Tag: #Faith

When we get our kids involved with the giving, they can experience the joy of opening their grip, giving, & loving others.

It’s helpful to research the place where you’re donating with your kids so they get an idea of who it helps.

This makes it easier to open our grips on what we’re giving.

It’s great for our kids to join us when we drop the clothes off so they can see where the clothes go.

A lot of these places can also use volunteers to help organize the clothes – an easy way for our kids to help out.

When we did this together, I played music to make it more fun, and several times afterward we had treats to make it even more enjoyable. (:

Reading a verse about serving beforehand also gets our hearts and minds in the right spirit, reminding us that serving and the little things, is a way to love the Lord & love others.

We are new in the Lord, not because of our “perfection”, but because of Jesus.

What freedom. What freedom we have in Jesus.

There is so much hope in the Lord.

No matter where you’ve been or where you are now, there is ALWAYS hope in the Lord.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Accomplishing goals is great, but knowing Jesus – his love, his peace, his joy, his presence – is where true freedom and victory are found.

Why do we always want to run to the comfortable?

I sometimes have this false notion that I should constantly feel at peace and completely happy.

That’s just not reality. I know this, yet my mind still wanders to that place.

It’s okay to feel sad in a season.

It’s okay to feel uncomfortable in a season.

It’s okay to “not feel like yourself” for a season.

It’s okay. Seasons won’t last forever.

We just moved to a new state. It will take time to build community and feel that sense of belonging and at peace in this new place.

It’s easy for me to run from that feeling – to long for the comfortable.

Even though I know the world doesn’t satisfy, my mind and heart can linger to the place of thinking it will.

But, the Lord subtly reminded me that it’s okay to be in the season I’m in. Just to be.

Not to fix it, because

He’s my steady.

He’s the one who is unchanging.

Some seasons are harder than others, but there will be beauty.

When we look to him, the Lord will bring beauty from emptiness.

The Lord will, if we seek him.

Jesus, help us gain our contentment not from approval, affirmations and perfection, but from you. Help us to look for peace in you, not this world. Help us to find joy in you, not in what’s around us. Thank you for giving your life for us – for experiencing so much pain and sadness so you could give us the greatest joy this world has ever known – life with you now and forever. Jesus, I love you so much. Thank you for loving us. no. matter. what. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.” Psalm 39:7

Here’s my article about not saving our kids from their emotions, but walking with them in it:

https://linseydriskill.com/2019/05/11/sometimes-kids-have-bad-days-too/

When I was 26 years old and single, the Lord put something on my heart: to move to Guatemala and work at a nonprofit through a program. I would only be there for less than a year.

But before I went, I faced all kinds of pressure not to go.

A friend asked me, “Why would you move to Guatemala? Don’t you want to get married?’

People close to me shared newspaper articles with me about the many kidnappings there.

Before going, I had to read forms (and I think sign, if I remember correctly) that said in case of being kidnapped, the program did not do ransoms because that would only encourage them to happen again.

I had to create a will just in case I didn’t make it.

That was tough. But the thing is,

When the Lord puts something on your heart, there is no better place to be than where he has called you.

I had to push the noise aside because I KNEW the Lord was beckoning me there.

So I went.

Fifteen years later, my time in Guatemala continues to transform my mind and heart. The stories of what I experienced during that short time have been passed down to my kids. And, we hope to visit Guatemala with them sometime soon.

I want them to know how other people in the world really live.
I want them to see the reality of a developing country.
I want them to see the beautiful culture.
I want them to experience the kindness, joy, and simplicity of the people there.

What has the Lord put on your heart to do? It doesn’t have to be “big”.

It might be washing dishes with gratefulness because it means you have a family to wash dishes for.
It might be getting up in the middle of the night for your child with an attitude of love instead of bitterness.
It might mean serving together.
It might mean making a meal with your kids for a neighbor who is in need.
It might mean enjoying that time in the car with your children as you drive them from activity to activity, making the most of it.

What might seem small to us, is actually big in the Lord’s eyes.

Because what is big to him is Love.

When we respond and follow through with what he has put on our hearts, in the little and big things, we are obeying him and fulfilling his commandments: to love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and to love others.

Don’t get hindered by the noise in this world.

Seek after him.

Fulfill what he has put on your heart.

There you will find true joy, peace, life, him.

“This is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another.” 1 John 3:23

In the car yesterday, I was gifted with one of those moments from my son, Bates.

He said that while some of them played football during recess at school, the other team started making up fake penalties.

My son’s friend told him that they should do the same thing. Bates said, “No, we shouldn’t do that because the Lord tells us not to repay.”

We had memorized that verse in 1 Peter 3 months ago. It had taken root and I had no idea.

I wasn’t on the football field. I didn’t get to see it. If he hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known.

If you’re feeling discouraged as a parent today, be encouraged that the seeds you’re sewing are taking root far deeper than you might see. ❤️

Gracie, that was so cool how you helped make your sister’s bed when she didn’t even ask.

Brooklyn, that was awesome how you invited that kid sitting alone at lunch to join you and your friends. Way to love the Lord and her by doing that.

When we call it out when our kiddos love well, they’ll be more likely to do it again and will also notice first-hand what it means to love the Lord and others.

It’s easy to get annoyed when our kids ask us a million questions about what we’re working on if we’re in the middle of something.

I love how my friend told me recently that she often involves her kids when they ask questions.

One time when they asked what she was doing, she told them she was designing a client’s house, showed them the pictures, and asked for their thoughts and ideas on certain things. I just love that.