spiritually minded, courageous warriors for God, I think we can all agree that it's no small task. In fact, there is a battle raging for each of our kid's souls. And we are right in the middle of it, for the simple reason that we are parents.
It can be so easy to get overwhelmed with all the options and "have to's" that run thick in our culture. Memorize verses. Pray this way. Watch that training series. Read this book. And on and on. And resources and Bible memory and all those things are good. But before we start giving into all the things that we "need" to be doing, let's check our armor and lean into God's power. Only then can we proceed with victory. Through the Power of HIS Might! 
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I am on a journey to know Jesus better, and be the wife, mommy and friend that God created me to be, all within the walls of my own little home. <3
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