I Thessalonians 1:2 "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;"
There will be two posts today...this post and my puzzle of the week post. I want to share my heart in this post this morning.
I want to tell each of you that come by here (and especially those that leave comments) that you don't realize what a blessing you have been to me. Just you coming by has encouraged me more than you know. I have thought so much lately of quitting my blog and just not doing it anymore. I've been having a bit of a pity-party I guess you could say.
I've been feeling like a bit of a failure lately. More so in the days leading up to my youngest daughter moving out of our home. I feel as though I have failed as a parent...as a Christian and as an example of what I post on my blog. I realize what we as parents do to raise our children and to teach them with the Word of God as our guide that in the end they will be faced with choices to continue that as an adult. The choices they make is not always the correct ones that are God's will.
I can say that the choices our children make definitely break our hearts when they go against what God's Word teaches. The choices our daughter is making is very hurtful and has caused me to question my ability to teach others what God's Word says. That is where I've been. God has been helping me to look at our son and other daughter and rejoice that I haven't been a complete failure. Also...the comments and the little red dots on my map in my sidebar has been more encouraging than any of you will know.
I may not be posting much but with the heartbreak that I'm experiencing I have just been withdrawn a bit. For this I apologize since there are still some that are coming by looking for encouragement and whatever God might have for them for the day. My desire is and always has been for this blog to be a blessing each and every day to someone. Please forgive me for my lack of posts lately. My husband...Kristina and I need your prayers. We are all hurting right now. Our youngest daughter is leaving Friday on her 18th birthday. We will especially need your prayers that day and in the days to come.
A big thank you goes to all my readers for being the encouragement I've needed even though you had no idea you were. I love you all in Christ!!
48 comments:
I'll be praying for you, Sis. Julie! {{{HUGS}}}
Sis. Pam...Thank you so much!! Y'alls prayers are what has helped me to get through this thus far. And I'm confident that y'all will continue. Love you and many ((((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))) to you as well!!
We try to raise our kids to do right but in the end it ultimately also comes down to their choices as well. Every parent makes mistakes, we know that even though our son is only nine months old LOL. But children also have minds of their own to make decisions of their own and sometimes those are not the decisions they ought to be making. I feel for you as I can only imagine the heartbreak this would bring since you have taught her better. Be in prayer that she will return with a repentant heart. You still have a few days before she leaves...pray that something will hinder her or that God will change her heart. Anyway I'm not trying to give advice really, I just wanted to encourage you. Do your best, pray, and leave it to the Lord.
Mrs Julie our heart is broken with you over what she is doing. We will be praying for you greatly over the next couple of days and beyond. I don't look at you and Bro Ron as a failure the choice that she is making I think you did all you could do to teach and show her what is right but ultimately the choice is up to her once she turns that age and now we just have to pray that as she lives away from home that if she is saved whch only the Lord knows that the holy spirit makes her feel so uncomfortable when she moves out or when she does things that are not right we still serve a big God who knows what is going on and be assured that even though things look a little bleak that Word that has been put into her will not return void. Again we love you all and are going to continue to pray for you.
Bro Tim
Mrs. W....We are definitely continuing to pray before she leaves...but she is very intent on leaving no matter what. She says she is not happy at home due to the standards and rules we have and with the deputation it only makes her more intent on leaving. We have put her in God's hands where she needs to be. So it is totally up to God now...although He won't force Himself upon her...so it is ultimately up to her. Once she is gone if she still chooses to leave then we will be continuing to pray for her and pray that she comes back home having made things right with the Lord.
Thank you for your encouraging words.
Bro. Tim...Thank you so much!! I know your heart is broken over this as well since you took a personal interest in her by teaching her and praying for her as her youth leader and as a close friend of our family. Thank you for your prayers!!! We love y'all very much!!
Sis. Julie, you know I'm praying for you and your dh in this situation. I know it isn't easy, and it's probably even more difficult to have a rebellious daughter than a rebellious son -- we want so much to protect the girls, don't we. You have not been bad parents, you have done the best you could, following the Lord, teaching and guiding according to what you believed He required of you. You have left your daughter in the hands of the Lord; He is quite capable of keeping her, protecting her, and drawing her to Himself -- in HIS time. I'll be praying that you can leave her there. Juanita
Sis. Juanita...Thank you so much!! I know we have done all we can to train her up in the way she should go. And since we have we have God's promise that she will come back to Him. So I'm clinging to and leaning on that promise. Thank you for your continued prayers!!
