The finality of time is something that we all share in common. We are all given the same 24 hours each and every day, until God calls us home. I want to use the time that I am given to it's fullest. But more than that I want to use my time in a way that pleases the Lord. Often times, when I think of using my time here on Earth to the fullest, it somehow gets jumbled in my mind to mean do everything good that comes your way! Can anyone here relate? Then there is the inevitable freakout...burnout....crash!!

God has been speaking to me about how He wants me to use the time He has given me for awhile now. What can I say...I'm a slow learner. I work and work to juggle things better, to organize differently, to be more prepared, to keep all the plates going. Really all He wants me to do is put them down. "But they are all good things!" I say. And they are. But my days are numbered and my time here on this Earth is precious to Him and I need to get this right. In reality I would rather do an amazing job with one thing that He has called me to do, than attempt a watered-down effort with a million 'good' things.

Right now, while my children are young, I am called to be a mother. I don't want just be considered a mother, because I have children.  I want to be the kind of mother that Sally Clarkson's daughter describes as one who realizes that " God gave them children in order to provide them with an eternal work to do–that it is their best way to influence eternity, that it is the most strategic work of their lives and will outlive them." This is my heart and I know it is God's heart for me as well.

So, I'm going through the tough task of holding each commitment up to measure it against God's calling for me right now. I'm doing the difficult work of saying 'No'.

As much as I enjoy knowing that I'm encouraging you each week, this will be my last post for Seeds of Faith.  God is calling me to my focus more intentionally on my family.

Thank you for allowing me into your life every Friday!

Blessings!



Visit me at A Bokros Kind of Life where you can find me sharing teaching ideas for homeschoolers every Tuesday and learn why I care more about my Multitude Monday list than I do my never ending "To-Do" List.

Jesus never promised us calm waters.  In fact, He tells us "in this world you will have trouble" (John 16:33).  It's how we react when the wave hits, that makes all the difference.  I can't say that I am good at this.  More times than not I look to my own limited human abilities and resources to help me first.  When all those attempts fail, only then do I look to Jesus.

Should I question my faith, when I know this is my tendency?

For me, this is more than a question of my faith.  This is a result of my humanness and my simple desire to 'handle it on my own'.

Dependency on other's is not popular.  We work with our children from a very early age to make them independent and the push for separateness continues in full force into adulthood.

But what does God say....

"Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on water to Jesus.  But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink.  He cried, "Master save me!" Jesus didn't hesitate.  He reached down and grabbed his hand." (Matthew 14:29 The Message)

Keep your eyes on Jesus.

When the waves come...

Find.Him.First.



How do you keep your eyes on Jesus in a storm?  I would love to know.



My personal blog: A Bokros Kind of Life

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*Photo from here.

I had a conversation with my Dad this week.  I thought he had some particularly profound wisdom to share about how we as Christians should respond, when things get tough.

It's easy to "show God's love" when things are going our way and everybody's getting along.  It's a much different thing to be in the eye of a storm and be able to live out the principles we hear from the pulpit every Sunday morning.

"This is where the Rubber Meets the Road" my Dad says to me.  These are the times when we  put our feet to our faith and walk the talk that so easily falls from our mouth as believers.  It's not enough to call yourself a "Christian" and to keep a spot warm in the church pew every Sunday.  In my opinion it's not enough to write a token check to your charity of choice every month, serve in the church nursery when your name is called, or even teach a Sunday School class.

When you call yourself a "Christian" you are a follower of Christ, a Disciple of the Son of God.  For me that means - Learning His word AND living His word.  Loving the Lord my God with All my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Loving my neighbor as myself.  Giving my life to answer His call, because He gave His life for me and  Teaching my children to do the same.

Does it surprise you to know that we have enough food to feed the hungry?  "A mere 2 percent of the world's grain harvest would be enough, if shared to erase the problems of hunger and malnutrition around the world.", says Max Lucado*

Are you as shocked as I was to learn that of the "236 million people in the United States that call themselves Christians",  if a little over half of those people lived out the commandment to "care for widows and orphans", there would literally be a home for every one of the 145 million orphans today?*

Maybe it's not something as big as feeding the hungry or giving an orphan a family for you today.  Maybe it's babysitting for a single mom for free, or feeding a widower a meal at your family table, maybe it's honoring your husband with your words, maybe it's focusing on bringing up Godly children instead of "good" children.  It could be forgiving a friend that's hurt you, loving someone that isn't loving you back, or just simply extending the same grace that has been so freely given to you.

