A DEADLY LIE

     So many lies are being served up to us daily on a silver platter -- they look tantalizing, they sound convincing and seem so real!

  We lift the lid and indulge; then wonder later why we're battling unwelcome thoughts in our hearts and minds.

     Certain lies appear innocent enough in the moment, but once they slip in the back door, it's hard to control where they roam.

     If we were sitting on my couch, sipping tea this afternoon, and I asked you what you felt was one of the most deadly lies, what would you say?

     I know what I would say...I would look you in the eyes and tell you, "One of the most deadly lies is the lie that your situation at hand doesn't have any hope!"

     In our heads, it's so easy to say, Sure, I know there's hope.  But it's not just our heads that the enemy is targeting and sometimes it's harder to convince our hearts!

     Maybe the lies seems silly, like; "There's no hope...this baby is NEVER going to sleep through the night."  I say silly only because we all know in our heads that eventually this baby won't be a baby and of course, they will sleep through the night, but...it FEELS hopeless in the moment, doesn't it?

     What about a lie, like; "There's no hope...this toddler is NEVER going to master potty training."  Again, we know in our heads that eventually this toddler will be able to use the toilet because it's part of growing up, but...it can FEEL utterly impossible in that stage, can't it?

     Then there's the more serious lies, like; "There's no hope...my husband's the way he is and it will never change.  Marriage is NEVER going to get better."  Depending on the challenges you face, that can feel like a very real possibility, and we can be completely unsure of how things could change, and...it FEELS like nothing will ever improve, doesn't it?

     If you go back and scan the three examples above what two words do you see each time?
          1) NEVER
          2) FEELS

     Do you know why it's so important to recognize those two words?  Because they are the key that unlocks the door from our head to our heart for the deadly lie of hopelessness.  

     When we hear ourselves thinking "never" and evaluating our momentary circumstances based on how we "feel" that should be like a flashing, red warning light!  "Emergency, emergency; we are determining our future based on what we see and feel, not on what God says!!!"

     We can't see what's around the corner!  We don't know what God's about to do!  We have no idea how things can turn out IF we give them over to God!

     He's the One who gets to write the endings and His Word promises us that...

•  In ALL things God works for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28)
• God will be with us in trouble and deliver us (Psalm 91:15)
• God's plans are to prosper us and give us a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11)

   
     Reflect on the areas that are causing you stress or concern -- babies, money, teenagers -- whatever it is, God is MORE than able to write the ending, but we have a part to play.  We have to give these areas over to the Lord and ask Him to be in charge.  Once we commit our ways to Him, He is freed up to work in very real, intimate ways in our lives, but He won't push His way in, He's waiting to be asked, trusted and invited.

     Don't buy the deadly lie that there is NO HOPE!  There's always hope when God is invited into the middle of our worlds!  Go to the Bible, dig for the truth that applies to your personal situation of hopeless feelings and smother it in God's truth.  Hold it tight and don't let go -- you have no idea what's just around the corner!

"You will KNOW the TRUTH

and the TRUTH WILL set you free!"

John 8:32

WANTING THE BEST

     Every day, I watch eyes twinkle and flash . . . faces smile and frown . . . feet run and stomp, and I feel awestruck and sometimes overwhelmed!  I'm amazed that God trusts me to raise these children.  Do you ever feel the same way?  Like your head is spinning with the reality of the task in front of you?

     You and I, as moms, know something that most of our children will not discover for years  -- we know that from the very core of our being we want the best for our children.  But the irony is we don't always know what "BEST" is supposed to look like, do we?

     For all the time we spend pouring over parenting books, scanning through relevant websites and devouring the latest magazines on child-rearing; sometimes we feel further behind than ahead.  That's nothing new . . . how do you think Dr. Spock sold 50 million copies of his child training book?  We're not the first generation of parents to wonder what's best, but we're definitely the generation most inundated with information!

     Information is at our fingertips and sources drip with opinions and theories, but how do we know if it's the "right" advice?


     If we genuinely desire the best for our kids, we'd better be sure we have a filter in place that all this information can flow through -- do you know what that filter should look like?  It's a book -- no, it's THE BOOK!  It comes in all different shapes, sizes and colours -- and although New York Times bestseller's lists don't acknowledge it anymore, it's been on the #1 best seller's list for years.  It's the Bible, God's words to us, and it offers every bit of the direction we so desperately need for discerning what is really BEST.