Sis.Julie, I just wantd to let you know that I am prayig for ya'll and for her to do what she knows is right. I love ya'll bunches.
Love ya,
Sis.Crystal
This is tough. I've been through it with my eldest. It is so trying and I understand the tremendous weight you're feeling.
For what it's worth, my beloved husband chose the same route (but worse) at her age. When the Lord finally got a hold of him, what a powerful vessel he was (and is). Keep praying, keep letting her know how much love her and that your love isn't conditional.
This parenting thing certainly isn't for the faint-hearted, is it?
Sis. Julie, let me tell you that I have walked in your shoes and, therefore, can surely relate. My youngest walked the rebellious path and my heart was totally broken. I could not understand why God allowed this to happen when I felt that I had done all that I could as a Christian parent to raise my son in His ways. But you are right. They will make their own choices and mistakes. We all do. Our wrong choices have made us the Christian we are today. The Lord uses our weaknesses and frailties to teach us and mold us into the Christian He would have us to be. Today, my youngest is a Marine and loves the Lord. He is serving in Okinawa and has joined an IFB church there! Momma's heart rejoices and I am praying that you will be able to rejoice soon!!
Sis Julie~ I want you to know that you and your family are still in my prayers and that I will be praying more for you in the days ahead. I don't have any children of my own but growing up with as many siblings as I have it was hard for me to watch them stray from the Lord. Yet it is their decision and we can only pray for them. I heard a preacher say one time that " All hell can not take a child from a praying mother". The preacher spoke as part of his testimony. You all will continue to be in my prayers.
Sis. Karen...No it sure isn't. I know there is still hope that she will turn and do the right thing. But it sure does hurt in the process.
Sis. Kate....Thank you so much!! It is those that have been where I am that truly know how it feels and how to pray. I rejoice with you at what God has done in your son's life and what a tremendous testimony. But with each path that takes us away from God there is always baggage to bring back. That is what is scaring me most of all!!
Sis. Diane...Thank you so much!! My heart is touched at the support that my readers are showing. Those prayers will be what gets me through these next days as we go through this.
Julie,
you have been in my heart and prayers since you first requested prayer for your daughter...I know what a broken heart you are experiencing as your daughter makes her choices...but when you turn her over to God you have to leave her there..and let Him deal with her...since she doesn't feel called by God to the deportment..she feels justified in what she is doing, so she will not be listening to you...
my prayers are joining yours as we pray for her safety and for her return into the fold...allow your other children to comfort you as you morn over her decisions...
Love in Christ
Mimi
Sis. Mimi...Thank you so much!! God is faithful concerning His promises so I know He will work in this situation.
((Sis Julie)) ~ My Heavenly Father has children that stray, but I think no less of Him because of their disobedience. Praying for your precious daughter. Praying for your aching heart. Love you, dear sister in Christ.
Sis. Jodi...Thank you so much!!
Just wanted to let you know that we are praying for you all, It must be tough and heartwrenching, I am glad my little one is where he is for now!!
Many blessings to you
Amy
Mrs. Amy...Thank you so much!! I can definitely feel everyone's prayers. Today she is moving her stuff out but so far I'm doing okay. Tomorrow is when she leaves to stay where she will be living.
Dear Sis. Julie, I have been where you are and I know how a heart can hurt. You do question yourself and anything connected to what you have been. It took me a while to get my bearings also. I never dreamed that "I" would have this kind of a problem. I had raised four boys and they were just what My husband and I had hoped. Then our daughter decided she did not like our standards nor our way of living and left home. She got way out of God's will and was disciplined by our church. So we had very little contact with her for about five years. She let us know that she had been saved. We welcomed her back into our family and home. It was a very hard years. We learned very much and she certainly did. Thank God that we can know that He knows. Don't give up and don't quit, Sis. Julie. You may be helping others but in turn God may send someone just to help your daughter. We will continue to pray that God can teach her before she leaves and want have to go though all the bad that my daughter did. love you, connie from Texas
Sis. Connie....Oh..thank you so much!! I have felt the prayers of my friends!! I have cried today as she moved her stuff out but tomorrow will be the hardest because that is when she is leaving. She isn't 18 till tomorrow so she isn't allowed to leave until tomorrow. I've already cried a couple of times today but I have definitely felt the prayers. Or else I would have cried all day long. Thank you so much for your testimony of what you have been through. I'm very scared for her but I placed her in God's hands a long time ago and I pray for her to stay there daily!! I'm trusting Him and His promises!!
