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Articles by Jackie Perry

Take Time to Remember: “God is enough.”

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I co-parent teenagers. The daily dilemmas, disputes and doldrums can leave any parent feeling pretty defeated by day’s end. If I don’t carve out time to remember who He is and who I am in the midst of my week, the frequent storms will wear me down.

Together, let’s take time this week to recount a few basic yet extraordinary truths to help us stay emotionally and spiritually afloat as we cling to Him in the midst of the mundane and marvelous tasks of the day before us.

 

“God is enough.”

The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.

Psalm 23:1

God_is_enoughRecently, I met with a good friend at a favorite coffee shop. I love meeting with her because of the respite and renewal it always offers me. Once we arrived we found the perfect spot in a quiet corner. Within minutes of talking to my friend, an aroma filled the place. My grumbling tummy kept trying to convince me that I needed to go check out what was cooking behind the counter. Alas, overcome by desire and curiosity, I finally excused myself.  When I got to the counter, freshly baked pumpkin muffins with cream cheese icing sat on a platter. These were my favorite treat—surely, a sign that I needed to buy one. I bought one for the two of us and returned to our spot.

Minutes later a group of women laughing and chattering nearby pulled my attention away again. Even though I loved being with my friend I found myself wanting to know what they were talking about as well. How awful! Several times my dear friend graciously reeled me back in. Yet, every time we got going, something else seemed to vie for my attention- a cellphone, other conversations, or even the cars buzzing by. Here I was finally sitting with the friend I had longed to see all week, yet everything around me battled for my attention.

Sadly, the struggle I had with my friend often mirrors my time with the Lord. I crave intimacy and insight from Him, but too often I allow mental and physical distractions to take precedence over our time together. To combat this tendency I have started to repeatedly remind myself of one simple truth when something begins to lure me away from Him. I whisper or mentally repeat the words, “God, you are enough.” I find myself saying this over and over again to help me fix my eyes solely on the only One who can really hear, understand, lead me, and empower me while He lavishes His unfailing love upon me.

The Enemy of our hearts wants us to forget this so that we are drawn into the frivolity that surrounds us. Commit today to mentally or even audibly reminding yourself that God is enough. He is all you really need. Nothing else compares.

“The greatest lesson a soul has to learn is that God and God alone is enough for all its needs.” Hannah Whitall Smith

Jackie

Take Time to Remember: “You are deeply loved.”

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I co-parent teenagers. The daily dilemmas, disputes and doldrums can leave any parent feeling pretty defeated by day’s end. If I don’t carve out time to remember who He is and who I am in the midst of my week, the frequent storms will wear me down.

Together, let’s take time this week to recount a few basic yet extraordinary truths to help us stay emotionally and spiritually afloat as we cling to Him in the midst of the mundane and marvelous tasks of the day before us.

 

“You are deeply loved.”

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Zephaniah 3:17

You_are_His_belovedI love my kids and know they love me in return. But, teenagers don’t always share their love out loud. Gone are the days when “mommy’s home” are words gleefully sung as I walk in the door. Rarely do I receive homemade cards with adorable drawings and sweet sentiments all over them. And, bed times. Well, I can’t remember if my teenagers ever begged me to stay in their room to tell me one more time that they love me to the moon and back.

I do appreciate how my teenagers can beautifully express themselves with great affection or gratitude at just the right time. But, I know that their increased freedom and focus on other things can make the frequency and intensity of their loving gestures appropriately decrease over time. While this is completely normal, sometimes a mom sure can miss being loved on by little kids. Before you know it, you can easily find yourself wallowing in the memories of yesteryear and truly wondering if anyone loves you.

For this reason, it is so important for us to take time to immerse ourselves in God’s love by reading passages that remind us of His affection toward us. While it may sound silly and even indulgent, we can only love because He first loved us (I Jn. 4:19). We must take time to experience His quieting love. He loves you more than any person on earth. He actually calls you His beloved. This word means dearly loved, adored, cherished, favorite, darling, and treasured. Nothing on earth compares to being called beloved by the Creator of the universe, the one that knows every single thing about you. We can do nothing to earn or deserve this designation. Christ did it all. And, since He is God’s Beloved, when we were placed in Christ, we became His beloved as well.

Despite the whisperings of the enemy or the doubts and dread that arise on difficult days with our families, remember today that you are deeply loved by the God who created you. Though he may be quiet in His love, His affection for His beloved far surpasses the distance to the moon and back.

Tuesday: “God is enough.”

Jackie

“Creating a Rhythm to Remember what God Has Done.”

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David, known as the “sweet psalmist of Israel,” wrote many songs throughout his lifetime. Whether he was offering words of lament, gratitude, worship or wisdom, David freely expressed the depth of his heart. One of my favorite songs lies tucked in the book of I Chronicles, chapter 16. Here, David writes a song of thanks after the ark has been brought into Jerusalem and placed in the tent. His heart is fixed on the Lord as He powerfully worships him for who He is and what He has done throughout the ages. This week we will spend time examining five verses of his song so that we can get a deeper sense of what it looks like to wholeheartedly honor the Lord.

 

“Creating a Rhythm to Remember what God Has Done.”

Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered. 

I Chronicles 16:12

questonWe have taken note of how David invites fellow worshippers of God to thank Him, to sing to Him, to celebrate Him, and to look for Him. Each of these overlap with one another and enable us to engage in the final portion of his song. In verse 12 David encourages us to remember the wondrous things God has done, His miracles as well as the judgments or decisions He made. This act of remembering is an ancient tradition that was part of their heritage. After sparing His chosen people from imminent destruction, God instructed them to remember His goodness and faithfulness through annual celebrations and feasts (Exodus 12:14-20). To this day, the Jews remember their deliverance from Haman during Purim and their deliverance from slavery during Passover and the rededication of the temple during Chanukah. These traditions were all developed because of God’s command to remember.

As Christians, we can easily forget God’s goodness. Our unwillingness to take time and remember what He has done, both throughout history as well as within the confines of our own story, prevents us from really seeing and marveling in His wondrous power. Even though we may only be in the habit of corporately celebrating who He is at Christmas and Easter, it’s never too late to find a way to regularly remember what God is doing in our own lives. Together we can do this as we gather in our Bible studies, prayer groups, Sunday School classes or even during our regular walks with others. Individually, we can intentionally record His works, His miracles and His decisions in a special journal. I have always wanted to string a pearl, bead or stone on a special string each time I see God clearly working in my life. My unique strand would constantly remind me of His constant activity in my life and in the lives of those around me.

What will you do to remember what God has done yesterday and today? Take some time to prayerfully consider how you will be more intentional in honoring Him for His great deeds.

Jackie