Success

The Measure of Success

A big house-check, new cars-check, plasma TV-check. These are just a few of the ways the world views success, and there is nothing wrong with owning material things, after all if you work hard for them you deserve them. I live a much simpler life in comparison . I have been a single mother for a very long time, and while we live simply, we never seem to do without that which we need; He takes care of us like any good parent would, He also provides those desires of our hearts perhaps not all, but definitely those we really want. (Psalm 37:4) When I think about the successes in life I look at it a little differently.

Success is:

Seeing a Facebook update where my friend's daughter has that dreaded stomach virus: She lifted her little head and said "lord please help me stop throwing up. I am the healed of the Lord". That says a mama has surely taught her daughter how to pray.

Or when I am teaching a ladies Bible study and my 18 year old daughter is there with me, how humbling to sit in the same room with my daughter and know she really wants to be there. She is not only there but she wows with me with her wisdom as she shares her thoughts.

Or when my son says to me: "Mom, why does it seem like people who don't serve the Lord have everything and bad things don't happen to them, yet we serve Him, but we have so little"? He asks this with tears in his eyes and I begin to let him know how blessed we are, even with "little" by the world's standards we are rich with the love of our Savior, we are rich with family as well as a church family, we are rich with friends who truly love us, and I remind him of the times we need and God provides on time every time, and finally I remind him that we are the "lucky" ones, we have a paradise in eternity waiting for us, a promise of life forever with Him...and I tell him we should pray for those who have everything because they lack the most important thing: our Jesus.

Or when my good friend Michelle blogs how my son has enriched her daughter's life, how he led her to Scripture of how beautiful she is, how she was fearfully and wonderfully made just as she is. Her daughter in turn has helped my son immeasurably. The prayers of two mothers sent up at different times for our children to find a truly Godly friend who will help them through this maze of teenage mess: and just like that my Jesus leads these two into a wonderful friendship.

Now to the world that may not seem like much, but to me it says that my life, my kids lives, and those around me are rich in love, rich in happiness, and for me that is success.

Measuring life by His standards,

Nickie

©2010-2011 Nickie Subach

Breath of God

I have heard the Bible being described as "the living breathing Word of God". I picture God literally breathing over the scrolls as the various authors of the books were writing. That very breath breathed life into Adam (7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Ge 2:7) We carry the breath of God in our bodies, we share lineage with Adam for one thing, for another, Believers have the Holy Spirit living inside of us. When my world seems crazy, and things stress me out I feel like I can't take a deep breath: Yesterday was a very bad day so I will use that as an example. I felt moody, irritated over everything, and generally didn't want to be around anyone. I almost in my moodines skipped church (I know shame on me), however I went, per the usual it was GREAT. (Awesome Pastor that I have and all). I noticed when I sat down that I took a deep breath and exhaled, and almost like "magic" I felt relieved, happier, calmer, and relaxed. I wondered to myself why this instant gratification? I know I prayed this morning, what was the difference in my terrible day and being at church? Then it hit me (I tend to be slow), my prayer has become dare I say it? Routine, auto-pilot, could say it backwards and forward...I felt ashamed. Here is my wonderful Savior washing away my day's stress with His breath, but not one time during the day did I say: Father, breathe into me: I was going it alone.

When I get so busy, or my prayers are just the routine I follow, that I can't slow down long enough to allow Him to settle my frazzled mood; then I have not only hurt myself, I also didn't give Him enough credit to know how to fix it. I am not a brand-new Believer either, but I feel like I miss the very obvious sometimes by not slowing down.

I decided today will be different: I took a deep breath this morning , pointed my face to the sky and I imagined breathing in His breath, and just like Adam I was face-to-face with I AM. Yes, today has been a much better day.

Start breathing!

Nickie

©2010-2011 Nickie Subach