I love you too!!
Sis Julie.... I am surely gonna pray for your family I know what you are going through satan is out to get all our young people.. I am not gonna tell you it's easy cause we are still hurting over kimberly and I know one day kimberly will come home.. please don't think you have failed as a parent cause I look up to you and Bro. Ron. we love ya'll. and if you need to talk maybe we can meet for lunch one day or just call me on the phone anytime day or night I will be there for you.
love your family always
marsheila
Sis. Marsheila...Thank you so much for praying for us. I now know the hurt you have been going through. We are still praying for Kimberly and for Matthew of course. I know God will get the glory out of all our situations with our children. So all we can do is pray for strength and receive His grace to get through. We love y'all too!!
Sis. Julie,
I am praying for you and that God will help you all though it. I know that it must be hard.
Dave
Dave...Thank you so much!! Today is really...really hard. And to see the disconcern on Michelle's face and hear it in her voice is killing me!!
Everyone else has said so many wonderful things....
She is the Lord's and IF she is HIS, HE won't leave her alone...if she truly isn't then we pray for her to truly get saved.
We are all born with our own free will and make some unwise choices...don't let the enemy take advantage of you at this time...
PRESS ON.
Deby
Sis. Deby....I'm doing my best with the help of the Lord. Today has been very hard...and even harder once she left. I am finding myself thinking about her every moment and wondering what she is doing. I know I can't live like that. So I'm trying to pray as much as I can. Thank you for you prayers and encouraging words.
((( HUGS ))))
You wouldn't be a good mama if you weren't thinking like that...
YOU care, you love her..
We will uphold you in prayer.
Deby
I don't think I have ever left a comment here, but I wanted to let you know that we're praying for yall!
Jess
(in Germany - don't know if you remember me from camp meeting but Kristina knows who I am :)
Jess....I do remember you from camp and I pray for your family often. Thank you for your prayers. It means so much during this time. Thank you for being there for Kristina during this time as well. She is having a hard time as well. This has affected her more than I thought it would.
Praying for your precious daughter....and for you too, dear Julie.
Hugs!
Sis. Mishel...Thank you very much!!
Sis Julie,
I am so sorry you and your family are going through this. I too have dealing with my own heartbreak and have also been withdrawn. I just feel I can’t get my mind still enough for a good post, though I did update yesterday. Please read if you get a chance as I could sure use some prayers too.
Praying for all of you.
Love, Lyndy
Oh Honey, I had no idea! I'm hurting for you and your daughter just reading this. You sound a lot like me in the fact that you hve the tendancy to withdraw and feel like a failure while experiencing tough times with your kids. My 21 yr. old is disappointing us right now and it truly hurts. I've been trying to mentor a single mom in our church body and have been questioning myself lately. What right do I have trying to help her mother her difficult daughter when I have a grown son who is being difficult right now?? But I keep reminding myself that it is Satan placing those negative toughts in my mind. He would love for this dear mom to end in defeat. He would lke nothing more than to gain this child's life as she grows., so I must stay vigilant. My sister often asks me if I've done my best. I must say Yes, the best I knew to do. God onoy asks for OUR best Sis. I'll have to put you all on my prayer list. Stay strong. Don't stop blogging. Just be true and honest. My situation is a little different than yours, in that he moved out to go to Bible College when he was 18. After one yr. he moved in with my parents and remains there, working full time. But---he has grown indiffernet to many things of the Lord and has become somewhat disrespectful and not careful of friends. Please pray for him also please?? Love you. we can be an encouragement to one another through this. Watch God Work!
Sis. Lyndy...I'm so sorry that you are going through what you are going through. I thank you for your prayers for me and you always have my prayers going up for you. I will pray specifically for this need you have lately. Although I am hurting very deeply....I am assured that God is faithful to keep His promises and I'm clinging to that. You must do the same!! I love you!!
Sis. Pam...I'm encouraged by finding just how many others are going through similar situations with their children as I am. I know the hurt you and others are experiencing now. One thing I can say is we definitely know from a personal standpoint how to pray for one another. I don't want to seem as though I'm alone in this...for there are others out there that are hurting as well. And this has not just hurt me but my husband and Kristina as well.