Tough times are all around us.  Life is difficult.  Relationships are hard.  This is where the rubber meets the road sweet friends.

How will you choose to respond?



My personal blog: A Bokros Kind of Life

Follow me on Twitter: Abokroslife

*Quotations from Max Lucado's new book "Out Live Your Life".  I highly recommend it!

Maybe your little ones are brand new walkers.....teetering as they take their first steps.  Maybe they are growing like crazy, right before your eyes, but when they walk beside you it's still two of their steps to your one.  Maybe....just maybe there are moments when you do a double take, watching their stride fall in step with your's every so often.

When we grow as believers we should be aiming for the place, where our stride matches God's.  Oswald Chambers says, "Getting in step with God means nothing less than oneness with Him."  I am looking for that place.  I feel the restlessness inside of me.  I wrestle with the ebb and flow of holding on to what is familiar and reaching for what is ahead.....calling me.  I feel the pain of the familiar breaking down as a newness begins to emerge.  I am in the 'Land Between' as my Pastor calls it.

Some days my steps are teetering......holding on....falling....getting back up.....by His Grace.

Some days I am stepping two steps to His one, just trying to catch up.

Some days I feel the impossible start to look possible and I do a double take, feeling myself fall into stride with Him.


Where are your steps taking you today?



Visit my personal blog at: A Bokros Kind of Life

**Homeschoolers link up your teaching tips for Teach Me Tuesday!

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I'm wrapping up my series today on Faith Filled Kids! If you missed the other weeks, you can find links for them below. I have so enjoyed sharing this series with you! Today I hope to pull it all together and give you some practical ways to make Jesus real in your kids' lives!

We want our kids to know about Him, but more than that we want them to really know Him. We want them to go to Him for comfort, look to Him for provision, walk with Him, talk with Him, seek Him, follow Him and love Him, with all that they are. Most of these things we do through prayer with our kids. Here are some examples:

Provision - we include our kids in conversations and prayers about spending and saving for things. We openly acknowledge that everything we have comes from God. We talk about and put into action ways that we can be good stewards of His Blessings. One very important thing we do is pray together before we shop. In the parking lot of the grocery store (or any store), before we get out of the car, we stop and pray together. We thank God for His provision and ask for His guidance in using it wisely in the store. We pray for self-control in our purchases to keep us from buying things we don't need.

Protection and Comfort - We pray for good dreams, with our girls before bed. We pray as a family in the car, before we leave on a trip or a long drive or even a big day of errands. If one of our kids is feeling sad or scared, we sit with them and talk about stories they know from the Bible, when someone was feeling that same way. Praying with them after a temper tantrum or an emotional outburst or just a really bad day is so soothing to their little spirits. I often go to the story of Jesus calming the storm and relate it to the "storm" inside of them, that makes them feel out of control.

Healing - when someone gets hurt or is sick we pray together , laying hands on that person if we can. We keep a prayer journal on our kitchen table, where we list prayer request for friends and family. We keep track of when that prayer was answered, too!

WWJD - 'What Would Jesus Do' has been a great tool to keep our kids thinking about how Jesus would want them to handle any and all situations. We took the time to explain what the saying meant. Now it's an easy reminder to them, if we see their behavior is not what we would want or if they are wondering how they should handle a situation.

I believe one of the most powerful ways we can make Jesus real to our children is by showing them that He is real to us. "Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." (Hebrews 2:18) In the same way that we can read the Bible and in real ways relate our life's ups and downs to that of Jesus', our children should be able to relate to us. Frequently in conversation with my daughters I share that the same things they struggle with I struggle with too......everyday. So often my tongue gets me in trouble or I know what God would have me do, but I choose the opposite. I share with them how good it feels to go to God and admit I was wrong, ask His forgiveness and restore our relationship. Then I can help them do the same, because "we all fall short of the Glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

How do you make Jesus real in your kids' lives?

Blessings!



For the rest of Faith Filled Kids:

Week 1: Writing God's Word on Their Hearts

Week 2: Obedience

Week 3: Connect and Trust

Visit me on my Personal Blog: A Bokros Kind of Life

***Homeschoolers!! Link up your teaching ideas this Tuesday for Teach Me Tuesdays!!

Follow me on Twitter: ABokroslife

I've been sharing for the last couple of weeks about things my husband and I are being purposeful to pour into our kids.  We are equipping them with these components to give them the foundation to leave our home one day and fulfill whatever calling God has on their lives.  The first week I shared my thoughts on giving them a working knowledge of scripture. Last week I shared what we look for in our kids as true obedience.  Within that I spoke of a connection with your kids that allowed for a natural obedience to take place.  This week I want to focus on Connecting and Building Trust with your Children.

