Today’s Devotional

Written By: Jenny Jerkins

There are times that it seems like the demands of being a mommy, wife, and just overall being a woman close in on us.  We say yes to too much, we are shuttling kids everywhere, juggling careers and home life.  Sometimes it’s just overwhelming and we literally scream for Calgon to take us away, preferably to a tropical landscape with a pool attendant bringing nonstop umbrella drinks.  Or maybe that’s just me.  But I would venture to guess that we all have moments, whether we are moms, wives, or just women in general that we need an escape from the daily hustle.  We want to just “be” without a label.  Literally some days I just want to make it out the door without some kind of stain or snot wiped on me, but then it’s such a beautiful reminder of my role as a mommy and something I waited years to have.

Not long ago I had the opportunity to spend an ENTIRE WEEKEND with twelve other girl friends at the beach.  Hello! That’s a lot of hormones and personalities, and words, in one place.  But it was awesome.  It was such a relaxing time with no agenda, no tantrums, no schedule.  We simply just got to fellowship and uplift one another, sleep in, laugh until our sides hurt, and eat all the Oreos wanted without hiding in the pantry to do so.  I honestly think we consumed at least 8 to 10 packs of Oreos but I’m convinced all the laughing burned off those calories.

When I returned home that Sunday evening I realized how great for the soul that weekend was. And I also realized that I had grown much more weary than maybe I was willing to admit prior to leaving the previous riday.  Sisters, it’s ok to admit we are tired and weary.  We can’t do and be it all, and we have to take care of ourselves in order to be a better wife, mom, friend, employee, and all around woman.  That’s not being selfish.  It’s being real.

I have just five simple ways that help me recover when my soul is weary and when I feel like I physically or mentally cannot take another step forward – when I’m stuck.  These didn’t come from a self-help book and I am my no means an expert on this, or well anything for that matter.  They are just five simple things that work for me and I think are very practical and doable.

1. BE IN THE WORD (aka, The Bible)

I know this sounds almost cliché to talk about, but it’s the number one thing that gets me out of a funk and the number one thing that also causes me to be in one if I’m not reading the Bible regularly.  I’m not talking about hours of reading or trying to obtain a seminary degree.  I struggle with setting that time aside as well.  It doesn’t have to be first thing in the morning, although I find it sets the pace of my day when I start my day with the Word.  If nothing else, find a great short devotional to uplift you and to set your focus on God for the day.  Two that I recommend are apps that you can download directly to your phone and they are amazing – She Reads Truth and First 5 (Proverbs 31 Ministries).  Get them.  They are specifically for women, and are short yet full of wonderful truths.

1. FELLOWSHIP (Girl Time)

Spend time with other women.  Men don’t use the amount of words that we do in a day and they don’t require that bonding time that we do.  And quite frankly they don’t always laugh at the same things that we do.  Sometimes we just need to be together as women and talk about things that only other women will understand.  Grab some coffee, go for a walk, or just sit and chat.  Take time to pencil it in your schedule and hold it as sacred time for yourself. It’s such good, cheap therapy!

1. FIND YOUR TALENT/INTEREST

We don’t all have a musical or even a remarkable hidden talent.  Do something that relieves stress and do something for yourself.  You don’t have to be amazing at it or have a talent that you are going to market and sale.  It’s just for you and something you enjoy.  And it is something that will take your mind off of “life” for a few minutes either every day (if you can swing it) or at least every week.

1. ME TIME

I am a social introvert which means I love people and I love being around people, but I also require downtime to be alone.  I need to just sit a few minutes every day and sometimes literally stare at a wall for a few minutes, take some deep breaths, and relax.  Sometimes I read, sometimes I write, sometimes I watch my “trash” TV as I like to call it.  Maybe your “me time” can be combined with your talent and interest.  The thing is that you have to take some time for yourself whether it’s five minutes or an hour.

1. DATE NIGHTS

We are very fortunate to have my parents close by who LOVE to have our son stay with them all the time.  They are retired and at the stage in their life where he is the center of their attention, but they also realize how important it is for us to have that time just the two of us to nurture our relationship.  Our kids need for us to have a healthy and happy marriage.  Now not everyone is as fortunate as we are and I realize that.  There have been times we haven’t had those opportunities as well.  You may not be able to afford a regular babysitter.  And as hard as it is and as tired as you already are, you can attempt to put the kids to bed a little early every now and then and watch a movie together or have a date night in.  Have some time together, again even if you have to pencil it in a planner.

