Abundant Family Freedom Blog

We’re certainly living in different times.  We look around and see political upheaval, social unrest, global pandemic, economic uncertainty, and the list goes on and on depending on your personal situation.

In times like these, we start looking for something, anything, to grasp hold of and receive comfort and some level of peace and assurance.  We are looking for an identity, a purpose, a reason to continue.

Sadly, in the day and age we live in, God has been removed from the throne and replaced, and in the end what we find leaves us lacking, disappointed, and wanting.  When God is not known, peace is not found, fear remains, life is empty, and the future is bleak.

The good news is that He still lives!  We can know Him and we can find our peace in Him.  It doesn’t matter where you are in life, how lonely you feel, or what your past has been.  He lived and knows right where you are.

In John 4, Christ was leaving Judea going to Galilee.  Verse 4 says, “He must needs go through Samaria.”  Here in Samaria, He encounters the woman at the well.  She was lost, lonely, and broken by life.  Gripped with troubles and sadness of the past and living in fear of the future, her life was about to change as she encountered Christ.  

In their exchange, Christ says to her, “If you knew who I was, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you living water.”  He showed her that if she drank of the waters from the wells of society that she would indeed thirst again.  However, if she drank from the water that He could provide, her thirst would be quenched and it would be as a well springing up unto everlasting life.  

After her encounter with Christ, she went away with peace and happiness, knowing that she could face the future no matter what it held for her.  She now felt that life was worth living.  Their meeting at the well was not accidental, but Christ knew exactly where she was and what she needed.  

Moreover, in our lives, He knows exactly where we are and what we need.

There is a song that I love, written by the Gaithers, called - Because He Lives

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.

Because He lives, all fear is gone.

Because I know He holds the future,

And life is worth the living just because He lives.

Because He lives we can face tomorrow!

Matthew 6:25-34 shows us that because He lives, we need not fear what tomorrow holds.  He has us in His hand and in His care.  Just as He provides for nature and its needs, He will also care and provide for us, who are much more valuable to Him.   Verse 32 says that He knows what we have need of; He knows right where we are.  Verse 33 says to “Seek first the Kingdom of God.”  Make knowing God your priority in life, and all the things that you have need of He will provide for you.

Because He lives, all fear is gone!

David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, had more than his share of troubles.  He seemed to be surrounded with enemies, and was in constant battle.  Yet, he didn’t fear the future.

He penned Psalms 27 in one of these seasons of trouble in his life.  Yet, it is ultimately a psalm of triumph over fear.   In verse 1, David declares,  “The Lord is my light and my salvation, of whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?”.   

We read further in the Psalm that David maintained his relationship with the Lord.  He desired the Lord, sought the Lord, and cried out to the Lord.  This relationship with the living God drove out the fear that would otherwise swallow David up.  

I find it interesting how David ends the Psalm.  Over the next13 verses, he is talking of himself, however, he ends the last verse not speaking of himself, but encouraging others to trust God and not fear.  “Wait on the Lord, and be of good courage, and He shall strengthen THINE heart: wait, I say on the Lord.”

Because He lives, He holds our future!  

Because He lives, we can face the future with confidence!  Knowing that whatever we encounter, He is holding us, and we will be secure and safe within His hands.

Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you an expected end.”  Your future may hold hard times, good times, or a mix, but there‘s one thing that is certain - He holds our future and has designed our future, whatever it might be, to bring us to our ultimate goal of salvation.  Because He lives, we can be confident in our future.  Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”  Our future is secure.

Because He lives, life is worth living!

The struggle is real!  However, with Christ, life is worth living.  If we only focus on our problems, what we don’t have, and what we have lost, then life will be miserable.  Paul said, “If in this life only we have hope” then we would be miserable.  This life is made worth living because of the future we have in Christ.  If we focus on what Christ wants from us, focus on helping others find Christ, focus on the hope we have in Christ, then we will find a life worth living. 

I’ll leave you with this thought that Paul gave Timothy.  I Timothy 6:6-12, “Be content with what you have, flee the entrapment of the world, follow righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and meekness.  Lastly, fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto you are called.”  We are called unto something greater than what this world has to offer, and that calling makes life worth living.

Because He lives and has called us His own, we can face our tomorrows without fear, our future is secure, and He makes life worth living!

Author - Sean Townes

What are you truly thankful for today? 

Can you think of at least 10 things?

Whatever situation we find ourselves in - we need to be thankful.  

Philippians 4:11b says “...for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, there with to be content.”  

Thankfulness helps us appreciate what we have - instead of dwelling on what we don’t have.  It helps us look at things differently.  It helps us to dwell on the positive.

Thankfulness is such a powerful source of inspiration if we would just use it!  

By being thankful, we can start to see the beauty in things that we’ve never seen before.  Quite possibly, we’ll see all those things that we’ve been missing in our day to day life - the things we might even be taking for granted. 