Component #3: Trusting, Connected Relationships

In everything we do from teaching and discipline, to playtime, my husband and I put our children's trust in us as the highest priority.  We connect with them physically - hugging, kissing, sitting and reading snuggled together, high fives, brushing hair, rubbing backs, rocking, etc.  We connect with them emotionally - talk to them about their feelings, empathize, tell jokes, share dreams, ask them about their day and LISTEN while they are sharing, share our struggles with them!  We do not leave them with people or in places they are hesitant about.  We come when they cry....at any age and comfort them!  We praise them! We pray with them! When we discipline we focus on teaching and make it a priority not to create distance between us and them.

As adults we struggle to put our full trust in God.  We fight the conflict of our own independent natures and a full dependency on God.  How often do we approach the throne of grace FIRST, before all our best efforts have failed, and WITH CONFIDENCE??  (Hebrews 4:16)

If our children know a trusting, connected relationship with the us as the authority in their lives, how naturally do you think they will transfer those same qualities to their relationship with God?

Some resources for you:

100 Things To Do Instead of Yelling or Spanking

Take Time to Stop and Connect

Playful Parenting

How we should treat our children

What's your favorite way to connect with your kids?

Blessings!



Visit me at my Personal Blog: A Bokros Kind of Life

Follow Me on Twitter: @Abokroslife

1-Model What We Mean - If we want our children to speak respectfully to us and others, then we model respectful conversation to them and others. If we want our children to pay attention when we are talking to them, then we pay attention, when they are talking to us. If we want our children to show self-control when they are angry or frustrated, then we must do the same. S. Truett Cathy (Chick Fil' A Owner) says, "Don't be too concerned that your children don't listen to you. But be very concerned that they see everything you do." If we are modeling our lives after Jesus, then our children will be on the right path, too. 

My husband and I consider parenting our children our highest calling in life (for right now).  We focus our parenting around the goal of utilizing all of the gifts and resources God has gives us to pour into our children, with the intention that they will be able to leave us one day and fulfill the calling God has on their lives.  In order to get this outcome we feel like there are a few key components, that we need to equip our children with.  Over the next few weeks I will be sharing about these components and how we put them into practice in our home.  I hope you enjoy this series as much as I have enjoyed putting it together for you!

A friend recently voiced his discontent with having to sit still and let his body heal after a bad motorcycle accident.  And I was reminded of a season God took me through to teach me how to be still.

The first four months of my pregnancy with my fourth daughter were brutal.  I had been sick in the beginning of my other pregnancies, but nothing like this.  I think the worst part of it was that God was trying to teach me something and I was fighting it tooth and nail.  When I learned I was pregnant I made a deal with God that went something like this...."OK God.  Since you are giving me this baby and you are aware of all that is on my plate right now, then surely you will make this as easy as possible on me! (Yes!  I really did have the audacity!)  I did not want to rest! I did not want to lay in bed all day!  I did not want to have people waiting on me!  I had things to do!! But He had other plans for my time.

I can tell you quite honestly that the moment of surrender --His Will for mine-- was one of the most precious in my walk with the Lord.  He began to gently walk me through my day.  He showed me how to enjoy my daughters in a whole new way. He taught me how to appreciate my husband in a much deeper way.  He taught me how to be gracious in receiving help.  He taught me how to count my blessing and be purposeful about finding joy in my life.  Most importantly He taught me how to be still.

He continued walking with me....teaching me.  And then when my daughter was born it became even more clear why He had laid the path He had throughout my pregnancy.  My baby (now almost a year old!) had extreme colic.  She cried and cried and we walked in circles around the house......for hours (and hours) on end.  I remember the day, when she let me sit down and rock her instead of walking.  My backside was completely numb, but I was so happy!  It was not uncommon for me to rock her or wear her in a sling 10-12 hours out of the day.  I was so thankful God had prepared me ahead of time.  Don't get me wrong there were days I was tired. But I was so content just to rock her, because that's what she needed.

My children need me to be still to connect with them.  My husband needs me to be rested to enjoy time with him.  My God needs me to be quiet to hear Him.

