Beth Lawrence

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in Foster Care· Journal

More of Them, Less of Me

May 5, 2014

Parenting a third child is doing the work of teaching me greater selflessness. Denying myself becomes necessary to keep everyone clean and fed and hugged. I’m working on being thankful for that. But right now, I just want a little time to myself. 

Jesus, help me approach and view and respond to my children the way you do. My biggest fear in life these days is that I will parent them in such a way that it will hinder their love for you, and others. Help me strike a balance between discipline and affection, accountability and mercy. Overcome my failures as a parent. In fact, overshadow me completely and become irresistible to them. May they hunger and thirst for you. Be their bread of life. Their living water. 

We’ve had Jase for nearly four weeks. What a precious baby he is. But the rest of my life hasn’t slowed one bit in order for me to care for him. In fact, it’s been years since I lived at this pace. I’m in constant motion from before 7am until after 9pm. It’s not that the work is to heavy, just so constant. 

Titus and Anna have been wonderful helpers since he arrived. They adore him. 

I take him to visit his mother today. Help me to minister to her. To cheer her on even though her success means my profound heartache. May I live your love and leave the results to you. 

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Last November, Nathan and I took a trip together w Last November, Nathan and I took a trip together without the kids. Within hours of leaving the house, I was astounded at what I noticed. We were talking differently to each other, smiling at each other, holding hands, and sitting close. It was as if we had turned back the clock to an earlier time in our marriage. 

Before that trip, there was nothing especially wrong with our relationship. Most would probably call it a strong, good marriage. And I wouldn't disagree. However,  I can tell you firsthand that 72 hours of doing one simple thing catapulted our relationship to a sweeter spot. What was the one simple thing? Focus. We spent time focusing on each other and our relationship. 

Our lives are busy and chaotic. If we aren't careful, we can let building a strong marriage fall by the wayside. The weekend getaway with Nathan revealed to me that our lives had become so consumed with other things, we had not been taking time to focus on each other. 

Dear Ones, our marriages are meant to be a priority. God forbid we take them lightly. Marriage requires regular times of focus to keep the relationship moving towards the picture or the Gospel that God intended them to me. 

This February I'm spending time focusing on my marriage, again. I'm going to pray daily for Nathan, and for our relationship. I'm going to reread the truths God revealed to me as I was writing the Making Marriage Great devotional. I'm going to plan time with my husband. And I'm going to devote myself to being a wife who makes marriage a priority. 

If you feel the nudge to join me, I hope you will! I'll be offering fun stories of Nate and I, prayers to pray over your marriage and husband, and relationship building resources to check out - all here on my page! And if you're interested, order a copy of the Making Marriage Great Devo set. We can read it together - Christian wives unified in building Godly marriages together!

Check out my website (link in profile) or Etsy shop to order. Locals, use code PICKUP on Etsy to skip the shipping and pickup from my porch!
Thirty years ago the Lord used the book of Prover Thirty years ago the Lord used the book of  Proverbs to open my eyes to the wonder of His Word. I have a vivid memory of sitting in the old green church bus as we were pulling away from summer youth camp at @shoccosprings, opening my Bible to the middle, and be struck by the the conviction that what I was reading was surely the truest thing in all of life. 

I go back to Proverbs on the regular. This past Fall I returned to the familiar pages again and read it through slowly, carefully, and thoughtfully. 

One of the greatest takeaways from my most recent journey through Proverbs was this: God has ordered all of creation to function in a particular way. If we want to thrive relationaly, spiritually, financially, in work, and in every other way, the key is discovering God's design and operating within it. 

Being the Good God that He is, He has given us a practical guide full of wisdom about how to live well. If you're hungry for a book that is heavy on applying truth to life, look no farther than the book of Proverbs! 

I wanted to teach a study last Fall on all the wonderful truths to be mined in Proverbs, but Covid wouldn't cooperate. Instead, I took 31 verses that were the most impactful to me and put them in a daily calendar of sorts. Yall know how I feel about saturating life with Scripture. ❤
God has been using these daily verses to continue shaping me to think and act with His wisdom. What a blessing. 

I pray you are thinking on His word all throughout the day, as well. There is nothing so powerful to change us as the Spirit of God working through the word of God.
I don't know about you, but I don't want to settle I don't know about you, but I don't want to settle for an "okay" marriage. I long for a great marriage - the kind others admire and my children want to imitate. 

However, 15 years and 5 kids into marriage, I can say this for sure: great marriages don't just happen! They take concentrated effort, and a large dose of God's help and guidance. 

This is exactly why I wrote the Making Marriage Great devotional. I long to see scores of married couples refocusing on what takes a marriage from ordinary to exceptional.

You can now order a Making Marriage Great set to help you put into practice the Biblical truths that build a remarkable marriage on my website or Etsy shop!
(Website link in profile/ #Etsy shop - Deeply Rooted by Beth Lawrence)

PS- this make a super gift for newly weds! How many of us wish we had a Biblical perspective from a seasoned married woman from day 1 of our own marriages?!
If you're looking to start the new year by saturat If you're looking to start the new year by saturating daily life with Scripture, this new daily Scripture set is ready for you! Focusing on one verse at a time has become a serious habit of mine. I hope it deepens your faith too. 

Available on my website (link in profile) and ready for shipping or porch PICKUP. And if you're a small business in Valley, just leave a comment on the order and I'll happily drop it by your office for your staff to enjoy together. ❤
I've nearly got the porch put back together, and l I've nearly got the porch put back together, and let me tell you it does my heart good. There is a season for everything. A season to be a part of Christmas giving and encourage gifts that point to Christ, and a season to hunker back down at my desk to study and listen and write. And as much as I enjoyed having you in my little sacred spot, I'm looking forward to what God might do as I sit here alone again with Him. 

Enjoy the coming of the new year, Dear One. It's sure to bring all kinds of new heights and depths. Some welcomed and some not so much. But here is our certainty: God is in it, and will be in it, with us. 

As we leave Christmas, the time we celebrate Immanuel - God with us, may we remember He is just as present in the days ahead as in the days behind. And may you know His presence deeper than ever before in 2021!
I love you all.
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Comes with a sweet little devotional.
$12 Set of 6 5x7 Psalm 119 Scripture cards $12
Set of 6 
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Revised!! Porch Hours for Wednesday: 10 to 1 3 to Revised!!
Porch Hours for Wednesday: 
10 to 1
3 to 6
Thanks yall, for enjoying this little space God gave us.

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