We often sing the hymn:
I surrender all,
I surrender all,
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all.
We sing with passion, totally abandoning our lives to God. It’s not so hard to do when we are with the saints in the presence of the Lord. But what about in the nitty gritty of life? Although we do these big “surrenders” every now and then, I believe that surrendering is not a onetime act, but a day by day experience. Actually, a moment by moment experience in each new situation we face.
Surrendering to God means giving up our will for God’s will in the practical areas of life. It’s surrendering to the daily “sameness” of managing the home and caring for our children. We’d like to escape, but instead we surrender with joy to our God-given nurturing anointing of caring for our children.
To surrender means yielding to the patience and longsuffering of Christ that dwells in me when I’d rather fly off the handle and give release to pent up emotions. To surrender means to be full of joy (which is Christ’s joy in me) when I’m feeling depressed and full of self-pity. To surrender means to stand on the promises of God’s Word which live and abide forever, rather than giving into my doubts and unbelief.
To surrender means to submit to my husband when he gives me direction or correction. Yes, this is surrendering to Christ. Heeding reproof and receiving correction is ;a spirit of surrender. That’s why a onetime act doesn’t cut it; it’s an attitude of surrender!
What about surrendering our bodies? Many Christians sing in church, “I surrender all” with their hands outstretched. However, if you ask them later, “Are you looking forward to another baby?” you may receive a negative remark such as, “No way, we’ve put a stop to all that.” They have not surrendered their lives after all. And yet Romans 12:1 says: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your BODIES A LIVING SACRIFICE, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
Be blessed today,
Nancy Campbell
Mark 8:35 has always been a challenging verse to me as a mother: “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.” We often feel that we give out more than we have to give as we pour out our lives in motherhood We feel as if we are losing our lives.
Some women think they have it all together. Others feel like falling on the floor in a heap as they know they could never have it all together, especially if it means keeping a perfect home, perfect children, and perfect situations! Let’s face it. There is not a day that goes perfectly. Every day poses new challenges.
Yesterday we talked about “sound doctrine,” the healthy lifestyle God intends us to live. God also gives us pointers in the Old Testament to bring health to our bodies and to everyone in our homes.
Paul writes to Titus and exhorts him: “Speak thou the things which become sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1).The word “sound” is interesting. The word is “hugiaino” and means “to be physically well in body, to be healthy, hygiene.” The Scriptures use this word in the context of health in 3 John 1:2: “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health (hugiaino), even as thy soul prospereth.” Also Luke 5:31; 7:10; and 15:27.
God’s water of life that He gives to us is pure, clean, holy, and life-giving. Revelation 22:1 says: “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
There are times when it is right to be silent. We all know the adage, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” It’s also good to remember, “If you can’t say something positive and faith-building, don’t open your mouth.” When we are accused unjustly, we should also follow Jesus’ example and keep our mouths shut. Jesus “opened not His mouth” when He was accused by his tormentors.
Have a blessed day worshipping the Lord together as a family.
Dear mother, you are in the greatest building program in the nation--building strong, godly marriages and families. Proverbs 16:14 reminds us that we are builders: “Every wise woman builds her house: but the foolish plucks it down with her hands.”
Filling our children with God's Word is the greatest antidote to deception!
Yesterday we reminded each other about digging deep wells. Away with shallow wells. Away with sitting on the fence--dabbling with the world and having a little bit of God when we need Him.
The early patriarchs dug wells to get their water. They couldn’t survive without a well. We also have to be well-diggers in our spiritual life. Isaiah 12:3 inspires us to draw water out of the wells of salvation. Not just one well. Do you notice the word is “wells”? Plural! There are wells for every need we have in Christ.
Lift up your head.
“But understand this: if the owner of the house had known at what time the thief would come, he would have watched and would not have permitted his house to be burglarized” (Luke 12:39 MLB).
"In EVERY thing give thanks: for THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Our thought life is our biggest temptation isn’t it? It’s so easy to allow negative thoughts, unbelieving thoughts, doubtful thoughts, depressing thoughts, self-pitying thoughts into our minds. And worry! The worst! We are consumed with worldly matters of this life. We spend more time thinking about material things and the things of this earth rather than things which are above (Colossians 3:1-3).
This is a picture of the car from Isaiah’s accident. The interesting thing is that the opposite happened. Somehow he didn’t have his seat belt on, but it saved his life. He would have been killed immediately if he had the seat belt! One of these exceptions, but God was in it all. Praise the Lord.
We are now in our eighth week of praying every night as a family for Arden, Serene’s son, who is diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Serene and Sam’s son, Isaiah was with us for our praying meeting Sunday night, praying along with everyone else for his brother (we often have over 30 of us each night praying, including all the children who are great prayer warriors). On the way home to Franklin Isaiah had a bad car accident. It took them two hours to extricate him 
We are now warring a warfare and fighting the good fight of faith, not only for Arden, but now for Isaiah. We’d love you to join with us in the prayer of faith for two of Serene and Sam’s sons. At this stage Isaiah is still in a coma and hasn’t woken up. We are praying for a great miracle of healing for his brain which is their greatest concern. His back is also broken in three places.
On Sunday afternoon we enjoyed a lovely baby shower for sweet Christiana and her precious baby, Liliana. Christiana is Serene’s daughter-in-law. Aunty Melissa is holding little Liliana.
I would now like to catch you up on the happenings of last weekend. There is never a dull moment during any of our weekends, or any day of the week, at our home here on the hilltop with many of our large family living around.