For God So Loved Me!

This month, I intended to review the memory verses that I had been teaching the kids the past few months. So, last evening, after their assignments were done, I drew the sons close and asked them to recite the verses for me.

Jason went first, and he breezed through Psalm 23 with only a little prompting from me. Next was John 3:16. The original verse goes like this:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (NIV)

But what I heard from Jason was this…

“For God so loved ME that He gave His one and only Son…”

I proceeded to correct him, “It’s not ME, Jason.. It’s for God so loved the world…”. He repeated the rest of the verse flawlessly, but he left me pondering.

I’ve never said those words out aloud. “For God so loved me that He gave His one and only Son”. That’s the truth, isn’t it? The Word of God is so personal. The fact that God sent Jesus to die on my behalf, for my sins, is personal.

It left a stirring in my heart, as I moved on to hear what another son was reciting. And I heard Judah’s voice sweetly proclaiming, “For God so loved me…”.

Lord, thank you for little children who teach me how to make your Word personal.

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Top 3 Thursday – Edition #3

Here are some posts that have inspired me over the past week. Would you click through and check out these lovely blogs?

1. Make The Most Of Your Mornings @ Money Saving Mom {This is a 3 week challenge for those who struggle to wake up and get things done in the mornings. It’s an ongoing series and I’ve linked to the first post, but you’ll want to check out the links to all subsequent posts as well.}

2. How Many Bites @ (in)courage {A short, simple post on why we cannot judge another}

3. What It Takes To Become An Olympian @ Dave Ramsey {An Olympic analogy with sound advice on how we can reach our goals – be it losing weight or getting out of debt}

Did you read or write an encouraging blog post during the week? Share the link in the comments below, I’d love to check it out!

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Let The Children Come – Introduction

But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)

We’ve often heard sermons on the latter part of this verse, but today my focus is on the first half.

Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them. ~ Jesus

I believe this verse is a direct instruction to me as a parent. It is my responsibility to let my children come to Jesus. I have to lead them towards Him and not hinder them in any way. At times the responsibility weighs heavily on me – to raise sons who will be men after God’s own heart, who will love Him and seek His will in their lives. But all my efforts would be in vain if not for God’s grace and favor in my children’s lives.

Based on this verse, I’ve been inspired to write a series of blog posts titled “Let The Children Come”. It will be a 5 part series, posted every Wednesday starting next week (if all goes according to plan). Each week, we’ll be focusing on one way we can bring our children to Jesus. I will be sharing simple and practical tips that my husband and I follow in leading our children closer to God.

That being said, I do not proclaim to know it all. I am a flawed, imperfect human being who is learning alongside you. What we have in common is the passion to raise our children for the glory of God. I pray this series will be a blessing to you – that God will use it to enrich your parenting. Will you join me in this journey to lead our children closer to Jesus?

Other posts in this series:

If you are blessed by this series, would you consider sharing it with a friend? And if you don’t want to miss a future post, you can sign up to receive new blog posts by email, or in a reader.

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Counting My Blessings: 406 to 426

Having been offline the past 5 days, I failed to notice that my guest post went live at Growing Home on August 15th. So, if you haven’t read about the birth of our triplets yet, head on over and check it out.

Among all the blessings I continue to count, I’m thanking God today for His grace and protection on our family during our road trip the past week. And here are the other things I’m thankful for…

A Gift in a Ring, Curve, Sphere

406. My husband’s name engraved in my wedding ring.
407. Shin guards for soccer.
408. A dozen brightly colored balls.

3 Gifts Ugly-Beautiful

409. Drowsiness.
410. A forgotten handbag.
411. Chennai’s sweltering heat.

3 Gifts of Family

412. 4 generations under one roof.
413. The first and fourth generation, deep in conversation.
414. Unconditional support.

3 Gifts in the Morning

415. Sons, excited to start their day.
416. Coffee.
417. A fresh start.

A Gift Red, Read, Written

418. A bumper car.
419. The newspaper.
420. Daily expenses.

3 Gifts in Church

421. Praying for India.
422. Flowers.
423. A new CD.

3 Gifts of Serving

424. My mother, packing up frozen food for our family to take back home.
425. Passing chocolate chip cookies to the boys in the back seat.
426. Preparing a health drink for our sons who skipped breakfast.

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings? I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey? Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?

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Counting My Blessings: 385 to 405

“It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High,
to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night.” (Psalm 92:1-2)

3 Gifts in His Word

385. Words from the Bible that fuel my prayers for the sons.
386. Comfort for a hurting soul.
387. Guidance at crossroads.

3 Gifts in Summer

388. Ripe mangoes.
389. Vacations.
390. Loose schedules.

A Gift Hole, Whole, Half

391. A pencil stuck in a keyhole, courtesy our boys :).
392. Our washing machine – finally repaired and whole again.
393. A broken toe nail.

3 Hard Eucharisteo

394. Getting out of a warm bed on a cold morning.
395. A broken guitar string.
396. Disappointments.

3 Gifts of Metal

397. A favorite pair of gold earings.
398. Sharp knives.
399. The 5 remaining guitar strings.

3 Gifts Half-Hidden

400. An obstructed view of a baby grand piano in our church.
401. The sun, behind a curtain of clouds.
402. A jumble of shoes, half-hidden behind the bedroom door.

3 Gifts in Green

403. The sons’ Bible.
404. Trees.
405. The remote control of a broken car.

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings? I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey? Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?

