Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God

The 2nd workshop I went to was called Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God! The workshop speaker was Mary DeMuth, here is her website. http://www.marydemuth.com/ We actually got to talk to her a little bit at her table- sweet sweet lady!!

She talked about 3 things we need to let go of- in the same way you would just "release" the string of a balloon, we need to release these things to God.

First being: Let go of busyness....... A lot of times, we are so busy, we don't set apart time to spend with God. Busyness can also lead to stress, and let's be honest, what kind of mom's are we when we're stressed??? But God knows how we feel and Jeremiah 31:25 says: "I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint." If we let go of busyness, and really spend time with God, he will refresh us and energize us!!!

The second thing we need to let go of is idols...... Now you may be thinking, I don't have any idols. Idols are stone statues. But the definition of an idol, is ANYTHING you put before God. It is something you can't live without, or replace. Where does your mind wander, or what do you dream about??? Those things can be your idols. I wrote down a whole page of idol examples, I will list just a few...... it could be needing to have a perfect family, perfect kids, appearing to be better than others, money, food, athletics, peer approval, power, respect, family/friends, knowledge, success, perfectionism, sex, music, entertainment, sloth and lethargy. If you know you have one or more idols, fall at the feet of Jesus, and ask Him to help you. Ask Him to help you make Him most important in your life. 2 things to help you through this, is to repent, and then rejoice. You must make a conscience decision to put God first! If your children do not see that God is first in your life, He won't be first in theirs either.

The third thing to let go of is worry.....We all know the Bible tells us not to worry, but that is so hard to do as mothers. We worry about our homes, our husbands, our kids, our finances, how we will pay bills, what will we have for dinner, etc etc etc. But Jesus said, ²⁵"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

²⁸"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

It is hard, but we must lay our worries at the feet of Jesus, and let Him take care of them. 1 Peter 5:7 says ⁷Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Mary then talked about 3 things we need to HUG

First being, Embrace Authenticity- Hiding our faults doesn't prevent them in our children. 1 John 1:6-10 says ⁶If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. ⁷But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.⁸If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

Our families are the first "community" our kids see......they need to see confession, forgiveness and realness. It is in our weakness that we can see God's strength!! We must model what we want our kids to be.

Second is Embrace Healing..... God wants to heal me from the inside out.... God wants me to be a whole, healed mommy!! Just like you tell a doctor your symptoms, tell God how much you were wounded and need His healing touch. He will hear the cries of the broken. God the Father wants to reach down, take your hand, and walk you through your pain.
King David said in Psalm 56:8, “You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?” God was so aware of David that He even collected his tears. In the same way God is involved and aware of our pain, our joys, our failures, our accomplishments. Psalm 34:18 says, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit,”
Embrace Healing!!!!!!

Lastly, Embrace Awareness- Our children are windows to what is going on in our heart. If you want to see what you look like, look at your children! We may like some of what we see, but more

often than not, we will be ashamed at what we have passed on to them. It is our children who serve as the door way we pass through to meet God face to face. Be aware of the condition of your heart. This verse is a kicker!!!!! Luke 6:45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. Is your heart overflowing with good or evil???

Lord, I lay down at your feet any busyness, idols and worry that consume me! I want only you to consume me!!! Help me to embrace realness, that I will teach my boys about confession and repentance. Help me to embrace healing and being aware of the condition of my heart. Please help me to overflow good, and not evil into the 4 walls of my home. Thank you for all of your blessings...... Amen!