Find yourself, find the Word, and find your tribe of people.  Rest in knowing you aren’t alone when the walls of motherhood and life are closing in on you.  We all get weary and we all need breaks. After all, we are all human.

Jenny Jerkins is a former engineer turned stay at home wife to Asia, and mom to the most spirited and hilarious little boy, Ethan who currently believes he is Batman.  Their battle with infertility led them to the greatest miracle of adoption.  Jenny desires to bring hope, encouragement, and the love of Jesus to others, and especially women.  She also loves to share the many candid moments of daily mom life where she is usually asking for Jesus to hold her.  Jenny resides in Augusta, Georgia where her southern accent is strong and her coffee is stronger.

You can connect with Jenny on Instagram (link: https://www.instagram.com/jen_jerkins/), Facebook (link:https://www.facebook.com/jenny.t.jerkins/), and Twitter (https://www.twitter.com/jen_jerkins/).

Written by: Nichole Stern

I didn’t even like him.

More specifically, I didn’t like his friends and he was guilty by association. But then I got to know him and realized he wasn’t who I thought he was.

He showed up with a five gallon bucket of sunflower seeds, some Ghiradelli dark chocolate and his guitar on my birthday.

Flowers, Chocolates, and serenades.

What girl wouldn’t fall for that?

We weren’t Christians then, but we spent a lot lot of time in deep, philosophical discussions that lasted until the sun came up.  We’d both spent some time on the hamster wheel of success and found it lacking.

Searching for something bigger than ourselves, we didn’t realize there were God-shaped holes in our souls we were longing for Him to fill.

Within 3 months of our first date, Todd moved to South Florida for a job. I remember him telling me he couldn’t imagine being happy there without me, and I followed him a few months later. Though we’d vowed not to live together, we allowed circumstances to cloud our judgement and I moved into his one bedroom apartment on the water.

We started arguing almost immediately. With his new job, Todd was traveling about 95% of the time and I found myself far removed from everything I’d once held dear. I’d left a promising career, a city I loved, and a network of people I’d been doing life with for years…all to be a live-in dog sitter.

I love that dog, y’all, but have mercy!

Our relationship deteriorated as we continued to live together. We couldn’t agree on anything, and frankly, we were miserable.

Thankfully, miserable is often where God does His best work. And He had already started to work in our hearts.

We removed the physical aspect of our relationship and tried studying the Bible together. But while legalism may have made us look better on the outside, our hearts were still far from Him.

Each day on the way to work, I passed a little church, and like moths to a flame, we were drawn to eventually attendSunday services. The Pastor passionately spoke truth in love and he along with others there loved us in spite of ourselves. Just like Jesus.

God used the love we were shown and truth we learned there to change our hearts.

One Sunday morning in 2006, after hearing a message from Luke 18 where Jesus compares the prayers of the Pharisee and the tax collector, God showed me my Pharisee heart.

I saw all the ways I’d tried and failed to fill the void in my soul, and with the illumination of His great love, I finally sawHe was Who I’d been searching for all those years.

Overwhelmed by His goodness and grace, I surrendered my life to Him, vowing to follow Him the rest of my days.

I was counseled and prayed over by the women in our church, and rejoicing over my salvation, I couldn’t wait to find Todd to share it with him.

I walked down the hallway back to the sanctuary and saw Todd on his knees in prayer with one of the elders from the church. He too had felt God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness drawing him close that day, and as our perfect God would have it, we crossed from death to life on the same day.

Best. Day. Ever. 🙂

Never unequally yoked, washed clean and made new simultaneously.

What an amazing God we serve.

Salvation was radical for both of us. We went from being enemies of God to sold out for Christ almost immediately.

I moved out of our one bedroom apartment and while the world saw this as the ultimate end of our relationship, we knew it was a new beginning. We were starting our dating relationship over, the right way this time.

As a man made new, Todd pursued me with a newfound love and as we pursued Christ together, we fell in love all over again.

But as life would have it, the next couple of years brought us every trial we could imagine.

High pressure jobs, ridiculous travel schedules, purchasing a home, unemployment, cross country moves, cancer.

Each gave us new opportunities to find our peace in Christ. And as we sought Him, we found Him.

Every. Single. Time.

We married in May 2008 with a small ceremony on a little island off the coast of Savannah, GA.

