I Am Not My Child's BFF

For some reason, my generation thinks that we should be our children's best friends instead of their parents.  I admit that it is a struggle for me.  My daughter is the one person in this world that is the most like me.  She thinks like me, acts like me and even looks like me.  I love hanging out with her.  We have the best time together! 

  But, God did not put me in the position of authority over her so that I could be her best friend.  I am her mother, and even though it kills me sometimes to do it, I have to say "no", I have to correct her and I have to punish her.  I have to train her to be a responsible adult.  I have to teach her and mold her into a strong Christian.   It is a huge responsibility.  

Watching some news clips yesterday, I was very shocked and saddened by Miley Cyrus' performance.   I felt really sick after I watched it.   I wondered how in the world little "Hanna Montana"  could produce such evil and disgusting behavior.   After a Google search this morning, I found this interview GQ did with her Dad in 2011.  Sadly, he saw all of this coming and felt powerless to stop it.

February 15, 2011, Billy Ray Cyrus did an interview for GQ magazine.  Here is an excerpt from that interview. 

“Billy Ray didn’t place all the blame on those currently in Miley’s life. There are also evil forces at work, he claimed. “Somewhere along this journey, both mine and Miley’s faith has been shaken,” he said. “That saddens me the most.”  

His family, Billy Ray argued, is now being ruined by Satan. “No doubt,” he insisted. “There’s no doubt about it.”  

And Billy Ray also held himself partially responsible for his daughter’s behavior. “How many interviews did I give and say, ‘You know what’s important between me and Miley is I try to be a friend to my kids’? I said it a lot,” he admitted. “And sometimes I would even read other parents might say, ‘You don’t need to be a friend, you need to be a parent.’ Well, I’m the first guy to say to them right now: You were right.” “I should have been a better parent. I should have said, ‘Enough is enough – it’s getting dangerous and somebody’s going to get hurt,’” he continued. “I should have, but I didn’t. Honestly, I didn’t know the ball was out of bounds until it was way up in the stands somewhere.”

Why did he feel so powerless?  Because his faith was not strong.  He admitted that his faith had been shaken.  I look around at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and I see the young people in our area saying and doing evil things.  Many times, I feel sick when I see the things they post.  Sadly, many of their parents know that they are doing them, but for some reason will not stop them.  They want to be the "friend" and not the parent.  

WHY??  Because that is exactly what satan wants.  He wants us to feel out of control.  He wants us to believe we are powerless.  He wants us to sit back and watch as our kids spiral out of control.   He loves the attitude, "We did it when we were young, kids will be kids." STOP IT!!!!!  Enough is enough!!!!!  Don't let satan have your child. You are NOT powerless.  The same power that raised Christ from the dead lives IN you.  

 Romans 8:11-12 NIV - And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.  Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation--but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it."

Let's be parents.  It's getting dangerous, and somebody is going to get hurt.  

She Can Laugh at the Days to Come

I took a little break from regular Sunday evening services last night and instead attended a ladies meeting with my daughter-in-law, Rebekah, at her former church. We had a wonderful meal and then Rebekah's cousin, Amberly,  spoke to us about some things that the Lord was doing in her life.  

Something that she shared really spoke to me and I wanted to, in turn, share it with you. She told us about her friend that, when she first met him, he was so annoyingly full of joy that he just laughed about everything.  Even though she was working in ministry at the time, she just could not understand the way he responded with everything so light-heartedly.  At first, she was actually kind of offended that he could just laugh at life.   As a woman, especially a woman in ministry, she seemed to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders...all of her past mistakes, current issues, other people's pain...which is what we, as women, tend to do.

  She used our purses as an example;  we carry so much in our purses that we all have back pain trying to lug them around!  I don't know about you, but I never take time to clean my purse out.  It is full of all sorts of junk!  It's the same with our lives.  We tend to carry all of the hurt, pain, problems and issues from our whole lives around and never clean the junk out!

  What a burden! 

Jesus died so that we did not have to carry those burdens alone. He told us to give them to Him.

  "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

As she began to examine her own life, and why she did not feel that same joy as her friend, God showed her the things she was holding on to.  She began to search THE WORD for scriptures about healing and freedom. Then she cleaned out her "purse". She let things go.  She began to laugh again.  She found joy. 

