365 Days of Praise

COPYRIGHT “THE PLAN A MOM IN A PLAN BE WORLD, DEBBIE TAYLOR WILLIAMS KINDLE READ THE 1ST CHAPTERFREE    

Plan A MOM – MODEL CHRIST’s GRACE to Your Kids

“The only trip I go on is a guilt trip.” Have you ever heard that saying?  Have you ever felt that way?

Parenting can bring out the worst in us.  Kids often try our patience and we quickly find out we’re not as patient as we thought.  Or, as we watch our teens or adult children make poor choices, our thoughts may race as we question, “What could I have done differently?”  As quickly as the thought occurs, it’s chased by a million things we could have done differently that would have perhaps benefitted our kids.  

Guilt can haunt us, and there’s only one thing that can chase that demon away – God’s grace. 

LIVE OUT LOUD

The Bible teaches that we all sin.  However, God not only forgives our sin when we come to Him and repent. Psalm 35:2 teaches us that He forgives the guilt of our sin.  In other words, moms, we’re not to go around hanging our heads as if “Condemned” was stamped on our foreheads.  We get it. We’ve all messed up. But God is the forgiver and forgetter.  He moves on with us in grace. We need to exercise the same grace to our kids. 

Are our kids going to mess up and mess up and mess up again? Yes. The question is, are we going to explain to them, “You should not have…. , but I accept your apology and forgive you.  I know what it is to do wrong and be forgiven.  God forgives me when I tell Him that I’m sorry.  And I forgive and love you.”  

LIVE OUT LOUD Verse of the Week – Psalm 32:5  “I acknowledged my sin to You; and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’; and You forgave the guilt of my sin.”

“LAND MINE” – GUILT

DEFUSE the landmine of guilt by genuinely confessing and repenting of your sin.  Then, focus on and delight in the sweetness and joy of God’s grace. 

MORE 2 help U in The Plan A MOM in a Plan B World. Available on KINDLE – 1ST CHAPTER  FREE

• LIVE OUT LOUD Checkup, pg 39
  
• LOVE OUT LOUD Questions to Discuss with a Friend/Group, pg 40
  

PLAN A MOM MONDAY TIP

Teach your children to sincerely confess their sins to God.

7 “Grace Tips from a Plan A MOM in a Plan B World,” page 37. 

PLAN A MOM PRAYER

Father, thank You for the sweetness, delight, and joy of grace. Thank You for removing the guilt of my sin. I love You and praise You!  Help me not to hold things over my children’s heads, but to extend grace to them as You’ve extended it to me. 

BECAUSE IT’S IMPORTANT TO KEEP A SENSE OF HUMOR! (Send me your kid funny story to share!)

When Sean was almost four, he was entertaining himself so well in his room that I, his naive and unsuspecting mom, decided to enjoy a cup of tea and a few pages of the novel of the month.  I say novel of the month because as any mother of two preschoolers knows there are about thrity seconds in each day when you can actually put together enough brain cells to understand anything written above a three-year old comprehension level. 

Anyway, things had been perhaps a little too quiet, so when Sean came into the kitchen beaming with pride and led me to his room, I have to admit feeling a little fear and trepidiation. When we reached the threshold of his sanctuary, my precious little artist threw his hands in the air and said, “Look Mommy!” He had used a screw to etch his name into the headboard of his bunk. 

What could I say? He was filled with innocent joy at his masterpiece. While some might see what Sean had done as defacing a piece of furniture, to me it was his four-year-old way of trying to please his mom. 

Don’t you know God must get a good laugh out of our peculiar attempts to please Him? Aren’t you grateful that He knows exactly where we are in our spiritual growth process?” – Kellie Kendrick

GET the PLAN A MOM UPDATE in your MAILBOX SUBSCRIBE to this Blog in the right hand sidebar OR EMAIL me at debbie@debbietaylorwilliams.com with the message, “YES! I WANT TO MODEL CHRIST TO MY KIDS!”

*PLEASE ADD debbie@debbietaylorwilliams to your contacts so it doesn’t get caught in your spam folder!

See you next week! Til then, practice grace.

