If we love we obey!

“The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.]”

John 14:21 AMP

http://bible.com/8/jhn.14.21.amp

Family

“THEREFORE, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit. [John 3:18.]”

Romans 8:1 AMP

So it's been a while since we've actually put the devo in the blog !  The kids tell me Facebook and Blogging is old school and that I should just hashtag it in Instagram!   Whatever!  I can't say as many words on there.  #sooldschool

Anyway!  We read a cool little article from a gal I follow, Jen Hatmaker, about family.  As I read it the kids giggled and opened there eyes and mouth wide as it sounded as if she was talking about us, us 5.  When she referred to vacation packing and traveling Tim chuckled but with tears In his eyes and a look that said "please stop or I'm gonna break down right here and now!" 

You see we are so far from perfect, and yet in the midst of our chaos and turmoil we find a happy place here at home.  Peace.  Calm. Love.  And we all know it... More than anything we know it. 

So today can we encourage you from one crazy family to another - God is good, He is right and He loves us all.  In that love we find each other as raw as we are and we extend that same love, forgiveness and mercy to each other every day. Living in His Spirit-  It's a beautiful thing.

#wesselfamily

(Kids say that # doesn't work here but it seemed like a cool place to put it !). 

At my first defense ..

Happy birthday Tim!   We went around the circle this morning sharing things we love about daddy!   Good stuff!

May the message continue to be proclaimed in your life!!!!

Luke 24

Be humble, gentle and patient.

One of our commitments in our family creed is to "treat others as we'd like to be treated ."  This verse in Ephesians calls us to be humble, gentle and patient with one another.  To make allowance for (we like that) faults and failures. 

Today we are challenged to yield to the Spirit leading us and show love in every situation. 

Persevere!!!!

This weekend we lost an hour of sleep and it feels devastating!  Lol. The kids are all whining this morning of how tired they are and how they could not fall asleep last night and that they only got 5 hours of sleep.  Whaaaa!  We are all feeling it. 

We talked this morning about pressing through.  About not getting in our head about our sleep and making our bodies respond to that,  but rather to dig deep and press on toward the goal!!  Sound familiar?

Today we reminded each other that this race we are called to run requires us to take care of ourselves and while we mean in every realm , we especially mean spiritually.  So held each other accountable and we reminded each other one by one of how to make sure we have God time every day.  Every day.  Every day.  And with it , not to become weary but to persevere and be strong. 

This we must do. 

Take up your cross

For me today... This scripture challenges my thought life.  Honest , I can say all the right things out loud but internally I'm not always " giving it up" to God.  There are thoughts that I need to choose to take captive and and turn away from (deny) and instead I've let myself entertain them and believe them.   

No more!

Today, I take up my cross and follow Jesus with my whole heart.