 

Last night, she shared many of those scriptures with us.  Scriptures we could cling to and draw strength from.  I needed that.  I needed to be reminded that we have such freedom in Christ that we should have joy bubbling over!  (I just thought of an old song we used to sing as kids.  "Bu bu bu bubbling, bu bu bubbling, Jesus' love is bubbling over, Jesus' love bubbles in my heart"  (You have to do the finger snaps when you're singing this)     

(This is the only version of the song I could find on Youtube:    Jesus Love is Bubbling Over )

Thank you, Lord, for reminding me (through your servant Amberly) that you carry my burdens, you fill me with your love, you died for my freedom and I can laugh at the days to come!  

"She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come."  Proverbs 31:25 NIV

Depress

Depress = to press down; to cause to sink to a lower position.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of the word “depress” is the emotional state of depression.  I believe that most of us, if we are honest, have struggled with this at some point in our lives.  I know from experience that this is one of satan’s greatest weapons in his arsenal.  If we allow it, he will hold us down and keep us from moving forward 

in our relationship with God and with other people.

“Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, worried, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, hurt, or restless.”  Wikipedia.com

If this is you, and any of these things are keeping you down, remember God’s word gives us everything we need to combat each and every one of these fiery darts.    

If you are anxious, you can have peace. 

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Phil 4:6-7  NIV

If you are empty, you can be filled.

 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.   And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,  and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

 Eph 3:16-19 NIV

If you are hopeless, you can become hopeful.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may 

overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

 Romans 15:13 NIV

If you are worried, you can find confidence 

and assurance.

"Such confidence we have through Christ before God.  Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God."

 2 Cor 3:4-5 NIV

"So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Matt 6:31-34 NIV

 

If you feel helpless, you can feel powerful.

 "The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you." 

Romans 8:11 NLT

If you feel worthless, you can feel valuable.

"And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

  Matt 10:31 NIV

If you feel guilty, you can be cleansed. 

 "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;  as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.  

Psalm 103:11-12 NIV

If you are irritable, you can find patience.

"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

 Gal 5:22-23 NLT

If you have been hurt, you can be healed.

"He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed."

1 Peter 2:24 NIV

If you are restless, you can be still. 

"The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."

Exodus 14:14 NIV

 He says, "Be still, and know that I am God.” 

 Psalm 46:10 NIV

Repress

Repress = to hold back; stop. 

When I think of the word “repress” I think of the term “repressed memories.”  (Again, I am pulling from my vast knowledge that I have gained from the University of Television)   “Repressed memory is a condition where a memory has been unconsciously blocked by an individual." Basically, the memory is “held back.” It isn’t gone, it's just in the brain not being used at the moment.

So what can we gather from this word that the Lord

 placed in my mind?? 

Sometimes, we as Christians tend to REPRESS things.  When we first have our salvation experience, we are filled with joy and on fire!  We want to tell everyone we meet about Jesus and what He did for us.

  

  But as time goes on and life gets in the way, we tend to either hold back or stop completely.    If too much time passes and we don’t stay in the Word, we can even "repress" the memory of that experience and forget about the joy.

That happened to King David.  He loved the Lord with all of his heart, but he let life get in the way. He let sin get in the way.  But restoration is possible!  We can ask the Lord to bring to mind those repressed memories of the joy of salvation; those repressed desires to serve Him and tell others about Him.  David prayed that prayer in Psalm 51.    

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. 

  Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.”

Psalm 51:12-13

What is repressing you today?  What is holding you back or stopping you from serving the Lord?  Whatever it is, confess it, repent, and keep pressing forward!  We have work to do!!  

Impress

Impress = to press one thing onto another.

When most people think of the word "impress"  they think about making an impression on other people.  Me?  My first thought was "impression mold."  Why?  Because for about a year I was obsessed with watching cake decorating shows on TV.  I DVR'd every single show that came on and watched them all.  In my vast knowledge that I gained, I learned that just about any shape you want can be obtained by using impression molds and fondant or gum paste. You just press the stuff in the mold and... BAM, you have an edible design (or sea shell or leaf or whatever!) Neat, right??   

 "Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter;

 we are all the work of your hand."

Isaiah 64:8 NIV

He is the potter, we are the clay.  So, basically, we are the fondant, He is the Impression Mold.  He molds us and makes us what He wants us to be. 

We are His impression.  

Hmmm...what will we do with this knowledge today?  Thank Him for making us exactly who He wanted us to be?  I hope so. 

(And maybe even thank Him for cake!)