Power outage

It's soon to be a new year. Did you know that the number 8 signifies "new beginnings"?

While I don't know what is in store for us in the next year, I do have a few directions from the Lord. One is encouragement.

When I make a list of people that are an absolute treat in my life (besides my children) it is made up of encouragers. What a joy it is to spend time with them--I am always ready to call them up with a joy or a sorrow-they both rejoice with me and make my load lighter.

The meaning of the word "to encourage" is literally to "put courage" into someone. I don't need to tell you how dark and sad this world is, how daunting it can be to have a family and try to get it "functional", especially while homeschooling, having lots of babies, etc.

The unfortunate thing is that, while we feel we are waging a battle, we sometimes become like dead batteries, drained of all life and energy. This is a dangerous state, since we are supposed to be the "spirit" of the home; lifegivers to everyone under our influence.

But there is great hope. We are not on our own, and we do not need to feel as though all of the love, energy and courage has to be manufactured by our own little brains and hearts. Just like a battery charger, the Holy Spirit dwells in us--with unlimited power and energy!

But we need a "outlets" to access the Source.

• Thanksgiving
• Praise (especially through singing and music)
• Prayer--from deep in your spirit, and through the reading aloud of the Bible as prayers

My laptop has a pretty good battery, but it only lasts about an hour. If I am alert, I can plug in my AC adapter before my screen goes black, but sometimes I get so wrapped up into what I am doing that my screen goes black before I am prepared.

If I am wise, I spend time being "plugged in" with God long before a great energy drain. Then I have a little battery power to see me through--like during those post-partum days or through the flu season. But I cannot neglect time with Jesus for long, or I become a bedraggled shell of a person.

Here are some ways that I get "connected":

• I start thanking God for all of my blessings--even for the simplest things such as my health, or that I have good drinking water (most of the world's water is questionable)
• I begin thanking Him even for the bad things--claiming Romans 8:28--see this ministry for more
• Play praise music and sing and dance to it with my kids--becoming demonstrative--lifting both my hands and my heart to Him, giving Him a big hug with my heart and my voice--being reminded of just how big He is makes my problems look very small
• Sing old hymns--most of the tunes I sang in church as a youngster but didn't really pay attention--but now when I read and sing them from hymnbooks here at home I am reaping a great harvest of encouragement and devotion
• Reading and meditating on God's word whenever I can--waiting for the teller at the drive-thru, at the doctor's office, while nursing, while waiting for the potatoes to boil, etc.--I need to have my mind renewed! I also journalize vast portions of scripture as another way to meditate on it--a habit I have had since high school--sometimes I "mind-map" scripture studies
  
• Taking the time just before the kids awake to read a devotional and get on the floor before Him

For another great resource along these lines--read this article by Nancy Campbell--it's terriffic!