I want to live my faith out loud.  I NEED to live my faith out loud.  I start my day with a simple prayer..."Good Morning Lord!  Give me ways serve YOU today?"  I don't wait for Him to show me - He may or may not.  I purpose to find opportunities to be His hands and feet, within my day.  After all this is what He has asked of me and it's a small price to pay in comparison.

I have recently struggled with HOW to serve Him in a "Radical Way" AND serve my husband AND serve my family AND serve my friends.  What He helped me to see is that ALL the ways I can serve Him are right in front of me......they have been there all along.

Serving my husband, may children, my friends, my neighbors is ALL part of His plan for me.  It may be reading to my daughters, making lunch for my husband, taking dinner to a neighbor or it could be something bigger like gather clothing and necessities for homeless people in our community or offering an empty room in our home to someone needing a fresh start.

The point is NOT TO WAIT ON HIM TO LEAD YOU, but to BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT FINDING WAYS TO PUT "FEET TO YOUR FAITH".

Maybe you need to start or maybe you already do live radically, intentionally for God.  I'd love to know how you put "feet to your faith" this week.








Visit my blog to read more of my Feet To Your Faith Series Coming Soon!
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My spot with Seeds of Faith is "Faith Filled Friday".  As I sit down to write today's post I am emotionally drained, physically exhausted and just.plain.tired.  Usually when I write I aim at inspiring you in your Faith in God, but today I just feel the need to be real.

Being a mommy can drain you.
Being a wife can drain you.
Being a homeschool teacher can drain you.
Being a homemaker can drain you.
Being an employee or a boss can drain you.
Serving in your church can drain you.
Being a follower of Christ can drain you.
Being a good sister, daughter, friend can all leave you feeling EMPTY.


Today my unread emails are in the hundreds.  I have piles of mail waiting for me to go through.  There are baskets of laundry to be folded, summer camp forms that should have been in two weeks ago and a family that needs me ALL DAY LONG.  We were actually completely out of toilet paper this morning!  Needless to say I am not feeling "Faith Filled", but very EMPTY.

On my own I cannot begin to see my way out, but  I do know
I ABSOLUTELY MUST START WITH GOD.  

I had to do something hard this week.  I had to talk through some past hurts with a very dear friend.  I wish I could say that I was the one who was hurt, but I was not.  I was the one who did the hurting.  It was completely unintentional on my part.  I would never in a million years have wanted to hurt this sweet friend.  But I did.  I offended her with my words.

As mom's, we have a vital role in our communities, our churches and our homes to be the "heart" in these places.  Our words are a powerful tool that we can use for good or for destruction.  Even the simplest of remarks, not given a second thought by you, has the potential to bring years of hurt to a tender soul.  Trust me....I know.

On the other hand thinking before you speak and carefully choosing your words can "give life" to another mother or a growing child.

Have you ever hurt someone unintentionally with your words?  Were you able to bring resolution and forgiveness to the relationship?







My Personal Blog: A Bokros Kind of Life
Find Me on Twitter: @abokroslife

Our home is a flurry of end-of-the-year activities right now.  There is hardly a square on the calendar that has any space left to write.  We have a Senior this year.  Between Prom, Graduation, Graduation Party and very soon off to College, she is keeping us the busiest.  We also have a Junior who will be heading out in just a couple of weeks for a full summer of adventures.  In June our focus shifts from the older guys to our younger girls. We do the bulk of their homeschool in the summer months, when we are not so committed with the older ones.  
I find myself very easily caught up in the rush and busyness of each day.  I'm running all day, trying to fit everything in and then laying awake at night thinking of all the things I didn't get to.  There are lots of questions that go through my mind, especially thinking of sending her off to college.  The one that keeps me up the most is "Did we do enough?"  We are sending her off into the world.  "Did we equip her with everything she needs to have a successful life?"  And I worry more and wonder if I can pack just one more thing into the short time we have left until she leaves.  
But then God stopped me.
Spoke to me.
Assured me.


And so I have decided to
Trust the work that God has done through us in her life.
Rush as little as possible through these next, precious, few months.
Savor. Every. Moment.


No matter if your little one is graduating from Kindergarten or High School this school year (or something in between), take the time to remember God's faithfulness in their lives and go ahead and thank Him for His faithfulness in their future.

Do you find it easier to ask for God's help with the Big Things in your life?  When your bank account is dwindling at a rapid pace or you are headed to the ER, injured child in tow, it's easy to call out to God and ask other's to do the same on your behalf.