thirty day challenge {day 10}

Okay ladies.

Today is day ten of our 30 Day Challenge.

I have been so blessed to have some of my friends and family (along with many of you fantastic blog readers) join me in this challenge. I love getting a phone call or text asking me how I have been doing and what I have been learning. Talk about accountability. I hope you have someone to keep you accountable too. And if not, here I am...checking in on you. How are you doing? What has God been teaching you?

I can't say that my mornings haven't been met with challenges or the temptation to sleep through my alarm. They have. But, the consistency of starting the past ten days at the feet of Jesus has been AMAZING. It has been so good for me to not even think about whether or not I should get up to have my devotions. It is just becoming part of my day now...and I love that. I long to be a woman devoted to the Lord. Everyday, not just on the days when I can squeeze it into my busy schedule.

Now...I have been working on developing this habit of giving the Lord the first part of my day for awhile now. So, don't beat yourself up or give up completely if you have missed a day or two. I know it is hard work to set aside a daily quiet time alone with God. It is something we have to arrange and plan for. But it is so worth it! I have started reading A Place of Quiet Rest by Nancy Leigh DeMoss since listening to her session on devotions. In her book she says, 

I must make a conscious, deliberate, daily choice to sit at His feet, to listen to His Word, to receive His love, to let Him change me, and to pour out my heart's devotion to Him.

That is what I continue to pray for myself and for all of you. That we would daily make a conscious, deliberate, choice to sit at Jesus' feet. And I want to encourage you especially if the past ten days have been really hard. Keep pushing forward...don't give up! It is so easy to let the busyness of life crowd out our time with the Lord. It has been a struggle for me my entire Christian life. But don't let that be an excuse! Start again tomorrow and set that alarm a little earlier or set aside some time during your day. Remember, you need His presence, His wisdom, and His guidance...everyday.

When we give the Lord priority over our days, we are showing that we need Him. Not just when things are falling apart and we are desperate, but we need Him everyday. That is what I am longing to teach Levi...that he needs the Lord. That the one thing that matters most in this life is to have an intimate relationship with Jesus. We pray every night with Levi that he would grow to love Jesus with all of his heart, for all of his days. You might remember Nancy Leigh DeMoss talking about what an incredible legacy it is for moms and dads to acknowledge their need for the Lord and for their kids to see them seeking the Lord each day. That really stuck with me. How can I expect Levi to understand his deep need for the Lord if he doesn't see his mama living it out in her own life everyday?

Speaking of Levi and pushing forward...

Remember how I told you he has a new ride? He has been loving his new four wheeler. He even was getting the hang of pushing the button to make it go on his own. And then a few days ago he decided he didn't want to ride anymore. He only wants to push his four wheeler now.

It has been so hot and windy here. I have no idea why he would want to go to all the work to push the four wheeler instead of just sit on it and push a button to make it go. But he is one determined little man.

He has the same route every time. He pushes it down our rock sidewalk and down our long gravel driveway. He would keep going down the dirt road if I would let him. He even waves bye-bye to me as he goes.

Unfortunately he can't steer very well while he is pushing. He often ends up in the grass or the middle of a field and then realizes he has gotten off his path. It is very frustrating for him and he just stands by his ride and cries until his mama comes to redirect him. Let's just say I am getting in a lot of exercising these days whether I want to or not.

But once I get him set back up on the driveway, he is off again. He is just sure that he can push that four wheeler and stay on the rocks ALL BY HIMSELF. I am just hoping that one of these days he decides it is more fun to ride it again instead. :)

Watching Levi push that little four wheeler was such a picture to me of my own life. There are days when I try so hard to control my life on my own and in my own strength. I push and push and push. And that is when I find myself in the middle of a field, frustrated and tired. But my Heavenly Father is always there to lovingly redirect me back onto the path. I can't do it on my own. I need to get back on that four wheeler and trust Him to guide me in the right direction. It doesn't mean life will be easy. But when I allow Him to take control of my life and be the priority of my days, He promises to transform me inside and out.

Show me your ways, O Lord, 

teach me your paths;

guide me in your truth and teach me,

for you are God my Savior,

and my hope is in you all day long.

Psalm 25:4-5

If you are needing a little extra encouragement in your own devotional life, it is not too late to join in with us. You can read all about the 30 Day Challenge here.

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Don't forget that the Tiny Prints giveaway ends tonight at 10pm (CST). To enter, leave a comment in the previous giveaway post.