If we go back to verse 8 in Phil 4 we read, “Finally, bretheren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”  

We’re suppposed to dwell on the positive.  On the beautiful things.  On the good things.  

We need to keep our mind focused on the RIGHT things.  

Being thankful can change our lives.

In hard times, it can help to change our focus.  It’s easy to dwell on the negativity - but when we’re focused on the negative then we’ll just see MORE negativity.  Adversely, if we focus on the positive, then we’ll see more positive.  We’ll start to see the silver lining in everything - even in the hard times.

If we go back a few more verses in Philippians 11, to verses 6-7, we read, “Be careful for nothing; but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication with THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

The PEACE of God! 

Being thankful can give us peace!!    

We’ll start to have a peace that‘s not  determined by what situation we’re in.  It’s not determined by the problems of life.  But it’s a peace that passes ALL understanding. 

Studies have  shown that being thankful makes you a happier person!  Who doesn’t want to be happier??!

Thankfulness will strengthen our faith!  If WE can be truly grateful for everything that God has done in our lives, for everything He’s given us, and even for every problem, then our faith will be strengthened.    We have an assurance that whatever we go through we will come out victorious because God is on our side and we can have faith in HIM.   Being thankful BUILDS our faith.

So what are you thankful for today?  

Author - Amanda Townes

By faith, Jacob…blessed, worshipped and leaned…

In life, we go through good times and bad times.  

Learning to live for the Lord and having faith in God, consistently, helps us enjoy the good and weather the storms.

Jacob, early in his life, definitely lived by his own rules, his own wiles, and trusted in his ability alone.  If he was in a “fix”, he would, by hook or crook as they say, get himself out of the situation.   

However, since Jacob was God’s child, he could not remain that way.

He indeed had to learn the lesson of faith in God!

God, being the great teacher, puts Jacob through a serious of lessons, wherein he learns to trust God in all situations good and bad.  

The first we hear of Jacob in the scriptures, he is being devious and stealing his brother’s birthright.  He is taking advantage of someone in an effort to get something he rightly did not deserve. 

Forgoing faith in God and hard work may get you something you want, but it will only be temporary.

The next episode of Jacobs’s actions comes in with him tricking his brother in order to obtain the first-born blessing from his father.  This action bears dire consequences, in that the result is he angers his brother and ultimately loses contact with his family, for quite some time.

Jacob, the trickster, now through his own actions, has been thrust out, and is alone and I am sure he is questioning himself and the decisions he has made to get to this point.  I am sure he feels worthless.  He most certainly feels the weight of failure and possibly even some self-loathing is taking place.  

Enter God.  

During this time of despair, God now chooses to show Jacob, that he is his child. Moreover, if Jacob will follow him, He will keep him, bless him, and use him.  

The process is now starting to turn Jacob from who he is into who God wants him to be.  

In our lives, God is working in us the same processes.  He wants to change us from who we are into who He wants us to be.

Jacob wisely states, If God will keep me in the way to go, if He will give me my “daily bread”, and raiment to put on, then shall the Lord be my God.  

He was stating his trust in God for his path, which is to say the direction and goals his life will be set in. His bread, which were those things he would need daily to survive. His raiment, not just a change of clothes, but those things, spirits, attitudes, mindsets that we “put on” and adorn ourselves with that others see in us which truly identify who we really are.

The next part of Jacobs’s life we see how God allows Jacob to go through a series of situations, where similar tactics that Jacob would have used were used against him - treachery, lies, etc. 

These lessons would work a process in his life to help him come to a place of complete faith. A place of trust and reliability on God, rather than on his own self.

Next we come to the climax in the story of God’s training with Jacob. 

He has now left and is returning home.  You can see his spirit is now meek, and he has been humbled.  At one point, he even finds himself alone.  

It is here that he wrestles with the angel.  He is determined to hold on and not let go until he gets his blessing.  He perseveres through the battle and receives his blessing. 

After the lesson is over, the Lord tells him he is no longer to be called Jacob, but Israel.   No more would he be identified with his old life, past mistakes, or failures.  He was no longer the trickster, but God assigned him a new name.

This too is true in our lives.  If we allow God to work in us, He will change our name, and we no longer need to identify with who we were.  We can fully embrace who we have been changed into by the grace of God.

The next chapter of Jacobs’s life, you find Jacob a more humble man, more dependent on God than himself.  We see he suffered much loss and heartache in the ensuing years, yet his confidence in God remained.

The great Hebrew hall of fame sums up the remaining years of Jacob after his “meeting” with the Lord.

Hebrews 11:21 “…by faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning upon his staff.”

Jacob was dying and he died as he lived.  Worshiping and leaning upon his staff.   He was at the end of his life, and even though he had his fair share of trials, disappointments, loss and setbacks, he was still worshipping the Lord.   