     A quote, that dates back 2,000 years ago, says it well . . .
"We ourselves are rather an example to many than imitators of others."  Pericles, 5 BC


     The "best" that we seek to discover for our children begins here -- not seeking to imitate others, but to boldly put all the knowledge we discover through the perfect filter of God's Word and choose to be examples, rather than imitators.

"Keep company with God,

get in on the BEST."

Psalm 37:4

Soap Watching

    

     I hurried up the stairs, taking them two by two and rushed into the bathroom.  "Are you done yet?" I asked in a classic, impatient mother voice. 

     "What do you mean?" responded my dripping wet child. 

     "You were supposed to wash yourself with the soap bar while I was downstairs," I huffed.

     "Oh, well, I didn't wash but I WAS looking at the soap bar while you were gone," she stated.

     I groaned and began to scrub.

     But how often am I just like my child when it comes to God's Word?  I look at the "soap" but do not wash . . .

     It's no different than the verse in James that says we are not just to be hearers of God's Word, but doers also.  If I faithfully take time in the Word each day and study and memorize Scripture but never DO what it says, then I'm just a "soap watcher" and no more.

     God's Word is like soap; if it's going to have any affect in my life, I have to use it and often.  Just looking at it will benefit no one!

      Picture a brand-new bar of exquisite soap from the finest store; then imagine the thrill of it sweet smoothness running over your skin and the perfume filling your senses -- why pass up an opportunity to savour that in our daily lives? 

     Never does, no, never should a day go by that we are not aware of how much we need God's truth to be active in our lives -- not sitting on a shelf as knowledge, but moving and living in us as we go about our day.  May God show each of us how to stop passively watching the "soap", so that we can begin passionately using it. 

"For if you listen to the Word

and don't obey, it is like glancing

at your face in a mirror. 
You see yourself, walk away,

and forget what you look like."

James 1:23&24

Serious Cravings

     We've been on lots of productive farms and inside lots of smelly barns, but a recent trip has topped all the rest.  As we brushed the cobwebs away from our faces and side-stepped the crusty deposits on the floor; we anxiously followed the sounds to the back row of stalls in an attempt to discover the source the raucous noises.

     There, in front of us, were the hungriest, noisiest and funniest little piglets we'd ever seen.  Our family stood and watched them for quite a while as they ravenously prodded and slurped from their mother, and I pondered two things...
     # 1 - I had it very easy nursing my babies compared to this poor mother pig
     # 2 - Is this what God had in mind when He told us to crave spiritual milk?

     Reflecting on I Peter 2:2, I see where we're encouraged -- no, told -- to rid ourselves of everything that could threaten to bring us down, and become like babies, "Crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good."

     I don't want to be dishonoring to God in any way, but truly, if I craved His Word and time in His presence daily like those piglets obviously were craving their mother's milk, would I not be passionately pressing into God at a whole new level?

     That same verse says after we've tasted that the Lord is good . . . most of us have already seen Him move in our lives in some way and we DO know He's good, but we are we craving Him?


     We get so caught up in the chasing of everything this world has to offer EXCEPT FOR God, that I imagine His heart must feel broken time and again.


     Jesus said it'd be when we hunger and thirst that we'd be satisfied -- that means a desperate desire on our part.  Just like those little piglets, may we all be desiring more of God, now that we have tasted and seen that He is good.

"Blessed are those who

hunger and thirst for 

righteousness."

Matthew 5:6

Dark Whispers

     We look at those sticky, gooey faces of our children -- especially in the pictures after the mess has been cleaned up -- and we reflect on how much we love our kids.  In fact, if they are in bed asleep, we may even feel the extreme emotions that make our hearts feel like they will swell to the point of bursting. 

     Those are the moments we realize that no matter what it takes, we want the best for our children!

     There is only one problem . . . even though we want the best for our children and we know God wants the best for our children, there is someone out there who doesn't . . . the enemy.  The one who, the Bible says, "Prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (I Peter 5:8)  We are also told in God's Word that the enemy came to steal, kill and destroy -- BUT this should not cause us to feel afraid -- not for a minute.  God gave us this information so we would be alert and prepared to deal with the battle that exists around our lives, our homes and our children's lives.

     Have you noticed there are times when it seems you can watch the enemy at work in our children's lives?