Love, 

Debbie

COPYRIGHT “THE PLAN A MOM IN A PLAN BE WORLD, DEBBIE TAYLOR WILLIAMS KINDLE READ THE 1ST CHAPTERFREE  

Plan A MOM – MODEL CHRIST’s KINDNESS to Your Kids

Have you ever thought, “I’m the worst mother in the world!”?  Maybe you lost your temper, dished out a little too much discipline. Or, maybe you just thought, “I don’t like being a mom. I’m not cut out for this.”   

LIVE OUT LOUD

Well, you’re not alone and you’re not the worst mother in the world. However, remember, while we’re raising our kids, God is raising us – to be conformed to the image of Christ. That conformation process often happens in the midst of parenting challenges.

Each Monday, we’re focusing on an aspect of Christ’s character to model to our children. In the process, we’ll note some “land mines” in our minds that need “defusing.” Our goal is to “Live our faith Out Loud” in front of our children. Let’s get started!

LIVE OUT LOUD Verse of the Week – Ephesians 4:32  “BE KIND to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

“LAND MINE” – UNKINDNESS

In the midst of washing dishes, folding clothes, and paying bills, it’s easy to let unkindness settle into our hearts. However, like a land mine, it can blow. And often, it blows right when hubby walks in the door. Or, it might blow with our child. As always, explosive land mines hurt. They hurt us and those in our path.

That’s why it’s so important for us to DEFUSE the landmine of unkindness by practicing Christ’s kindness through prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit.

MORE 2 help U in The Plan A MOM in a Plan B World. Available on KINDLE – 1ST CHAPTER  FREE

• LIVE OUT LOUD Checkup, pg 28
  
• LOVE OUT LOUD Questions to Discuss with a Friend/Group, pg 29
  

PLAN A MOM MONDAY TIP

What we model has a lasting effect on our children. We can raise our children to be kind by bringing them up in the instruction of the Lord and modeling kindness to them.

PLAN A MOM PRAYER

Father, thank You for extending kindness to me when I didn’t deserve it. Help me model that same kindness to my children.

BECAUSE IT’S IMPORTANT TO KEEP A SENSE OF HUMOR! (Send me your kid funny story to share!)

When Donnie was little, his grandmother tried to teach him to speak correctly. One day Grandma Bunny said, “Donnie, eat your food,” to which he replied, “I don’t wike it.” She immediately corrected him: “I don’t like it.” Donnie looked up at her with big eyes and said, “You don’t wike it either?” – Linda McConnico

GET the PLAN A MOM UPDATE in your MAILBOX SUBSCRIBE to this Blog in the right hand sidebar OR EMAIL me at debbie@debbietaylorwilliams.com with the message, “YES! I WANT TO MODEL CHRIST TO MY KIDS!”

*PLEASE ADD debbie@debbietaylorwilliams to your contacts so it doesn’t get caught in your spam folder!

See you next week! Til then, practice kindness.

Love, 

Debbie

In Revelation 19:5, we read “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.” Dr. Gleason Archer explains that the verb tense in this verse is the present imperative verb, a command to keep on doing an action as one’s general habit or lifestyle. It is a commitment to a long-term way of doing something.

Have you ever considered if you’re being obedient to this command? In other words, is your general habit one of praising God? Or, do you tend to mentally complain, feel sorry for yourself, and be sullen?

God instructs us to praise Him; but not because He’s an egomaniac. Rather, managing our thoughts is one of the most important acts we can do. Psychiatrists know this. That is why studies on depression point to the value of cognitive therapy and correcting negative thought patterns with positive ones.

In Genesis 4:6-7, God spoke to Cain about his countenance. He then told Cain, “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and it’s desire is for you, but you must master it.” At that time, Cain had not yet murdered Abel. But, he obviously ignored God’s advise. He continued to mull on how much he hated and resented his brother. His thoughts solidified and consumed him. His thoughts took hold of him instead of him taking hold of his thoughts.

No! Don’t Do It!

You don’t have to go the way of Cain. You can control your thoughts. David shows us how in the Psalms.

“I will extol You, my God, O King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever.”

Did you notice David repeated himself?