He was also leaning on his staff.  When he wrestled with the angel in his youth, he was smote in the hollow of his thigh. From that time until the time of his death, he leaned upon his staff.  This is a representation of someone who once depended on their own wiles and ability, but after meeting the Lord, they now could only lean on and depend on the Lord for strength.

Jacob died, surrounded by family, able to bless his grandchildren, and he was able to see happiness in the great sorrow of his loss.   

If we want to die like Jacob, we must live like Jacob.  Worshipping in spite of circumstances, loss, setback, or disappointments.  Leaning on our staff, the Lord - trusting Him, confiding in Him, and getting our strength from Him.    

We cannot live like Esau, and die like Jacob.

Is God Trustworthy?

Our faith must be built on a firm relationship with the Lord.  

This requires complete trust on our behalf. 

Before we can fully trust someone, a big question begs to be answered.  

Is this person trustworthy?

We can do the same with God!  We can determine if He is trustworthy. 

Trusting God is a matter of knowing who He is, what his character is, and his looking into his past faithfulness.

Who is God?

Past Faithfulness - 

Experiences can also be used to prove we can trust God. 

Now that we know who He is, we can look back and know that if He has brought us out of problems before, and if He has provided before, then He will do so again. 

So remembering his past faithfulness is important in our trust of God.

1 Chronicles 16:12 “Remember his marvelous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth” 

In Joshua 3 and 4, the Israelites were on their pilgrimage into the Promised Land and the Jordan stood in their way;  he caused them to cross over on dry ground.  When they all were crossed over, Joshua commanded them to build a memorial right there. This was to remind them, and their children after them, that God provided a way for them to cross.    

As the Lord brings us through our problems, and with every victory we experience, we should build a memorial in our minds.  This way we will never forget what He has done.  

So when times are hard or you’re in the valley, think back and remember what the Lord has done and how He has delivered you time and time again.  He brought you out and caused you to “cross over on dry ground”.   

Then rehearse and tell others what He has done for you and how He has been faithful!

When we rehearse God’s faithfulness to others, it does 2 things -

1. It helps us to remember what He has done.

2. It helps others increase their faith in God, knowing that if He has done it for others, the He will also do it for them. 

Our family loves to travel!

We love exploring new places, camping, going to historical places of interest, and checking out the local restaurants.  

As a family of 6, we’ve taken our fair share of road trips. 

I’ve heard people say that they’re going to wait until their children are older before they start traveling.  I suppose that’s each family’s choice, but as I see it, you can either stay home and do nothing, or you can travel as a family and make memories that will last a lifetime.   Traveling can be enjoyable even with the smallest of children.  It certainly does take some extra prep, but it can be done.

Here’s a little checklist that may help you!

Destination - Consider where you‘ll be going.  What time of the year is it and what will the weather be like?  What kinds of things might you want to do while you‘re there?  How long will you stay?

Lodging - Perhaps you’re visiting friends or family, and have a place to stay already, but if not, then you‘ll need to choose your lodging.  Hotel, campground, rental home, etc.  

It can be difficult to find appropriate lodging for larger families, so the sooner you make plans the better.  

What would be most conducive to your family?  Are you looking for a place with a pool?  Is this place close to activities you might want to do?  If not, how far will the drive be?  How many beds will you need?  Will there be a room for a pack and play if you need one?  Is there a microwave and refrigerator in your room?  Maybe you want to save money by not eating out too much.  In that case, you might consider getting a place that has a small kitchenette so you can prepare meals.  You could also take along a crockpot.  We’ve done this many times and it works great!

Itinerary - I’ve learned over the years, that having some sort of plan is better than having none at all.   It can certainly be a fluid itinerary, but at least at this point you‘ll have an idea of what you want to do while you’re there.  

If you have older children, let them help you plan the vacation.  That’s the best part!  Getting everyone’s input and ideas for a family vacation can be so enjoyable!   It’s great when you can find something to do that interests everyone.  

Write it all out on paper as a tentative schedule.  If there are specific things you need to buy tickets for then go ahead and purchase your tickets.  This will be one less thing you have to think about while you’re on your trip.  Don’t forget to write this on your schedule in pen so you’ll arrive on time.   

Other ideas can be penciled in, but you‘ll be able to move them around a bit while your on vacation if you need to.   We’ve done this many times when activities are dependent on the weather. 

Remember to be flexible.  When traveling with children, you may need to adjust your expectations a little.  Seeing exhibits may take a little longer.  You’ll possibly need to allow for diaper changes and feedings.  Just give yourself some extra time at each activity, and then you’ll be able to enjoy your activity all the more.  

Expectations - Prepare your children in advance.   

Children ALWAYS do better when they’re prepared.  Honestly, you should prepare them in advance for anywhere you’re taking them.  Even the smallest child can understand the fact that you’re going to be leaving the house soon. 

