Motherhood is by far one of the hardest and most challenging events of life I have dared to experience. I remember the first day of being a mother and realizing there was someone that was absolutely dependent on Steve and me. This child would be dependent on my husband and I for every provision: financial, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. I would never expect them to figure out how to pay my mortgage or go food shopping while they were a child under my care. I would desire to see them become the best versions of themselves through my husband and my guidance and passed down wisdom. This revelation made me realize our God has no different expectation of us because He encourages us to imitate and follow Him as dear children.

It is baseball playoff season for those of you who did not know. As a baseball fan I watch each game and with every pitch and every at bat I sit anxiously waiting to cheer! Baseball many will say is a slow moving game, but ironically every play is based on decisions made in seconds. When I was a young softball player I remember this conflicting feeling as I fielded. It seemed to take forever for a batter to hit the ball, but once they did time seemed to speed up and you only had seconds to make the right choice. Therefore before every batter you had to be aware of the situation. Were there runners on the bases? Were there already outs in the inning? If the ball came to me where should I throw it? Awareness became key! So it is with our Lord Jesus and these days we are living. Are you aware of the time?

The past two years have been marked with uncertainty and fear. Here in the United States these two circumstances are fairly rare for the majority of the population. Every day there are decisions we are having to make in the midst of unclear facts and moving data insights. The platform has been set for us the Bride of Christ to arise and let our light shine. As the Bride of Christ we can still see clearly and live without fear. Why? Our clarity and decision making is not based on what we can see or hear with our physical eyes or mind, but it is based on what Christ speaks to us through His Holy Spirit. 

"Slow and steady wins the race." A famous refrain from a classic Aesop fable, "The Turtle and the Hare." As children we were read this fable so we can learn important lessons which would help shape our character. The race between a hare and a turtle was used to show us the effects of pride and relying on our own perception of someone else's skills can become our biggest downfalls.

Ever joined a gym or any membership type program? In the beginning this new relationship you noticed afforded you all the amenities you valued. The first couple of weeks or even months you use everything. You make sure to try everything at least once. However, as time goes on you continue to pay the monthly fees to have the membership, but you find yourself not using all the amenities you have access to. Sometimes you even forget all the privileges you have access to because you have slipped into a routine limiting yourself to certain activities or you have simply lost interest in what is offered and no longer value it. Unfortunately, this fallen mentality of consuming and moving on it is not limited to our earthly, temporary memberships, but it plagues our spiritual lives as well. Jesus writes a letter to a specific group of people the church of Ephesus in the book of Revelation encouraging them to return to their first love because they too, like many of us, had lost sight of what their relationship with Jesus was all about.