We need the same resolve. Why? His first statement, “I will bless Your name forever” is a nice, long term vision for how to live. But, “Every day I will bless You,” is a specific commitment that makes the vision a practical reality: I will bless You TODAY.

Then, David demonstrates how to bless God and how to extol Him.

“Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised. And His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of Your majesty. And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.”

Try It. It Works.

I woke up a few mornings ago in a less than cheerful mood. Okay…I was downcast. That’s a nice Biblical sounding word; but bottom line, I wasn’t happy, upbeat, or thinking great thoughts. BUT, I know what God teaches me about managing my thoughts. So I went to my Bible to reset my mind from my grumpy state to an uplifted state. This is what God teaches us to do. We correct negative thought patterns with positive ones, with the truth. Our day isn’t bad. It’s good because we have Jesus. Our sullenness fades and is replaced with a peaceful cheerful state of mind as we meditate on God’s wonderful works. “Thank You, Lord, for…my husband, children, health, home, rain, friends, work, church, green trees, flowers, beauty of the clouds, and sky that reflect Your majesty. Thank You for Jesus, for saving us from our sins. Thank You for our eternal home in heaven. Thank You for taking care of the details of life, of helping me accomplish what You’ve placed in my hands and days to do. Thank You for being with me yesterday and today. Thank You for being with me tomorrow. Thank You for…

Will You Choose to Obey God’s Command to Praise

God’s looking out for you. He has your back and He has your future. We can be like Cain and ignore God’s counsel. We can let our negative thoughts control us. Or, we can be like David and make the choice to meditate on God’s wonderful works and praise Him. I’m making the choice to join David, not Cain. What about you?

“On the glorious splendor of Your majesty. And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.” Psalm 145:5.

Heavenly Father, thank You that You are Abba Father. I have an inheritance in You. I have a future and a hope. I am not alone. You are a present help in my time of need. You give grace and joy as I turn my eyes heavenward. I love You and thank You. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

I’d love to hear from you. What is one of your favorite Psalms or praise Scriptures? You can share it below where it says, “Post A Comment.”

*Excerpts from Debbie’s Renewed & Transformed Conference & and Listen UP! Conference.          Invite Debbie to Speak  

Emerge!  God wants us to emerge from the cocoon of our past life and from living in the flesh. He wants us to experience freedom in the Holy Spirit and to soar above the grind of life.

Spirit & Flesh Warnings

• Keep watching & praying. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.  Mt 26:41
• The flesh sets its desire against the Spirit …for these are in opposition to one another. Gal 5:17
• We are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh… Rom 8:12

Spirit & Flesh Teachings

• Born of the Spirit. Jn 3:5
• Jesus’ Spirit to be manifest in our mortal flesh. 2 Cor 4:11
• It no longer be we who live, but Christ’s Spirit living in us. Gal 2:20
• Bear the fruit of the Spirit. Gal 5:22-23
• To live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 1 Pet 4:12
• To not grieve the Holy Spirit. Eph 4:30
• To not quench the Spirit. 1 Thes 5:19
• Be filled with the Spirit. Eph 5:18
• Pray in the Spirit. Jude 20
• Walk by the Spirit and not carry out the desire of the flesh.  Gal 5:16
• Live by the Spirit. Gal 5:26
• Lives be a demonstration of the Spirit. 1 Cor 2:4
• Led by the Spirit. Rom 8:14

In the Renewed & Transformed Conference, we borrowed 3 application questions from Blake Coffee, co-author of Trusting God’s People…Again.  Consider them in light of the above Scriptures.

What? ….is God saying to you about discerning His voice?

So What? ….Why do you need to hear it?

Now What? ….What do you need to do right now to bring your life into compliance with these Scriptures?

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Help me learn to walk and live by Your Spirit so that my life is a demonstration of You and brings You glory.  In Jesus’s name, Amen.

WHAT THE P.R.A.Y. with PASSION CONF IS

✔ Joy-filled teaching

✔ Re-energized passion for Christ

✔ Power-packed prayer tips

WHAT THE P.R.A.Y. with PASSION CONF IS NOT

✖ Breaking into small groups to pray

✖ YOU being called on to pray

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Saturday, May 5 * 8:30-Noon * Kerrville KROC Chapel

$20 Early Registration * $25 at the Door * Register Now
Includes conference materials and coffee/pastry/fruit buffet

Scholarships – call 830.257.5995 or 888.815.9412

Worship by the First United Methodist Praise & Worship Team

Child care: RSVP by calling the KROC Center – 830.315.5762

Men, women, teens invited.

