by Amy Spear | May 1, 2018
You have heard it said that life goes in and out of different seasons. I guess I’m rolling out of one season and jumping into the next.
My family recently packed our house of 10 years and headed two hours north to Tulsa, Okla. My husband got a new job opportunity, and after praying about it for several months, we loaded up the cars and headed on a new adventure.
This adventure was met with great reluctance though. For some of you nomads, moving is not that big of deal. But let me tell you. Norman has been our hometown – the place we grew up, went to school, went to the same church. My husband and I fell in love in the local high school; all our families live there and many friends that you make only over a lifetime.
Why would you want us to move, Lord? What could there possibly be two hours north that we couldn’t find here?
Sometimes we go through different seasons simply because time marches on. Babies grow to children, who grow to teenagers, who grow to adults. Our birthdays come around each year and if you put too many of them together, our bodies emphasize the fact that beauty really is only skin deep. Other times, we are forced into a new season by sudden circumstances, pain or death.
Each new season has its own rhythms, lessons, difficulties and growth if we are willing to learn. Yet, the commonality with each season is the unknown. What does the future hold? Will it be good or bad, difficult or easy, joyful or sad. Who knows? Only God knows!
He is the One who holds our future if we would obediently follow. He invites us into new seasons of growth to shape us to be more like Jesus. It may be one of the hardest things, walking into the unfamiliar, but when we follow Him, we can rest assure He has it under control.
As we have started our new adventure, the peace of God has washed over me. I still don’t know what our life looks like in a year or five years from now, I don’t know what plans God has in store for each of my children, for my husband or me, but I know that we have chosen to follow His lead and that’s enough for me. The One who holds my future holds me!
Anyone know this oldie-but-a-goodie hymn written by Ira F Stanphill in 1950?
“I Don’t Know About Tomorrow”
I don’t know about tomorrow;
I just live from day to day.
I don’t borrow from its sunshine
For its skies may turn to grey.
I don’t worry o’er the future,
For I know what Jesus said.
And today I’ll walk beside Him,
For He knows what is ahead.
Many things about tomorrow
I don’t seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand.
Every step is getting brighter
As the golden stairs I climb;
Every burden’s getting lighter,
Every cloud is silver-lined.
There the sun is always shining,
There no tear will dim the eye;
At the ending of the rainbow
Where the mountains touch the sky.
Many things about tomorrow
I don’t seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand.
I don’t know about tomorrow;
It may bring me poverty.
But the one who feeds the sparrow,
Is the one who stands by me.
And the path that is my portion
May be through the flame or flood;
But His presence goes before me
And I’m covered with His blood.
Many things about tomorrow
I don’t seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand…
This song reminds us that the only thing we can take to the bank is the uncertainty of life. Yet, as Christians we have Jesus, the author and perfecter of our lives, and He is trustworthy to walk us through the ups and downs of each new season we enter. I pray we learn to follow Him and trust His foresight with each new day, walking continuously down the path that brings glory and honor to His name.
Whatever season you may be in, commit to follow and obey Him no matter where the path may lead and rest in the peace He provides with each new day!
Love you all! – Amy
by Amy Spear | Feb 14, 2018
There are those moments while reading God’s word, when certain words jump off the pages and hit you in the heart like an arrow splintering through a bullseye. Sometimes these words are so simple, maybe even “filler” words that you never even think twice about.
But, then, you read them again, and the Spirit floods your soul with new insight. I had one of those moments the other morning while reading 1 John 1:4:
“We write this to make our joy complete.”
Now I know, it seems to be nothing of theological value, but let’s think a bit deeper.
You see, God has called me to write. I don’t have a big following. I’m not the best writer. I sometimes don’t even want to do it. But the bottom line is, He said “Write,” so here I am.
He didn’t leave me with just a command to perform a task though. God placed the message in my heart that He wanted me to write, and if I don’t get it out, my soul might burst open, or worse yet, shrivel up and die! That seems a little dramatic I know, but when God calls us to do something, He places a passion, a longing, an indescribable yearning to accomplish that task within our very being that starts off as a small flame then rages like an inferno the more and more you fuel it.
“…to make our joy complete.”
When I write, or speak or teach a lesson, God fills my heart with gratitude and joy. My passion is to teach His word in any way I can. When I do what God has created me to do, there is an indescribable joy that fills my heart. It’s like God is smiling from the inside and telling me He is proud I was obedient to His call.
Again, it’s not that I am a rock star or even great at anything God has called me too. In fact, it’s not about me or my abilities at all. I am simply being obedient to what He has asked of me.
Simple obedience can bring a spark of joy and blessing back to your soul.