     Our children can be skipping through the bright, green grass, swinging their outstretched arms and within moments their demeanor seems to change.  It may be a frown replaces their big grin, or a nasty comment slides out of their mouth, or even a cheerful conversation turns suddenly sour -- the enemy tries to steal those sweet times with his dark whispers.

     We've heard one of our children say, "I'm so stupid," and all he was doing was dangling his legs in the air, while seated on a tree branch.  Having NEVER heard those words before, we inquired why he would say such a thing.  His answer was simple -- "I was just sitting there and the thought came into my head."  That is a pretty innocent example, and I realize it is very subjective, but when you see things like that play out in various situations in the way our children's thoughts are affected and their thinking is obscured, it should make us sit up a little more vigilant.

     God, who loves us 100%, would not have gone to the effort of warning us over and over to be on guard against the enemy and his schemes if they were not a serious threat to ourselves and our children.  Yet that should not cause fear, it has to be seen as a problem with a solution.  So, what is the solution?

     Be alert - watch for where our kids are susceptible to the "dark whispers" of the enemy and strengthen their walls and fill in their cracks with our battle prayers, our encouraging words and our passionate love.  If there is a reoccurring lie that you see them battling, fight it with all you've got!

     Watch for the times the climate seems to shift at home and ask God to show us how to pray for our kids and process with our kids. 

     I remember one time we were driving to the library and I was at complete odds with one of our children but it didn't even make sense why -- it felt like their heart was a million miles away from me.  So I started to silently pray . . .
     God, I don't know what is going on in this child's heart, but you do.
     I know the enemy wants to tear apart our relationship but Your Word says that we are to be at peace with one another.
     I put on the full armour of God and take my stand against the devil's schemes.
     Lord Jesus, come into this place and change this situation.

     Do you know that afternoon trip to the library turned around 180 degrees? 

     It wasn't anything eloquent I said to my child or something fantastic I did, but God showed up in our day and destroyed the "dark whispers" with His might.  God's power blew away the cobwebs of confusion and darkness and brought His light.

     Don't let your children suffer with whispers that bring darkness -- not when God has given us all that we need to stand on their behalf and help them fight for truth and light.  Never give up -- we may be the only ones who are aware of the battle they are facing in their minds and if we don't fight on their behalf, who will?

"His divine power has given

us EVERYTHING we need

for life and godliness through

our knowledge of Him."

II Peter 1:3



Don't Stop the Stories

    

     We crack open the bent, tender pages of the Children's Bible.  We flip and scour searching for the favourite story of old - again!  Then the page falls open to the "hoped for story" and  I feel the legs of my child quiver with excitement under the blankets as we begin to read . . .

     When the music plays, everyone must bow down and worship the statue.  Those who disobey will be thrown into the fiery furnace.

     "You know what, Mom?"  His sweet face turns up towards mine.

     "What's that?" I ask, as I stroke the blond hairs away from his forehead.

     "I wouldn't bow down!  If that was me, I would say, 'Put me in that hot furnace'."  The firmness of expression is locked on his small face.

     His words are spoken with such seriousness and passion that my heart swells with pleasure as I simultaneously stifle a smile.  I don't want to break the solemness of the spoken commitment of the moment.

     This, I think to myself, is why we read God's truths each night and not fairy tales.  This is why I will not stop the telling of God's truths through stories with my children.

    We don't know what the future holds for the next generation, but God does.  We don't know what our children will need in order to be equipped for the challenges they will face, but God does. 

     It is God and His Word that will summon our children to higher levels.

     The only way I know to fully arm our children with the tools and knowledge they will require, is through a deep understanding of God and His Word.  And the only way they will grow in that is to begin now and not stop the stories.

     Don't stop the stories until your sweet ones are able to pursue God passionately on their own -- until then, our highest priority is not ABC's or 123's, but God and His truths found in His Word.

"God's Word goes on and on forever.

This is the Word that conceived

the new life in you."

I Peter 1:25

Why, Mom, Why?

     The question has probably been asked in every language, around the world -- Why did Jesus die?  Today, as we reflect on Good Friday, watch for opportunities to answer this age old question for our children.  If you have the privilege of a little one coming to you with their bright eyes upturned and their head tilted to one side in curiosity, asking you, "Why, Mom, why?" . . . don't be shy!

