My heart is so burdened today for moms who want to stay at home with their children, but can’t seem to find a way to make it happen. I don’t know what your situation is, but if you have a desire to be home with your children, yet find yourself unable to make that happen, I want you to know that I am praying for you today. This post is not being written to talk anyone into being a stay-at-home mom. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 7 that God has given each person his own calling. If you are a woman who believes that God has called you to work, I do not dispute that, and you will be blessed for your obedience to Him. Your calling is between you, your husband and God. But I know that there are women who desperately want to be at home with their children and have not been able to make that happen. For some, the hold-up is financial. For some, you might feel like God is calling you to stay home, yet you think you would be too bored. For some, your husband is not in agreement that you stay home, and this is causing division. Whatever the reason, I am praying that God will make a way for you where there seems to be no way. I understand that some of you might be single mothers, trying your best to provide for your family, and it seems an impossibility for you to stay home. I want you to know that God hears and sees you, just like he saw Sarai’s handmaid and made a way for her son to be provided for. He revealed Himself to her that day as El Roi, the LORD who Sees. He sees you too, and I am praying that He will make a way to give you the desires of your heart. Don’t lose heart.

The other day, my friend Joseph’s facebook status said that he was “really, really sick of people who cancel plans last minute.” I had some similar frustration over someone who was being wishy-washy when I needed them to just say yes or no about something. The root of that frustration is really the same, as I figured out when I read my devotional from Guideposts this morning. It said that we should not be a member of the “Better Invitation Club”. The author went on, “It’s a moral principle: If someone invites you to do something, you don’t ditch them because a better invitation happened to come your way.” And I would add that you don’t fail to make a commitment because you are waiting to see if a better offer comes along. The Bible says in Matthew 5 to “let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no’.” It was talking about making oaths, and how we should not have to swear oaths because our word should be good enough that if we say yes to something, people should be able to count on us. As Christians, we should conduct ourselves in a way that people can depend on us. I hope this lesson helps you today in making (or declining) plans and sticking to them.

I am reading the book The Power of a Praying Wife (I’ll write a review on the entire book when I’m finished reading it.), and yesterday’s passage was about repentance. It was so applicable to my own life, that I wanted to pass it on to you. Maybe it will step on your toes like it did mine. Stormie Omartian writes…

“Everyone makes mistakes. That’s not the issue. But there is an epidemic in the world today of people who can’t admit they did something wrong. God says, ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness,’ (1John 1:9). But first we have to be sorry about what we’ve done.

“According to God’s way of doing things, there are three steps to changing our behavior. First there is confession, which is admitting what we did. (I’ll add that this means admitting it out loud, verbally to the person against whom you have sinned.) Next there is repentance, which is being sorry for what you did. Then there is asking forgiveness, which is being cleansed and released from what we did. The inability or resistance to do any of these three steps is rooted in pride. A man (or woman) who can’t humble himself to admit he’s wrong before God (or other people) will have problems in his life that will never go away. ‘Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him’ (Proverbs 26:12).”

Do you need to ask someone’s forgiveness today? Don’t put it off. Do it now so that you can be restored and the relationship can be healed.

This morning I have been pondering the power of our words. I have long known about how important it is to choose our words wisely, but I wanted to bring this post to you today in hopes that it will be timely for some of you. God addresses “speaking” A LOT in scripture. Have you ever noticed that when God created this magnificent world in which we live, He didn’t wave His hand and magically bring it into being. He didn’t “think it” into creation. The Bible says in Genesis that God SAID, “Let there be…” and it WAS. He chose words to be the vehicle He used to create. And words have no less power now than they did when He first used them. We create with our words even today. Do you believe that your words have the power to create your environment? Think about it…

How many times have you spoken too harshly to your child because you were at the end of your rope? What kind of environment did it create? When that happens in our home, it creates a child with a broken spirit, one who is trying so hard to please me and yet feels frustrated and defeated because her best efforts weren’t good enough. My misuse of words creates in me a feeling tremendous guilt because I am fully aware of what I have just done to my precious child. They create a feeling of defeat, that I have done it AGAIN. Thank God we have grace and mercy, and I thank Him that I have a child with a forgiving spirit so that peace can be restored quickly. But how much better would it have been if those harsh words had never been spoken? James 3:5, when speaking about our words, says “Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” Our hurtful words can have far-reaching effects that we never intended. And many times we don’t even know how hurtful we have been, but you can believe that the ones we have hurt know.

How often has my husband been worn out after a physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting day (or week, or month) at work, and my encouraging words renew and strengthen him? I admit that this doesn’t happen as often as it should. But our words have the power to restore and heal. Proverbs 25:11 says, “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” In the same way that negative words can harm, fitly chosen words can be like a balm, healing over wounds and relieving hurt feelings and anger. They can encourage and strengthen. Our positive words can convey acceptance and appreciation.

Our words have effect in this world and in the lives of others. What kind of impact will your words have? The choice is yours… and mine.