Sparkles & Spilled Milk!: Letting Go

A couple of months ago I had an amazing opportunity to go to Sugar Pine Christian Camp for a Women's Retreat with our church. There was about 60 women from our congregation that got together with a few other churches in California and shared a weekend together and the theme was "Letting Go". As a woman, wife and mom that theme couldn't have been more perfect. We are well known to hold onto things and have problems letting go. My husband has gone on 2 of these retreats and always had such a great time, so I was really happy I finally got to experience what he experienced. It was an amazing weekend filled with lots of love, laughter and I shed quite a few tears. It made me realize how much I really do hold onto and taught me how to trust in Him and the amazing women that I see every Sunday, but never had the opportunity to really get to know on a personal level.
I was also able to take a parenting seminar while I was there & that was really profound in itself. I learned so much in that hour, I was trying to write everything down so fast, but good news is that I have the recording here for you to listen to! I personally have done some of these things with my kids and guess what...they worked! Kids want structure and discipline and when we can give it to them in a loving way, things just work out so much better! Now, don't get the wrong idea here, I am far from a perfect parent. I have major struggles with many things. Patience and consistency being 2 of the big ones. We can get all the advice from well-meaning parents and friends, but in the end we learn mostly from our own mistakes and hopefully try to do better next time. In the mean time, not beating ourselves up about not being the perfect parent like Suzy Homemaker down the street with her perfect home, perfect kids, perfect marriage and just perfect everything! Because guess what, she struggles with the same things, she just keeps it hidden better. We all have "stuff", we all are flawed, we all are imperfect and we all have lots of baggage that we carry through our whole life. For me, some days, it feels like I'm carrying 3 large suitcases and 2 carry-ons, stumbling and tripping over myself with all my own crap. I find I have been asking myself alot lately WHY I can't let things go. Forgive and forget, right? Not so much. Not only forgive others, but forgive myself for what I've done to others as well. I don't know about you, but my past hurts onto others still haunt me. It's obviously not bothering them, so why can't I just let it go?
Learning how to let it go and trust in the Lord is so difficult sometimes! I do know one thing is for sure...His plan for us is sooo much bigger than anything we could ever imagine for ourselves! My favorite bible verse reminds me of this "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jer.29:11)
You see, your everyday struggles are for a reason. We have an amazing loving God! Nothing can separate us from His love for us, nothing!! (Romans 9:37-38)
I write these things only to remind you that you're not alone, I'm not alone. There is always someone else fighting the same battles we are fighting, but learning to handle them all with grace and God's mercy is the only way to come out of the fight alive. Yes, we will have battle scars and wounds that sometimes will take forever to heal, but they will heal. Over time. Every time you feel the need to yell, say something sarcastic and hurtful or "lose your cool" with your kids, take a step back and ask God to help you right then and there. I know it's hard to do in the midst of all the anger, resentment and frustration, trust me... I know! But just do it! Sometimes we don't know what to pray or ask God for, especially in the middle of those times when the enemy has a stronghold on us. Just simply ask for help.
He knows what you need.

Play these while your cleaning the house, driving or whenever. I promise they will give you more strength, encourage and help you to "Let Go".

Parenting Seminar: http://chirb.it/2PwKDI
"Letting Go" Recordings: http://www.chirbit.com/SPCC