Second. Best. Day. Ever. 🙂

I wish I could say our marriage has been perfect. That we’ve had no problems, challenges, or meltdowns. But that would be a lie.

Marriage is hard, y’all.

And as much I adore my man, I’ve had to learn (the hard way) that he makes a very poor god. Idolizing my husband and my marriage was a struggle for me. And once I thought I’d gotten through it, in reality, I’d only traded those idols with the idol of motherhood.

I desperately wanted children. More than anything.

And friends, ANYTHING we want more than Jesus is an idol. I’ve had to lay my dream of motherhood on the altar more times than I can count. And while I can’t tell you why we’ve not been able to have children, I can tell you God has used our struggle with infertility to weed out the idols in my heart and to help me learn to trust Him, to know that He is enough, even when I don’t understand His plans.

He’s also used it to strengthen our marriage.

Todd has faithfully held me as I’ve sobbed (read: ugly cried), he’s walked beside me through this hard journey of learning God is NOT a genie in a bottle whose wish is my command.

He’s seen me at my worst and continues to challenge and encourage me to seek God’s best.

Our marriage isn’t perfect. And neither are we.

We’re just two people who love Jesus and are committed to following hard after Him.

No matter what.

I stand in awe of the redemption story God has given us, and I hope our story encourages you. To have hope that those who are lost can be found.

And to believe that even when it’s messy and hard, this Jesus life is exceedingly, abundantly blessed.

Written by: Victoria MacDonald

Of all the lies Satan uses to discourage women, I think one of the biggest is this: your life is a competition.

He wants you to believe you must be more than you are. More productive, more beautiful, more put-together, more accomplished.

He taunts you to believe you should be less than you are. Less of a mess, less needy, less emotional, less unique.

But the truth is, you are enough. Just the way you are. Just the way He has made you. You are so enough{2 Corinthians 3:5}, and your life is not a competition {2 Corinthians 10:12}.

God is not looking at you saying, “I really wish she’d look prettier and accomplish more, because that is what defines her, and I just don’t think she’s enough.”

No, He is looking at you saying, “My beautiful child, made perfect because of my Son, come closer. Trust me more. Love me more. Let me work more. Let go of all the striving and the worry and the pushing and the competition. You are my Beloved. Rest in that.”

There is grace for the process of sanctification. You are not in charge of your holiness. Your perfection is not in your hands. You make choices to sin or not sin, and you decide how to look to Him after those choices are made, and all of that is important, but if you are truly seeking God and looking to walk in His ways, then you will find Him {Jeremiah 29:11} and you will be made like Him (Romans 8:28-29}.

There is grace for today. You are living where you are supposed to be. You are who God has made you to be and who God is making you to be {Philippians 1:6}. If you are working with all your heart on what He has called you to do, then you are doing the work He wants you to do {Colossians 3:23}. If you are striving to trust Him, to be like Him, to follow His will, and to let Him refine you, then there is nothing more He asks of you.

Your life is not a competition. Stop believing you have to make it one.

As a writer who has battled chronic illness for most of her life, Victoria shares about the suffering she’s enduring, the lessons she’s learning, and the grace in the midst of it all. You can follow her on Instagram (@victoria___anne).

Written By: Jenny Jerkins

Life can throw us all not just one but sometimes a number of curve balls.  One of those for my husband and I was a diagnosis of dual infertility.  Leading up to that moment, and even past the blessing of adoption, I went through a series of rises and falls in my emotions.  You name it and I held every emotion in the book at one point or another – frustration, anger, sadness, guilt, pride, failure.  All those pretty words that Christians aren’t supposed to feel, right? Wrong. We do. There are times I felt as though we deserved better.  After all, we were doing all the right things and in the right order like good engineers do.  The pride welled inside of me.  I became angry and resentful. And then there was the most shameful of emotions for me as an individual –guilt and failure.  I had failed God and this thing called infertility was His way of punishing me for it.  Guilty as charged.

I DESERVE THIS.

“I had mistaken God’s preservation for His punishment.  I had been tucked away in what felt like isolation, protected by what felt like obscurity, and all the while, my faithful God had been working hard on my behalf.”  – Cody Andras

I convinced myself that because of my past – one I had become very shameful of – God was punishing me and I deserved every ounce of it.  I had dishonored Him and my own body.  I was sentenced to a life of barrenness.  The punishment was fitting of the crime.  I deserved it.  End of story. 

But this wasn’t the end of my story. 

