Accepting the invitation

20 Jul 2014 1 Comment

by emmatimms in Uncategorized Tags: , ,

I have an amazing husband.

Hands down, no competition, God couldn’t have blessed me anymore in the marriage department. A lover, companion, friend, father, leader and all round legend that is Jon Timms.

We have a great flow to our life together and how me run our home/family life, and I know he does more for me and with me than I ever could have dreamed or expected.

God is taking him on an incredible journey as a man, and inviting him into so much that The Kingdom has to offer. Through that invitation God is also calling me to rise up as a woman, a wife and a mother.

I am genuinely so excited for him as he does more ministry and journeys with God into all kinds of new arenas. But if I’m not careful, in my selfish moments, even though he does so much to help me it can be easy to feel a bit jealous and like I’m left ‘holding the baby’

With the summer holidays approaching I was looking forward to him being around more and having lots of family time.

Our house is becoming very cramped as our beautiful family grows and due to finances, moving is not an option, so we decided a while ago to look into a small extension.

Quotes are back and a building company is not an option, so we have decided that Jon is going to do as much of it as he can himself! That’s right at the beginning of the summer holidays with 4 young children and ministry events looming we have decided to start our very first building project!

Crazy we know!

But the funny thing is Gods fingerprints are all over it. The challenge, the hard work, the learning, the sacrifice, the save and spend save and spend instead of the more tempting and quicker debt option.

And in this God in His love has shown me just how selfish I really am, because when Jon isnt working at his job or on his ministry stuff I want him to be here lightening my load! Yesterday I really melted down about it and wanted to take the easy way option of just paying to get the work done. But instead I know Gods invitation is to something so much richer…..So much more than just a building project.

The invitation to lean on Him more for strength instead of Jon when things get tough. The invitation to rise up and give Jesus my selfishness in exchange for His grace. To lean into Him in a new way in the long days that are to come, when our home is in chaos.

One if the things I love about being a Christian, is what an adventure and a journey it is. I love that God completely transforms us as our weaknesses are exposed and we give them to Him to be redeemed.

So as Jon accepts the invitation to juggle paid work, ministry work and building work, I am choosing to accept the invitation of trying to hold the family together without the level of support I’m used to. I am choosing to lean into God for strength in a new way. I am choosing to ask God to help me be less selfish and more full of His love.

As you face the summer holidays is there an area you need to lean into God more for strength? If your not sure, ask Him……he loves to guide us along this ancient road of redemption and restoration, this road of giving us beauty for ashes.

Big love to all you mums out there

Em x

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03 Jul 2014 2 Comments

by emmatimms in Uncategorized Tags: ,

I have been battling a lot again with guilt and insecurity, especially in regards to how I spend my time.

I know every day is a gift from God and I don’t want to waste time or spend it on things that are out of line with Gods plans for me. As tozer said ‘remember when we kill time, it has no resurrection’

We are still ‘van less ‘ so there is still a lot more walking than usual. This has afforded me the space to ponder and wrestle with the issue of how I personally spend my time.

As is true for many, lots of how I spend my time is out of my hands doing the essential day to day jobs. But there is some margin where I do have the opportunity to choose. From the beginning of time Gods plan has always been for us to be able to choose. To have free will to either go our own way, led by external influences or our own desires. Or to partner with him and be led by the Spirit.

The difficult thing about it is there is no right or wrong answer, no ‘one size fits all’ no specific path to follow. Instead we are presented with a journey, one that is to be taken minute by minute, day by day, season by season. The journey of walking with God, listening for His small still voice calling to us….’this is the way, walk in it’

Learning to hear this voice takes time, time of getting to know our father in heaven. It also takes intentionality and perseverance, there is a lot of other noise clamouring for our attention.

There is the physical noise around us of our families, the tv, music, and friends. But also the noise of our own selfish desires, brokenness and the culture that surrounds us.

After some serious reflection I have realised the root of why I have been feeling guilty and insecure about how I spend my time, and it is simply this…..comparison. Without even realising I have been seeing how other mums, other Christians, people I look up to spend their time and using that as the benchmark to view how I spend my time, the fruit of it has been guilt.

The bible calls us all to play our part in Christs body, and to run our own race. If you want to fail miserably at this than I can tell you the answer. Compare yourself to others and listen to every influence available!

Success however will come from coming to God in humility and asking him to search your heart and assess your motives. Your journey is your journey and my prayer is that you will grow in confidence to walk in out with peace and strength knowing you only have God to answer to.

How we all spend our days will look so different from each other, and the truth is only God knows our heart and our motives. So let’s give each other grace, support and encouragement as we all play our part.

Be so blessed

Emma x