What “makes your joy complete”? What burning passion has He placed within your soul? Most of the time it is that one thing that scares you to death to accomplish, but you can’t get it out of your mind. Are you actively obeying His call? Or have you put it aside to tend to the more urgent and pressing things in life?
It is so easy to become distracted by those things that need our immediate attention. We must push back against the “urgent” and press into the thing that God has called us to, the thing that He created us for.
When you do, your joy will return; your joy will be made complete; and blessings will once again flood your soul.
Share with me! What is your passion? What stops you from pursuing your calling from God? How does it make you feel when you are obeying His call on your life?
by Amy Spear | Nov 21, 2017
Don’t you wish parenting came with a handbook?
You would have a different manual for each child though since they are all so different!
I have found great wisdom and insight in reading many parenting books, yet the best advice I get is listening to God’s still small voice. Yes, it sounds like a church answer but let me explain.
God has not called me to be a good parent to my kids, but a godly parent, to raise them in a way that is honoring to Him. That goes way beyond my capabilities! I can be a “good” parent in my own right and in my own strength, but as a Christian mommy, doing it God’s way will always take His help. I have to look to Him for guidance and not just earthly wisdom.
Looking to God’s word for advice and direction when I have questions is always a good practice, but I also meditate on how He has treated me, His own child. He is my daddy and role model for how I should, in turn, treat my own children.
Here are a few things I am learning from the ultimate Teacher and Parent, my Heavenly Father:
1. Show Grace. Does God immediately get on to me when I do wrong or does He show grace and love first?
My initial reaction is to get on to my children the minute they do wrong. After all, I want them to be obedient. Listening to the Holy Spirit speaking to me, I have realized that love should come first though. If I am “reacting” instead of purposefully responding, then I need to pause and think about the best way to handle the situation.
God has shown me more grace and love than I deserve – not just once, but time and time again. What would it look like for me to show that same grace to my children when they mess up? What would it look like to have love be the overarching motivation for my discipline?
2. Be patient. I have never been known as a patient person. I can be patient, but it’s not a dominant characteristic of mine. Therefore, having three children can put a strain on that “slow to anger” command we are to follow (James 1:19).
Yet, Scripture teaches us that “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love” (Psalm 103:8). Hence, I should be too. Not just when my kids are being good and obedient, but all the time. My patience should continue to grow. I should be more patient, abounding in love today then I was a year or two ago.
We all want people to be patient with us. We all want God to be patient with us too. It just makes since, then, that we need to show the same courtesy to our own children. Take your time with them, learn to move more at their pace instead of your own, show them how to slow down and enjoy life (or let them show you!).
Learn your children’s individual rhythm of life. For example, my oldest daughter takes her time at everything. She takes longer to get dressed in the morning, taking a bath at night, getting out of the car, and so forth. I can either rush her until she runs at my pace, or I can learn patience and give her the time she needs. Choosing patience and allowing her to run at the rhythm of her own speed brings peace and calmness, warding off resentment in our relationship. It has also taught me to slow down and not run at full speed all the time.
Maybe one day I will be known as a patient person, and it will be a dominate characteristic of mine, but it will take discipline not only by me but also grace from my Heavenly Father.
3. Discipline equals love. When I was younger, my parents would say, as the punishment ensued, “This hurts me as much as it hurts you.” As a child I never really understood what they meant. However, as a parent, I now completely understand. I have spent many nights wondering if how I disciplined my kids was the right way, feeling guilty they had to feel the sting of pain and suffering because of choices they made. Maybe they won’t love me anymore? Maybe they will begin to resent me? Maybe I am messing this all up!?
God has to gently remind me of Heb. 12:6-11:
“For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.” Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what children are not disciplined by his father? Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
I have to remember that I am not after short term gains. I am after long term rewards. Even though it seems painful now, God’s Word promises it will produce a harvest of righteousness in the long run.
Parenting is about raising up children who love the Lord and learn to listen to Him on their own accord, so He can guide and direct them as they get older (when we aren’t there). That takes time; it takes discipline, and most of all, it takes God’s discipline in my own life.
Raising my three children is, by far, the hardest responsibility God has called me to take. I can’t do it on my own, but with His help, I can grow to be more like Him and grow in my parenting along the way through grace, patience and discipline.
What have you learned about parenting through your relationship with God?
by Amy Spear | Sep 27, 2017
Sometimes in life, we go down a road that we know is slippery. A path we know good and well God has not called us to! Yet, we choose to pursue it. We test the waters. We linger a little too long. We start down the path, ignoring the whisper from the Holy Spirit, warning us of the consequences that are to come, and we keep on walking. Why do we insist on gambling with God, promising ourselves we won’t end up the way He says we will?
The Israelites did the exact same thing in 1 Samuel 8. Let’s see how they fared with their gamble against God:
The Israelites ask their priest Samuel,
“You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights” (1 Sam. 8:6-9).