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Five Minute Friday: Connect

Five Minute Friday

Connect

How does an introvert connect with other people? She probably started off dreading it, choosing instead to stick to the few people she had learned to trust over the years. She then married a man who constantly pushed her out of her comfort zone, encouraging her to meet new people and keep in touch with those she was already acquainted with. Taking it a step further, God decided to bless her with triplets; thereby making her the center of attraction wherever she set foot. That which she feared had come upon her :).

She was privileged to have friends who were patient with her; as she took several months, maybe even years to open up with them. Eventually God led her to the blogging world, where she met many kindred spirits who inspired, encouraged and advised her. She soon realized that God wanted to use her to encourage others who where walking the same path she had walked.

God started working in her, and she finally figured out that her husband had a point. How could she reach people with God’s word if she didn’t connect? Thus began the slow unraveling of the cocoon she had secreted herself into. And God shows her everyday that the more she connects, the more she lets God use her to bless those around her.

What comes to your mind, when you think of the word “Connect”?

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Top 3 Thursday – Edition #2

Here are some posts that have inspired me over the past week. Would you click through and check out these lovely blogs?

1. What Are You Feeding Your Mind? @ Roo Mag {Loved this 5 step guide to keep our minds on track}

2. 5 Lessons I’ve Learned About Dreams @ A Little R & R {This post encouraged me a lot, even as I continue to dream and wait on God}

3. Call Out The Greatness @ Allume {A thought provoking post on calling out the greatness in our church, marriage and children}

Did you read or write an encouraging blog post during the week? Share the link in the comments below, I’d love to check it out!

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Counting My Blessings: 364 to 384

“I delight greatly in the LORD;
my soul rejoices in my God.” (Isaiah 61:10)

3 Gifts Difficult

364. A botched surprise.
365. Getting the kids to bed on time.
366. Teaching the sons Hindi rhymes.

3 Gifts White

367. Movie ticket stubs from our first movie date.
368. This printable, on my cupboard.
369. Month at a glance planner on my fridge.

3 Gifts Eaten

370. Chips.
371. Leftover chicken.
372. The last doughnut.

A Gift at 10AM, 1PM, 10PM

373. Gazing out our living room window.
374. Waiting out a long-drawn power outage.
375. Back home after our weekly prayer group meeting.

3 Gifts Sitting

376. At friendship day celebrations at our sons’ school.
377. At a parlour getting a much needed hair cut.
378. The sons, sitting on the carpet doing their homework.

A Gift Outside, Inside, Upside Down

379. My husband, away from home at a Leaders meet.
380. Watching Forrest Gump at home.
381. The sons tumbling on the couch – the effect of watching olympic gymnasts, perhaps?!

3 Gifts in Water

382. Ice cold tap water.
383. Water sloshing around in their water bottles, as the boys walk to the bus.
384. Clean drinking water.

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings? I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey? Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?

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Top 3 Thursday – Edition #1

One of the reasons I started blogging was to share with my readers, all the other wonderful blogs out there. I’ve subscribed to dozens of blogs over the past year, and God has used them to encourage and comfort me.

With that in mind, I’ve decided to start sharing some blog posts that I find encouraging with you. Every Thursday {hopefully}, I will be featuring three blog posts from around the web that have encouraged me. I hope and pray they will bless you too.

1. 20 Things I Want To Tell Engaged And Newlywed Women {Really All Married Women} @ Grace Full Mama {If you are married, this post is a MUST read}

2. The Real To-Do List  @ Finding Joy {A convicting post on including our families in our to-do lists}

3. Comparisons will kick you in the teeth and hijack your dreams every time @ Lisa-Jo Baker {An honest post about the effect of comparison – both online and offline}

Did you read a good blog post during the week? Share the link in the comments below, I’d love to check it out!

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Monthly Goals: August

Can you believe it’s August already?! At the beginning of each month, I share my goals for the month and share my progress on the previous month’s goals.

My goals for the month of July were:

  1. Stay up to date with the Good Morning Girls Proverbs 31 Bible Study. — Done
  2. Pray God’s Word over my sons everyday, using July’s prayer calendar provided by The MOB Society. — Done
  3. Finish reading A Confident Heart. — Done
  4. Finish reading The Love & Respect Experience. — In Progress {I’ve still got a long way to go}
  5. Teach the kids to recite Matthew 6:12-13 (Second half of the Lord’s prayer). — Done
  6. Teach the kids to write small letters (Letters ‘a’ and ‘b’). — Done
  7. Read at least 4 new Kindle books to the kids. — Done
  8. Finish Weeks 4-6 in the Couch to 5K training plan. — Done
  9. Read through the book of John in the Bible. — Done
  10. Memorize Hebrews 12:1-2 and Philippians 3:13-14. — Done

My goals for the month of August are:

  1. Finish the Good Morning Girls Proverbs 31 Bible Study.
  2. Pray God’s Word over my sons everyday, using August’s prayer calendar provided by The MOB Society.
  3. Finish reading The Love & Respect Experience.
  4. Read The Good Wife’s Guide again.
  5. Read The Power of a Praying Wife.
  6. Revise Psalm 23, John 3:16 and the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) with the kids.
  7. Read at least 8 new Kindle books to the kids.
  8. Finish Weeks 7 & 8 in the Couch to 5K training plan.
  9. Read through the book of Acts in the Bible.
  10. Memorize Psalm 127.

“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.

In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him.

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth.

Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.”

Are you in the habit of setting weekly/monthly goals? If you do, how did you do last month? If you don’t, how do you keep track of things you need to get done?

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