Every fall a flurry of emails go out amongst MMCW staff. We begin praying and talking about a theme to run throughout our posts for the upcoming year. In 2010 our theme was Walking in Wisdom: Shoes Optional. You may have noticed our button on the blog:
What does the Lord want us to focus on in 2011? This one question eluded us for months as we sought the Lord’s direction. What I’m about to share isn’t pretty, just transparent.
During this time I became sidetracked searching the Internet for theme ideas instead of praying for the Lord’s direction. I wanted a theme and I wanted it now! Looking across the web I found blogs of all description–devotional, decorating, cooking, and all with plenty of thing-a-majigs MMCW needed.
In one word I was overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by what I read–there was so much to do, create, and be. If I didn’t follow all the advice and create all the must-have projects, MMCW could not possibly live up to the Lord’s standards. Oh, and I needed a new camera and classes to earn a degree because there is no possible way blogging can be done by someone like me without ABC letters after my name. Then…after all of this MMCW would be doing the Lord’s will.
Smack dab in the middle of my discontented rabbit trail, the Holy Spirit pricked my heart with one word.
Jesus.
Have you ever traveled the same rabbit trail? Go ahead, admit it–we all have.
Satan says we must have it all. Jesus says He is all we need.
Being real in a world where we are supposed to do and be everything is exhausting. The stark reality is I do not know how to sew or make gourmet meals, my bathrooms stay perpetually dirty with four kids. Today I scrubbed the name of a child from a closet wall because he thought no one would know who did it. My laundry pile is taller than I am and my garage is in need of an intervention. I do not need a new camera or a degree to share the Gospel. I blog late at night in my pjs while drinking Coke. Hello, my name is Kellie.
After really praying and sharing how overwhelmed and discouraged I had become because I could not do, be, or create it all Vicki Huffman shared three words:
Grace-Full Living. And my dear sisters, this is our theme for 2011.
Living a life filled with the grace of God is not a fairy tale of perfection. As Page Hughes once told me, “I have a real house with a real family that gets really dirty.” All of us do. We are real women with real problems, needing the grace and mercy of Christ daily. The one thing MMCW does not want to do, by the grace of God, is place unrealistic burdens or expectations on our readers with anything we share. Whether a recipe or devotion, it was lived out first in our own lives.
John MacArthur says,”Grace does not grant permission to live in the flesh; it supplies power to live in the Spirit.” This year, let’s learn together how to lead Spirit-filled lives overflowing with the grace of God. Our photos may not be perfect and our recipes more suited for kitchen tables than gourmet dinner parties. While our articles may step on toes at times–they will challenge us to dig deep into the Bible for God’s direction. Most of all, let’s draw closer to Jesus in 2011 because He truly is all we need.
If you would like to put a Grace-Full Living button on your blog:
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About Kellie Renfroe
Kellie and her husband Greg have been married 32 years and have four children ranging in age from 17 to 28. She co-founded Mentoring Moments for Christian Women in 2005. Kellie is a homeschooling mom who enjoys reading, studying the Bible, writing, photography, and learning how to cook.
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