     I've heard parents say they feel nervous or won't tell their children about Jesus' death because it is too sad or too frightening, but they shouldn't feel that way.   Any child, at any age, can handle at least a piece of the story.  It is truth -- without our children comprehending Jesus' death, there can be no celebration in His life. 

     Jesus' death and resurrection aren't a small piece of the story -- they ARE the story!  Jesus came to earth as a baby, lived out every temptation our children will face (and that we could face) -- WITHOUT sin -- He died on the cross and rose on the third day!  That is THE story!

     From the time our children could sit up in our laps (about 6 months old) we had a Bible storybook open daily exploring the pictures and words that told us the story of Creation, the heroes who have gone before, the birth of Jesus, the miracles He did, His death on the cross and being raised again.  DON'T SKIP the cross -- if we glaze over that for fear of them not being ready, we miss the greatest foundation of the truth.

     Jesus did come . . . He did die . . . and He did rise again.

     Any child can comprehend the basics, then each year we can build on that foundation and share a little more detail as we sense they're ready to understand.

     Embrace the sadness of Good Friday in your heart and share it with your little ones . . . the celebration will be greater when we reach Resurrection Sunday!

"Since the children have flesh and blood,

He too shared in their humanity so that by His

death He might destroy him who holds the

power of death."

Hebrews 2:14

    

Lessons from a Piano

     Our children have an incredible piano teacher who wisely (in my opinion) doesn't requires long obdurate practices that would be tempting to skip on once in a while, but instead adamantly calls her students to consistent, smaller practice times.  Interestingly, when daily practice is mandatory only in small amounts, our children go back to the piano at various points in the day and pursue it for their own enjoyment.

     Daily times in smaller amounts are far more effective than sporadic lengthy ones, is the theory.

     We've seen the fruit with our children's piano skills and I believe this theory can be applied further than piano.  I see it in my own life with time in God's Word.  When I used to place an expectation on myself (please note I placed the expectation, not God) of lengthy times in the Bible because I felt I had to do it, I was sporadic too. 

     Then a day came, years ago, when I felt like God urged me to let go of the "have to" and embrace the "want to".  It meant I let go of the rules I'd placed around my personal devotional time and just embraced rediscovering God in His Word -- small amounts every day.

     What does this look like years later?  I LOVE being in the Word! 

     My appetite for God's Word had to grow through practice times just like my children and their piano -- small and consistent led me to long for more and more of the Word.  Far more enjoyable than the demand of feeling it had to be done, trying to make it lengthy and then having it turn out sporadic.

     I KNOW I NEED to be in God's Word and presence daily because He loves me and has important truths that I NEED;  BUT I also know that HE KNOWS it is hard to make that happen some days. 

     For me the call to small amounts consistently, has led to much longer times, but small and steady was what I needed to get started on this race!

     Let's not make God's Word part of our daily "to-do list" . . . let's make it part of our daily "want-to-do list"!  God has treasures He wants to share, but we have to take time to be present in order to receive them.   Commit to small and steady and let Him increase the desire for more!

"As for God, His way is perfect;

the WORD of the Lord is flawless."

II Samuel 22:31



What is Healthy Tension?

  

     It's great to say we have permission to experience varying degrees of tension in our homes -- but what does healthy tension look like?  How do we open the big black door marked TENSION and still sustain the balance that honours God in all we say and do?

     If you are like me, you might wish for a list of neatly typed rules -- what you "can" and "can't" do -- laid out in black and white.  But instead when we search out the Scriptures we find that God gives us guidelines . . . always God goes back to the heart.

     One of the best ways to discern God's intent for our responses to tension is look at His character and learn to imitate Him. 

     In Exodus 34:6 we glimpse a few of God's attributes that can apply to how we deal with tension in a healthy way -- "The compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness."

     Filled with compassion and graciousness makes it easier to respond in the way God would want. 

     Slow to anger allows ourselves time to ponder what the real issues could be. 

     Abounding in love and faithfulness makes us a SAFE person to be with, even when there is tension.

     I encourage you to replace the goal of NO tension in your home (which can also be called conflict avoidance) with the goal of HEALTHY tension in your home.  With God's help, may each of our families learn salubrious methods of working tension out to completion so that our relationships are deeper, richer and stronger in the end.

"Be quick to listen,

slow to speak and

slow to become angry."

