One of my children is a planner. And by this I mean, A PLANNER.  It’s rare that she doesn’t have her plans written down for the week... and every week from now until she graduates in 2024, for that matter.

So it came as no surprise that she spent this summer planning out her upcoming fourth grade school year. Yes, that’s right, she spent the summer planning for school.

For me, the words summer and school go together just about as well as a black sharpie and a white couch.

Nevertheless, she had it all planned.  The outfit she would wear on the first day. Who her teacher would be. Which friends would be in her class...and where those friends would sit.  Including a detailed seating chart. A seating chart!  

Her dad and I are very much looking forward to saving money on a wedding planner in the future.  

But the days of summer are short and before we knew it a postcard arrived with the name of her new fourth grade teacher. It was a name she didn’t recognize. It was not who she planned.  Ouch.

She was desperate to call her friends to see who their teachers were. And guess what? Not one of them was in her class, in fact, they were ALL on the opposite side of the hall.  
“But what about my seating chart?” she mumbled, tears starting to fill her eyes.  

There it was: the sting of disappointment.

It’s safe to say we’ve all felt that heaviness at one time or another when things don’t go quite as we plan. And during the course of our sophisticated planning sessions,  it’s so easy to forget, or neglect to give enough weight to, the One that shapes our course.


How many times do we tell ourselves that if I can just control the situation then I can fix it? How many times do we think we know what is best for us?
We think we know what will make us happiest.  False.
We think we know what we want. Wrong again.
The Lord knows what is best and whatever He designs is for our benefit; sometimes we just can’t see past our own discouragement.


Jonah had a plan of his own. He ran. He fled. He disagreed. He jumped ship.  

Jonah 1:1-3 Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me’. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.”
But of course he did not get very far on his own. God redirected him by way of a great fish to the place God called him to be. Jonah thought that he could thwart God’s plans by running away. But God would not let him. God’s plans cannot be thwarted.

Has God taken you down a road you never would have willfully chosen?

Are you in a place you never expected to be?

Proverbs 16:9 brings into vision just how we should both plan, and at the same time, lean upon the Lord with strong faith.  “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”

Maybe God is directing your current course because
You  need to be in that environment.
You need to be around those people.
You  need to be sharpened and affirmed.
You need to be challenged and encouraged.
You  need to let go, and let God.


Even though my daughter’s meticulous plan was changed, God is using this season to shape her life like never before.   It is exactly where she needs to be, and her teacher is who she needs for this exact moment.

And the same can be said for you today.

Friend, God hasn’t deserted you. He is not mistaken.  He hasn’t forgotten you.  He knows exactly what He’s doing. He knows exactly what you need and where you need to be.  Trust in Him completely and the “things of God” will lead to life-giving plans.

God may change what you had planned, but remember to look for his blessing of something new and unexpected. While the pain of loss can be very real, God is sovereign and His grace is sufficient to carry us into His next steps.


Bible Verse
“In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9


Prayer:
Heavenly Father, please convict us today in the areas in which we are trying to control our own lives. Stop us from relying on the wrong person - ourselves. Bring us back to submission. We give you all we have planned.  Direct our steps towards greater and more abundant blessings than we ever could have imagined. In your name we pray, Amen.


Author:  Rebecca Hansen

​It’s the start of a new year.  Which is such a wonderful time for me to pull out the list of resolutions I made last year, realize I did zero percent of them, and then simply cross off 2015 and change it to 2016!    

Last year’s list included things like “I will only eat whole, unprocessed, organic foods.”  That plan was derailed in mid-January when a block of Velvetta cheese jumped in my cart.  I think the elbow macaroni jumped in there too, and I’m pretty sure it was the extra gluten variety.   

Also appearing on last year’s list were things like “read twelve books.”  I guess I didn’t do the math because twelve books in twelve months is one book per month.  Clearly a momentary lapse in judgement.  I did manage to read three books. But if you count the Magic Tree House, Curious George, and Thomas the Train books then you can put me down for reading exactly nine thousand books last year.   

Friends, as we enter into this new year, I want to thank you for your generous and enthusiastic support of Rooted Moms.   We are committed to providing you with daily truth and encouragement to keep you rooted in His word.   May your 2016 be filled with abundant blessings and as much Velveeta cheese as you desire.

Please pray this with me right now,

Heavenly Father,

As 2016  begins, I ask that your Spirit would refresh and renew me in my mothering.

Thank you for these precious children that you have entrusted in my care.  I want to be an intentional mother, Lord.    A mother who is wholly present for my children.  Give me all the tools necessary to disciple, teach, and shepherd my children.

Help me to remove mindless distractions from my life and re-focus me on what is most important.  Help me to be a key instrument in my children's lives, shining your love and your light for them to see.

In my exhaustion, give me peace, strength, and hope to press on.  During the sleepless nights, I pray that you will be right by my side encouraging me and filling me with your grace and love.

In the moments that feel mundane, give me a greater understanding of the big picture and remind me that you are the God that sees me, and that every single moment matters to you, no matter how small.

In the times when the weariness and dread can feel so heavy, Lord, exchange it for your energizing, custom-fit assignments for my life in this season and call forward my unique talents, purpose, and design.  

Lord, I realize that my mothering is dependent on my personal prayer life.  Help me to seek you first, trust in You alone, and keep my eyes fixed on You.  Give me a deeper passion to grow and learn, to study all that your word has for me, and to set aside time to be alone with You.  

Keep me rooted in your word daily and continue to give me a fresh revelation of how wide and long and high and deep  your love is for me.  I pray that Your spring of Life will bubble up inside of me and overflow.  Renew my heart as you wash over me with your mighty presence.

Lord, my heart is ready, and I know You are always with me.

I give you all the honor, glory, and praise.
Amen


Author: Rebecca Hansen



​

By : Rebecca Hansen


As our week together comes to a close,   I can't think of a more appropriate ending then to watch Francesca Battistelli's music video "He Knows My Name"    

These lyrics are piercing and extremely powerful.  Take time today to absorb everything the Father has for you.  Listen with an open heart and let Him expose a fresh revelation of how He intensely knows you and loves you.

Friend, you are beautiful and He knows your name!!

 



Spent today in a conversation
In the mirror face to face with
somebody less than perfect
I wouldn't choose me first if
I was looking for a champion
In fact I'd understand if
You picked everyone before me
But that's just not my story
True to who You are
You saw my heart
and made
Something out of nothing


I don't need my name in lights
I'm famous in my Father's eyes
Make no mistake
He knows my name
I'm not living for applause
I'm already so adored
It's all His stage
He knows my name oh, oh,
He knows my name oh, oh

I'm not meant to just stay quiet
I'm meant to be a lion
I'll roar beyond a song
With every moment that I've got
True to who You are
You saw my heart
and made
Something out of nothing