The Israelites wanted a king, just like all the other nations around them. Yet, they were called to be different than the other nations. God chose them to be set apart, different from everyone else. They were the nation that was to reveal God to the world.
Yet, they kept asking and pursuing the wrong path.
God warned them of all the things that would happen if they chose to disobey, putting their trust in anyone else. The king they asked for would do nothing but take from them! Take their sons, take their daughters, take their fields and vineyards, take a tenth of their grain, take their cattle, take a tenth of their flocks, take, Take, TAKE (vs. 10-18).
Idols are funny that way. They can’t do anything but take, because they have no power to give.
“But the people refused to listen to Samuel” (vs 19).
So God tells Samuel to give the people what they wanted. Let them pursue the path He sternly warned them against!
Wow! Does that scare anybody else but me?! God allowing the Israelites to have what they want because of their stubborn pursuit of “it”.
Sometimes, God gives us what we continue to ask for because of our own persistence. He doesn’t force His ways upon us. We must follow Him wholeheartedly and willingly. And if we won’t, then He will let us make our own foolish choice.
When we put our trust in anything other than God our Father, we will follow idols and things that will only take from us too! Take our Hope, take our Love, take our Peace, take our Grace, take His presence, take, Take, TAKE!
Eventually, we realize we can give no more. There is nothing left in us. The path that once looked so inviting, so promising, has now taken everything it could! We desperately need to be filled! We long for someone to give us what we can’t give ourselves!
God is the only one who can fill us and give what our souls truly desire. Give us what we don’t deserve. Give us everything He is. Give us back our hope, joy and peace. Give us… Himself!
Let us not be like the Israelites! Don’t dismiss the warnings you hear. Heed God’s calling to choose a different path. Chose the path He has laid out for you. One that leads you straight into the giving arms of your Father!
by Amy Spear | Aug 24, 2017
Nothing is more frustrating to me than starting my day with a long to-do list, a blank calendar to get things done and an attitude in which to accomplish them, only to find myself at the end of the day without a thing on that list done! What happened? Where did my day go, and why didn’t I get anything done!?
Distractions!
Maybe one of America’s biggest failures when it comes to fighting against Satan is distractions. Getting distracted happens to all of us, and no matter how hard we try, there will be days that we won’t get the to-do list done and more pressing issues will arise that we have to address.
Overwhelmed and distracted, that’s right where Satan wants us.
So many things to doing that asking God what He wants us to accomplish really isn’t an issue at all, since pausing for prayer would take up too much valuable time! Listening and talking to God long enough to hear what His instructions are seems to be the last thing on everyone’s to-do list. Busy, busy, busy!
Some of you may be asking, “Could distractions really be a scheme of Satan’s or is it just a natural consequence of being too busy and unorganized?”
Let’s take a look at Neh. 5:1-5 and see if we can get some insight:
“There was a widespread outcry from the people and their wives against their Jewish countrymen. Some were saying, ‘We, our sons, and our daughters are numerous. Let us get grain so that we can eat and live.’ Others were saying, ‘We are mortgaging our fields, vineyards, and homes to get grain during the famine.’ Still others were saying, ‘We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless because our fields and vineyards belong to others.’”
It goes on to say that Nehemiah was outraged. Their own countrymen were selling each other, charging interest and taking advantage of the weak while others were in a desperate situation. Thankfully, Nehemiah called them out on it and set them straight.
Instead of doing what God had called them to do (build the city wall back to protect themselves), these countrymen diverted their efforts and used their time for themselves, to gain monetarily. I’m pretty sure they weren’t taking time to pray and ask God for guidance on what they should be doing that day. If they had, God would have told them to pick up a hammer and get to building!
You see, Satan knew their weakness (greed), and he showed them an opportunity to make money. This was not the time to work business deals. Deals that were not pleasing to God anyways. It was a time to focus on the task at hand and get to work!
This distraction not only cost them time in building the wall, it also enslaved men, women and children, took food away from hungry bellies and impoverished others. Ultimately, it cost them more money in the end (Neh. 5:9-11).
Think about “in the end.” At the end of life, what will you have accomplished? What will you be able to point to that allows you to say, “I did that for God”? Will you have regrets? Will you be able to say, “I did my best, Lord, and I am proud to have worked alongside you”?
See, distractions may seem pretty small at first, but in the end, they stop us from accomplishing a lot, and specifically, what God has called us to do. Which, in fact, is Satan’s whole scheme. Distraction = God’s will never coming to fruition.
Don’t let yourself get side tracked by less important things. Take time to talk with God and listen for His direction. Only then will we hold distractions at bay and accomplish big things for God and His Kingdom.