Come early to enjoy coffee and praise and worship.

Yes! I want to be a part!

We’re Celebrating the Completion of Phase 1 of the vision God gave Hill Country Ministries….to take P.R.A.Y. with Passion to every state in the US! The conference has been held in the following 25 states.

Alabama * Arizona * Arkansas * California * Florida * Georgia * Hawaii * Illinois * Iowa * Kentucky * Louisiana * Maryland * Michigan * Mississippi * Missouri * Nevada * New Jersey * New Mexico * North Carolina * Ohio * Oklahoma * Pennsylvania * South Carolina * Texas * Utah * Washington State * Wisconsin *

>Seekers have come to salvation.

>Christians have recommitted to live more passionatley for Christ.

>All leave equipped to pray more purposefully.

COME ON MAY 5, 8:30-NOON. BE A PART OF WHAT GOD IS DOING ACROSS AMERICA! 

REGISTER NOW.

Ps 33:18 – Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope for His lovingkindness

Ps 38:15 – For I hope in You, O LORD; You will answer, O Lord my God.

Ps 39:7 – And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You.

Ps 42:5,11 – Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence. … The help of my countenance and my God.

Ps 62:5 – My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him.

Ps 71:14 – But as for me, I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more.

Jer 29:11 – ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

Lam 3:24 – “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.”

Mat 12:21 – “And in His Name the Gentiles will hope.”

Act 2:26 – ‘THEREFORE MY HEART WAS GLAD AND MY TONGUE EXULTED; MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL LIVE IN HOPE;

Act 28:20 – “For this reason, therefore, I requested to see you and to speak with you, for I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel.”

Rom 5:4-5 – hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Rom 8:24- For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?

Rom 15:4 – For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Rom 15:13 – Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

2Cr 1:10 – who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us,

Eph 1:18 – I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling

1Ti 4:10 – we have fixed our hope on the living God, … the Savior

1Ti 5:5 – Now she who is a widow indeed and who has been left alone, has fixed her hope on God and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day.

1Ti 6:17 – Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.

Hbr 6:18 -… take hold of the hope set before us.

Hbr 6:19 – This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil,

Hbr 10:23 – Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful

1Pe 1:13 – prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1Pe 3:15 – sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;

1Jo 3:3 – And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

*RENEWED & TRANSFORMED CONFERENCE – SCRIPTURES ON HOPE

ONLY 9 Days until Kerrville’s P.R.A.Y. with Passion Conference – MAY 5. Register Now
ARE YOU PRACTICING GODLY DISCERNMENT?
Turning from my prayer time, I looked across the room at my library table and the framed smiles covering almost every inch of it. Baby Grace, our newest addition. Grandsons Logan and Hudson. Children Taylor and Lauren and their spouses, Ali and Chris. Keith’s and my parents. And of course, Keith. Wedding smiles. Vacation smiles. Newborn smiles. Hugs. However, as I continued to look, I was reminded of challenging pregnancies, hard deliveries, scary health issues, and the Plan B’s of life from which none of us are exempt.

ARE YOU GOING THROUGH A CHALLENGING TIME?