James 1:19

Motivation Urgently Needed

      I will never cease to be amazed how God can use His living and active Word to speak fresh motivation into my life, especially on tough days!  

     Do you ever get "those" days?  Days where it feels like the low road beckons to you like a box of sweet chocolates and the high road seems boarded up like an old red barn?  Days where the effort required to deal with the issues at hand is so HUGE that it could make you think of an ant attempting to carry a watermelon? 

     Maybe that is what Albert Einstein was thinking of, when he stated, "One should not pursue goals that are easily achieved.  One must develop an instinct for what one can barely achieve through ones greatest efforts." 

     An instinct for what one can BARELY achieve . . .  many of my days can feel that way!

     So, how did God speak to me on one of "those" days? 

     He revealed a verse from Proverbs 29:15 that says, "A child left to himself disgraces his mother." 

     That may not strike you as enough to change your day around on a dime . . . but it was mine!  What impacted me most was that it spoke to ME -- I'm a mother!  So often the proverbs speak to fathers and they can still apply to us as moms, but look out -- when God is speaking right to mothers, we should have both ears wide open.

     But back to the verse -- isn't that what we naturally WANT to do on difficult days?  Just leave the child to himself or herself?  Absolutely!

     Especially when the day has been long and hard.  But isn't it interesting that the consequence is given to us, not the child?  The verse says it is the mother who will be disgraced. 

     In the very moment I read this verse, I felt called back to God's standard of continuing to press in, as opposed to walking out the world's standard which could be defined as "letting kids be kids" or "don't worry, they'll grow out of it".

     In almost 14 years of parenting five different personalities I have yet to find ONE discipline issue that has magically disappeared because I've ignored it.  In fact, my experience is that molehills become mountains when I leave one of my children to themselves. 

     So moms -- press in!  Would we not rather be found faithful and a little battle weary with our children close to our hearts, than to be well rested and disgraced by them? 

     I love what Sally Clarkson shares on her blog, and I quote:  "Motherhood is a long journey, a hard and challenging journey, that will require much endurance with grace, much forgiveness, much patience and just a whole lot of energy expended."  How true.

     God NEVER tells us to do something that isn't for our very best -- so why question the wisdom found in the Word?  God calls us to correct our children and not leave them to their own demise.  May God's words of truth be your urgently needed motivation to continue on the road less traveled.

"Her children arise and

call her blessed!" 

Proverbs 31:28

Don't Worry, Be Happy

I paced the floor of our living room.  I felt like a caged lion.  The cold seemed to radiate from the outside, which further dampened the mood I was already comfortably settled into.  It didn't take long to find the name for the emotions I was drowning in -- worry. 

Worry; it meant I had taken the cares of my life from God's capable hands and put them back in my own hands . . . again.  Would I ever learn?  I asked myself.   Did I really think that my stewing over these items would make a positive difference?  Ultimately, worry meant I was focusing my thoughts on the enemy's lies for me, not God's truths.

I grabbed for my Bible and flipped to the passage I had read so many times.  "DO NOT be anxious about ANYTHING, but in everything, by prayer and petitions, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, WILL guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 4:6&7)  That was the missing link - the peace was not there.  I knew that as I read that passage I often stopped at that verse and failed to read on.  As my eyes stumbled ahead on the lines, I realized God was showing more of His battle plan.  How to fight against the emotions of worry that tumbled around my head like black flies in the springtime.

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things." (Philippians 4:8)

That was it, I thought, as the triumph moved from my head to my heart.  A smile broke across my face as the dawning came . . . all the things I had allowed my mind to focus on while I worried had nothing to do with God's checklist of things to think about.

Is it true?

Is it noble?

Is it right?

Is it pure?

Is it lovely?

Is it admirable?

Is it excellent?

Is it praiseworthy?

If I had to say NO to even one of those questions, then I was not following God's plan.  And there was another important truth buried here - by worrying I was choosing to sin.  To go against what God had required of me meant that I had to become a slave to the enemy of my God.

It came full circle in my mind - right back to one of my favourite verses - "We take captive EVERY thought and make it obedient to Christ."  (II Corinthians 10:5)  If I was to importune each thought to go through the security check as meticulously as if in front of a guard at the airport, I would be in far more peaceful place in my mind. 

"God," I cried out, "Help me not to worry, but to take captive each thought, and then to be happy in You!"  The peace came, the worry left and my thoughts focused on the lovely once more.  Always God's Word had the way I needed to go -- always.