Does God allow consequences for our sins? Absolutely.  There will always be consequences to our actions because we live in a fallen world and because we are sinners.  But His ways of punishment are far different from what we often envision.  He is a merciful and just God.  He is our Father in Heaven who, yes allows consequence, but it is followed by His gentle correction and love.  It is just like any other parent/child relationship.  We warn our children of consequences, yet we still love them and never turn our backs on them no matter how hard they fall.  He gives us grace upon grace just as we do as parents. 

The years of unexplained infertility that I mistook for punishment was so far from what God was doing in my life.  He was breaking me, redeeming me, and performing a miracle that would come through adoption.  It unfolded detail after detail throughout our Adoption Journey. 

As painful as those years were – and even through the myriad of emotions – I could not be more grateful or in awe of God’s plans for our lives.  He restored the brokenness the first time we saw our son’s face.  Everything was made clear.  Every wrong turn led to the most perfect destination.  I am sorry for the wrongs I have made in my life, but God made them all right when He died on the cross and the moment blessed us with the most precious gift of parenthood.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23 (ESV)

If you are where I once was, don’t buy into satan’s lies that you deserve this – that you are a shameful human being who is sentenced to a lifetime of guilt and consequence.  If you have truly repented, God has already removed that sin from you as far as the east is from the west.  He is no longer keeping a record of your wrong.  It is forgotten.  It was purchased with His blood on the cross.  He will do something far greater in you and through you than you could have ever imagined. He is working hard on your behalf.  And although it is hard to see it at the moment, He is going to create beauty from your ashes.  You will rise and you will have a story to tell.

You are not stuck at the end of your story.

~ Jenny

Jenny Jerkins is a former engineer turned stay at home wife to Asia, and mom to the most spirited and hilarious little boy, Ethan who currently believes he is Batman.  Their battle with infertility led them to the greatest miracle of adoption.  Jenny desires to bring hope, encouragement, and the love of Jesus to others, and especially women.  She also loves to share the many candid moments of daily mom life where she is usually asking for Jesus to hold her.  Jenny resides in Augusta, Georgia where her southern accent is strong and her coffee is stronger. 

You can connect with Jenny on Instagram (link: https://www.instagram.com/jen_jerkins/), Facebook (link:https://www.facebook.com/jenny.t.jerkins/), and Twitter (https://www.twitter.com/jen_jerkins/).

Written by: Bethany McIlrath

Reconciling the Biblical call to cease striving with the command to continually seek is tricky when you’re in the midst of searching out God’s will for your life. You know that sitting on your hands doing nothing isn’t what God asks of any one. At the same time, you know that moving ahead without his leading isn’t obedience either.

There’s a way to seek without striving, though.

It starts with the object of both those Biblical passages: God.

Read more fully, those two competing charges have something in common: “Cease striving and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). “Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face continually” (Psalm 105:4).

Just like living out the will of God is all about the Lord, so is waiting for clarity about His will.

I know how hard that can be.

Seasons of unemployment, a couple of cross country moves, non-traditional living arrangements, and several career fields later, my young adulthood has proved to be a case study in the awkward process of surrendering to the Lord’s will, even in the waiting.

Too many of my hours and days have been spent striving to find answers on job sites, Google, and housing portals. I feared irresponsibility. I feared laziness. I feared failure. So I did and did whatever I could to make something happen.

Sometimes I finagled something, other times I learned that you can make striving a full-time gig while accomplishing nothing. Through all of it, the Lord has been faithful.

God continues to seek us even when we forget that we ought to be seeking Him instead of striving to order our lives for Him on our own.

I’ve found seeking Him to be striving-free.

Seeking without striving looks more like:

-Settling into the truth.

-Taking a seat at His feet.

-Watching expectantly.

-Obeying in the small things.

-Looking to Him for provision for just today.

-Measuring God as sufficient.

As you find yourself searching for God’s will for your life, I pray you’ll give up on Google and other modes of striving more quickly than I have. He who call us is faithful- He will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:24.)

We don’t have to get with a program or keep up with the deadlines in our heads- we have only to be draw near and be still in His will. Stay close to Him, and you’ll get where He is leading you.

A learner at heart, Bethany McIlrath believes that listening to the Lord’s Word and being attentive to all that He teaches her through daily life is a priceless blessing. Eager to share about her Savior, you can find Bethany’s writing on her blog: Firstandsecondblog.com. She would love to connect with you on Twitter or Facebook as well.