When Plan B illnesses or other Plan Bs strike, our first reaction is often to feel discouraged or if it’s a tragedy, to be devastated. We’re overwhelmed with emotions. We don’t know the best course of action. However, we don’t need to wait until a Plan B strikes. The wise person begins each day on their knees asking God for wisdom. We can avoid many Plan Bs if we practice godly discernment.
Following, we’ll consider the importance of discernment in our daily lives. As we do, I’m going to borrow three questions from Blake Coffee, Executive Director of Christian Unity Ministries, attorney, and co-author of Trusting God’s People…Again. What? ….is God saying to me? So What? ….Why do I need to hear this? Now What? ….What do I need to do right now to bring my life into compliance with this teaching.
A LESSON from ELI
In 1 Samuel 3:1-10, the importance of discernment is emphasized. Consider the passage with me.
“The boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord before Eli. And word from the Lord was rare in those days, visions were infrequent. It happened at that time as Eli was lying down in his place…and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was, that the Lord called Samuel; and he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call, lie down again.’ So he went and lay down. The Lord called yet again, ‘Samuel!’ So Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he answered, ‘I did not call, my son, lie down again.’ Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor had the word of the Lord yet been revealed to him. So the Lord called Samuel again for the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ Then Eli DISCERNED that the Lord was calling the boy. And Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say,’Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Then the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel! And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for Your servant is listening.’
I can think of few things more important than discerning when God speaking to us. Yet, I wonder how well we recognize God’s voice. I wonder how well we teach our children to discern God’s voice in the midst of all the voices in the world.

SEPARATE, DISTINGUISH BETWEEN*

The word “discern” comes from the Latin word discernere, which means “to separate, distinguish between.” Isn’t that what we need in daily life? Don’t we need to sift through the voices, emotions, and data to determine the wise course of action?

DISCRIMINATION, PERCEPTION, INSIGHT*

Discernment’s sisters are discrimination, perception, and insight. It’s the power to see what is not evident to the average mind. Nonbelievers can be discerning. However, Christians have an inside track to discernment. We have the Holy Spirit to speak to us through the Bible and in prayer. We’re wise indeed if we go beyond calls of “Help!” and we prayerfully listen to His voice. Indeed, we become valuable to God when we discern His voice and reply, “Here I am. Your servant is listening” instead of turning over in our beds and going back to sleep or ignoring His voice during the day.

WHAT, SO WHAT, NOW WHAT?
“I have a huge concern, and don’t know what to do.” “My marriage is in trouble, but nothing I try helps.” “I’m at my wits end with my child. I’ve tried everything, but nothing works.”
What? ….is God saying to you about discerning His voice?
So What? ….Why do you need to hear it?
Now What? ….What do you need to do right now to bring your life into compliance with discerning God’s voice and replying, “Here I am. Your servant is listening?”
Heavenly Father, You are more than a far removed deity. The Bible is a historical account of Your involvement in individual’s lives. Help us lean to better discern Your voice and reply when you call, “Here I am. Your servant is listening.” In Jesus’ name, Amen.

*Excerpt from “Woeful Devastation or Wise Discernment,” The Plan A Woman in a Plan B World

One of the areas in which it’s often hard to be a DOER is to forgive others as Christ has forgiven us. Following are some Scriptures from my book, The Plan A Woman in a Plan B World, and the Renewed and Transformed Conference I did for my friends at Lincoln Park, New Jersey.

WHY WE CHOOSE TO FORGIVE

God commands & empowers me to forgive. Mt 18:35

To not forgive is willful disobedience & refusing His empowerment. Phil 4:13

Forgiving identifies me with Christ. Mt 12:50

Forgiveness FREES me to walk in the good works God’s prepared for me. Eph 2:10

If we feel stuck and that we just can’t forgive, what can we do?

ACKNOWLEDGE CHRIST’S WAYS

Imitate Christ. Eph 4:32, 5:1

Pray, “Jesus, help me.”

Put the chain of bitterness away from you. Lay it at the foot of the cross. Eph 4:31

Claim Phil 4:13, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

Yield to the Holy Spirit & His empowerment. Eph 5:18

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE FREED FROM BITTERNESS AND TO WALK IN THE FREEDOM OF FORGIVENESS

If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. Jn 8:32

Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. Jn 8:34

So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. Jn 8:36

for he who has died is freed from sin. Rom 6:7

It was for freedom that Christ set us free, therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Gal 5:1

Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Mt 6:12

For if you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. Mt 6:14

I PRAY YOU WALK IN THE FREEDOM TO WHICH CHRIST CALLS YOU.

Heavenly Father, thank You that Your commands are for our own benefit. Help us not balk against Your command to put bitterness away from us or Your command to forgive as we have been forgiven. Rather, may we run to Your throne room in obedience and do just what You tell us each time the need arises. In Jesus’ name and for His glory, Amen.