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Luke 12:25

Only One Resolution Needed

Get in shape?  Read more?  More down time?  Lose Weight?  Travel more?  Pray longer?  

What do you say when you are asked the question, "What are your New Year's resolutions for this year?" 

I don't think there is anything wrong with asking the question, nor the discipline of setting goals for the new year.  We all need time to pause and reflect on what we would like to change or do differently in our lives, and what more natural point than going into a new year?  And yet, when I evaluate my own life and listen to others around me share, I feel we are burdened by setting goals that we anticipate we won't be able to keep.  What is more, we often place a lot of pressure on ourselves to fix numerous items at one time, when we know that it is hard to work on more than one thing at a time.

Just for fun, I googled the most common resolutions people set, and found that they all had to do with overall health for ourselves, things like; more time with friends, more exercise, breaking bad habits, getting out of debt, learning something new.  Without becoming too inwardly focused, it is a good thing to look at what parts of our lives need to be changed.  It is also helpful to evaluate those areas and see where we are at and compare it to where we feel we should be...but over time I have found I only need one real resolution. 

This has become my annual new year's resolution - and the only one I need - to spend time knowing God and growing in His Word.  Now before you write that off as boring or not really applicable, realize what that resolution does with the most popular resolutions that people chose.  God tells us in His Word how to build healthy relationships, how the Spirit can grow us in self-control, how to make wise choices with our finances, and on it goes.  The Bible says in Proverbs 8:35 that, "Whoever finds me (wisdom), finds life and receives favour from the Lord."  This is where all of the rest of life should be shaped ~ by God's wisdom pouring into our lives.

Don't let me discourage you from setting some new resolutions for your new year, especially if you have found you are one of the few that carry them out and make real change.  BUT if you are someone that feels like you have failed before you have begun, then consider trying something new - only resolve to be in God's presence each day, Bible in hand and say, "God what do you have for me today?  What can I change, grow in or work on, WITH YOUR HELP, that will move me closer towards what you have for me?"

Be blessed as you anticipate all that lies ahead and have a truly Happy New Year!

"I know what I am doing.  I have it all planned out - plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.  When you call on Me, when you come and pray to Me, I'll listen.  When you come looking for Me, you'll find Me.  Yes, when you get serious about finding Me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed.  I'll turn things around for you." 

(Jeremiah 29:11-13 in the Message)

God's Word Always Speaks

It never ceases to amaze me how God's Word, the Bible, can speak...no matter where we turn in it, and no matter what we are going through.  We are told in Hebrews 4:12 that, "The Word of God is LIVING and ACTIVE.  Sharper than any double-edged sword...it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."  I don't know about you, but over the holidays is especially the time I need help in monitoring the thoughts and attitudes of my heart.  It seems so easy for wrong motives to sneak in or unkind words to slip out. 

During the busyness of travel, family and holidays - although we have shared some devotionals as a family, I have missed taking consistent time alone in the Word.  Sporadic here and there, never replaces that regular time of immersing myself in what God has to say to me and show me. As I curled up this morning with the Word, I wondered how I could have allowed that to happen? How is it possible to neglect my relationship with the One who knows me best, and wants more for me than any other? How can I allow it to become stale for even a day? When I turned in my Bible, I came to I Kings 17:7 where it says, "Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land." As I read those words, I felt they described how I was beginning to feel inside - dry. As the verse implies, we don't become dry overnight, it says some time later, but I know the difference when I am heading that direction of drying up and when I am well watered.

Just as our sweet children allow us to pick them up in our arms - and they experience safety and security - we need our Heavenly Father to pick us up, water us well and prepare us to move into the next things He has for us.  Because of His love and grace, there is no place of "earning the right" to come to Him - because of the cross, we can run into His arms with freedom and safety.  The only thing that can keep us from that place of our Father's arms is: listening to the words of the enemy who will try to tell us we don't deserve it, or ourselves not taking time to come to the Word and ask God to speak - He always will!

Run into those arms and let Him love you and speak to you today - there is no reason to be dry, when we are being offered fresh, living water.  Jesus said in John 7:38, "WHOEVER believes in me...streams of living water will flow from within him."  May we be filled with the Father's love and refreshed with the living water of the Spirit, pouring fresh into our lives.