I won't stop blogging. I've had so many people to let me know just how much of a blessing this blog has been to them and to quit would be handing my situation over to the enemy...and I won't do that. He already has my youngest daughter and I won't let him have any part of my life as well. My prayer is that I can better serve my Lord as a result of what I'm going through. That is my desire...for God to get the glory out of this through my life.
Hang in there Sister!! We can get through this together with the help of the Lord. Without Him I know I could not make it through and neither could you! I love you!!
Dear Julie,
Anyone can see you love our Lord Jesus Christ and therefore God. What you need right now is to understand the will of God and that is that not one of His servants perish. However everyone must have free-will. Your daughter is exercising her God given right to be disobedient to her parents and to God. It appears that in her case this has to happen for her to fall so that she can learn from her own mistake. And you need this to happen to test your faith and whether you love your daughter more than God. Don't worry! Count it all Joy when you fall into diverse temptations... I know you know where this comes from so go and read it now! Then have a good cry and open your heart to God and ask Him to fill it with His wisdom.
May God the Father bless you and keep you, may He lift up His face to shine upon you. And may the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be upon you and remain with you always.
Amen
Michael....Thank you very much for these encouraging words. All you have said is what I have told myself over and over again. God is helping me through this. I know she is in God's hands where I have placed her. You are right though about something that no one else has said and that I myself haven't thought about..."And you need this to happen to test your faith and whether you love your daughter more than God." You are right about that and I thank you for bringing that out. I do love my daughter...but I love my Lord much more!! She claims to be His and I pray she does....if not then I pray she will by the time this trial is over.
Thank you again for commenting and helping me as you have. Just please pray that I will remain faithful to Him through this.
Sis. Julie,
I just wanted to let you know that we are praying for your family. You are facing alot of changes right now, not only with your daughter, but with the ministry, move, and a new church home. I have been in all (save one) of those positions and know that that is hard enough to handle, but you are also dealing with a broken heart. Keep lookin' up. Psalms 121
Love you,
Sis. Tammy
Sis. Tammy...Thank you so much!! I am broken-hearted...but I know that the sweet balm of Gilead can soothe and heal my broken heart. He's done it before and I know that He can do it again. We love you all so much and pray for you too!!! Please pray for Michelle. She is in desperate need of prayer!!
Sis Julie...I love you dear sister...I was one who broke my parent's hearts. The Lord got a hold of me...and I turned HARD for HIM...praying...please continue to blog. It is so encouraging to see you keep up with what is important to you even in the midst of your heartbreak.
Sis. Heather....Thank you so much!! I love you too!! I am going to continue to blog. Y'all have really helped me with this. Right now though I'm really struggling with getting posts though. I don't understand why. It seems I should be flooded with them as I'm going through this...but nothing is coming to me right now. Please just continue to pray for me.
I'm praying for you today, sis. I just replied to your comments on my blog with some encouragement for you, and now I know more about your situation.
Keep on keepin' on - endure hardness as a good soldier in Chirst Jesus - I'm beseeching God for you and yours.
Lord bless.
Bro. Szekely...Thank you so much for your comment. I will go over and check out your reply to my comment. Thank you for your support. I appreciate you!!
Sis. Julie, I am so sorry to read about this difficult time in your life. Along with many of the others, I want to encourage you that your blogs have been a blessing to me. From what I know of you, you have done what God has required of you as parents and Michelle is responsible for the choices she makes. I also apologize for not coming by more to read; I've had a difficult time blogging myself. I'd like to leave you with the verse of a song. I'm not sure who wrote the verse but it fits your situation and I will be praying.
Some of our children are far from the fold.
They found a better way is what we've been told.
But we pray they won't go far before they've had their fill.
Friend, God likes to work when nothing else will.
God bless you. Sis Becky Laywell
Sis. Becky...Thank you so much!! I pray she doesn't get too far out there but from what I'm seeing she is going further and further. I'm really fearful for her. Family has had a negative influence on her. She is very family oriented...but not with this family. She has basically pushed us aside and is embracing the family that led her the way she is going. That hurts more than I can say!!
It's getting harder and harder to pray for her. All I do is cry for her now!! I'm so thankful God understands our tears!!
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