By Faith not Formula..

What a gift it is to be journeying with friends through the book "Desperate" by Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson!
Today the Lord TOTALLY blessed me with the opportunity to relax and read an entire chapter while my sweet toddler slept on my chest :) The chapter was all about living by faith not by formula.
Talk about conviction! Whew! With so many wonderful blogs, books, Facebook pages, etc. out there I find myself 'liking' them all and following them all - so many that I admit I am overwhelmed. There are SO many great ideas on how to raise kids in the training of the Lord, what homeschooling ideas to try, etc. etc. and we (meaning I) get so wrapped up in trying to read them all and put them into practice that it's so very easy to block out the Lord's voice.
Sad to admit but I believe that's where I'm at as I write this. I've lost the sound of God's voice leading me as I tend to my family. I've been so focused on following various formulas that I am not walking by faith in the Spirit. And yet God is so very faithful. It's on those days where I feel like I'm messing up by not getting enough done, not practicing the formulas correctly that I have the best interaction with my daughter. She gets frustrated and agitated when I'm online reading blogs and trying to implement different activities (force them really), but when I stop trying and just get down to her level and listen to her, cuddle with her, give her tons and tons of kisses, dance with her, allow her to sleep on my chest instead of forcing her to nap on her own so I can have my own time...when I slow down enough to go at her pace, I find peace. I don't feel rushed. When I treat her with respect and am gentle and kind in my requests, she chooses to obey. So very opposite a reaction when I threaten her or speak to her harshly - usually when my attention is divided is when I speak to her this way. *Sigh*
Thank you Lord for second chances. And third and three-hundred! Thank you for new mercies every. single. morning. Thank you for books like this one to wake me up to Your voice! You have been leading women in motherhood and wife-hood for thousands of years without how-to books. Without blogs to follow and without Facebook pages and people to follow. Lead me by Your sweet, kind, gentle Spirit.
You formed my daughter inside of me and You alone know her every thought, her every dream, her soul. Teach me how to be her mother. How to train her and how to discipline her. How to lead her into dependence on You. Help me leave her in Your hands as she is Yours first and foremost.