As adults, we prepare ourselves for upcoming things to do or places to go.  Think how children must feel when they‘re right in the middle of playing, you take them by the hand and say, “Ok! Let’s go!”.   Most likely, your child will throw a fit.  How would you like someone to interrupt you and tell you it‘s time to leave right this instant?   Children do SO much better when we prepare them.  Just a simple, “We have a few more minutes, and then we’re going to the grocery store” is enough to help your child transition to the next thing.  Trust me.  Try it and you’ll see;)

Tell your children that the family is going on vacation.   Tell them where you‘re going and some of the things you‘ll be doing while you’re there.  The more you tell them about the trip, the more excited they will be about going. 

Note- If you have a child that likes to ask “Is it almost time for our trip?” OVER AND OVER, then you MIGHT want to wait until the day before you leave to tell them about the trip;)

Set expectations with your children - both before the vacation and before you do each activity on your vacation.  “This is what we’ll be doing and this is how we will behave.”  When you set expectations for your children it make it so much easier for them to behave and enjoy themselves.  In turn, YOU will have an enjoyable time as well.   

Packing the suitcase - Pack light!  Take ONLY what you will need.

When packing for the small children, I’ve found it’s easiest to put clothes for each day inside a gallon sized ziplock bag.   You can fit an entire outfit, underwear, and socks in that little bag!  Each day you can grab a bag and help your little one get ready for the day!

For older children, you can teach them how to make a list of items they’ll need.  Allow them to pack their suitcase - marking off each item as they place it in their suitcase.   When they’re finished, you can go back and double check to see if they’ve gotten everything they need and place your stamp of approval;)  At some point, they can do this on their own if you’ve taught them right!  Hey!  We SHOULD be working ourselves out of the mommy job.  We won’t always be able to do things for them, so we need to teach them how to do it right:).

Another tip - If you find yourself traveling quite a bit, it’s not a bad idea to keep your cosmetic bag stocked and ready to go. You won’t have to pack it every time and it will cut down on your prep time! 

For the car -  What in the world are we going to do in the car for —— hours?? 

Many of us have DVD players in our vehicles.  While that’s GREAT, most children won’t be occupied by movies for a long time.  And, do we really WANT them watching movies for a long period of time?

If you have instilled a love of reading in your children, then your older children will find this a lovely time of solitude to read their favorite books.

Younger children will need a little more help! 

My favorite thing to do is look for inexpensive things that I can add to a backpack.  You can find these types of items at various stores on clearance, in the dollar section at Target, at Dollar General, sometimes at Five Below, or at Dollar Tree.    You could watch for these items all year long and just keep them in a box to have on hand.   You can also use the things in this box to take to a restaurant to keep the little one happy while you wait for your food!  P.S. Don’t let your children see these what’s in the box!  That’s the beauty of it;)  

When packing for your trip, you can load up a backpack or bag with these items without your child knowing.   I like to have at least one item per hour of the trip.  Possibly, two per hour depending on the items.   

Items to include might be - coloring book and crayons, marker and felt picture to color, silly putty, a roll or two of scotch tape (yes, trust me, it will keep them entertained for quite awhile haha), reusable sticker book, window clings to decorate their window, new books to read, new dvd, new music or story cd, magic marker book, road trip bingo cards to play with other siblings or parent, lots of stickers and a notebook, and activity books.  

The options are endless, but the key is that they have NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE!!!   

You might also have some little SURPRISE snacks in the bag that you can give them every now and then - like bubble gum or fruit leather.  

This will keep them busy and make your road trip more enjoyable.  

Another good idea is to carry a potty chair in the car when you have little ones. They can’t always WAIT til the next rest stop. You can buy liners for potty chairs OR you can simply buy inexpensive diapers or pull-ups, cut them in half and line a plastic grocery bag.  Voila!   Sometimes you gotta get creative;)

Drinks and snacks - Fill your cooler with water bottles and some snacks.  

If you have time and you don’t want to stop for food, then you could pack a picnic lunch.  Many rest stops now have playground equipment.   You can have a quick lunch and let the kids play a bit before getting back on the road.  If you’re lucky, the fresh air and playing will have been enough for them to take a little nap when you start back down the road.

Something else we’ve done several times is stopped at a zoo.  Again, you can’t be in too big of a hurry if you’re going to do this.   But, we’ve always gotten the zoo pass in our home town, and there are several zoos that allow us to use the same pass!  I like to check the route for our trip and see if we‘ll be close to any of them.   You can literally stop and spend just an hour at the zoo if it’s free.  You don’t feel like you’ve wasted any money, you’ve made another little memory, and you’ve let those little ones get some energy out!

Most of all, loosen up a little and have fun! 

Look for new things to experience!

Expect some things to go wrong - because they will!  

Be flexible with your time!

Live in the moment and enjoy this time with your family!