Discipline Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Tabetha’s Devotions

September 27, 2017

Forget Fighting to Find Focus

Psalms 62:1-2
I stand silently before the Lord, waiting for him to rescue me. For salvation comes from him alone. Yes, he alone is my Rock, my rescuer, defense and fortress. Why then should I be tense with fear when troubles come?

You know the old saying about doctors make the worst patients? Well let me tell you, teachers make the worse students.

Just stop in at any meeting and you will see all of us doing all those things that drive us crazy when our students do them to us. Yes, I am guilty of a few of the more popular ones like checking my email, texting and even the occasional social media posts.

Now I do try not to be rude. I really am listening. Many times my ADHD just gets the best of me. So, lately, I have been trying an old tactic in a very new way. I doodle and color!

When I was in school, setting through long lectures, and taking notes, I would doodle in the margins of my notebooks. I have shown many of the notebooks to my students to give them ideas of what to do when they are struggling to pay attention. Isn’t that funny? I mean I have to distract my mind in order to be able to concentrate.

Anyway, as for my new way, I have recently procured an iPad Pro and I started using an app called GoodNotes to take notes and do all of my lesson planning. Last night, I downloaded several coloring pictures onto it and low and behold I created a coloring book. Below is my masterpiece from today’s meetings.

Coloring didn’t distract me. It relaxed me enough to be able to concentrate.

Long meetings aren’t the only place I struggle to focus. I often find the more I struggle and fight to focus on my prayers, bible studies and even church services sometimes, the harder it is to concentrate. Then I decided one day to have a nice long chit-chat with God and I stumbled upon this verse:

Psalms 62:1-2 I stand silently before the Lord, waiting for him to rescue me. For salvation comes from him alone. Yes, he alone is my Rock, my rescuer, defense and fortress. Why then should I be tense with fear when troubles come?

Notice it doesn’t say, I fought, grappled, wrestled, scuffled, brawled, sparred, strove, or tried harder before the Lord. No, it says I stand silently and wait. It seemed so simple. I needed to quit fighting and start surrender.ing Then, I would find what I was looking for…God, my rock, my rescuer, defense, and fortress. Let him do the fighting. After all, salvation comes from him, not anything I can do.

I simply need to forget fighting to find focus!

September 26, 2017

Purposeful Not Perfect

Matthew 24:13–14 MSG

Staying with it—that’s what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry, and you’ll be saved. All during this time, the good news—the Message of the kingdom will be preached all over the world, a witness staked out in every country. And then the end will come.

I am reading a book called Uncommon by Carey Scott. She points out that we evangelize with our actions just as much, if not more than, with our words. I don’t say this to put pressure on you. As a matter of fact, Carey also says in her book that perfection is a lie. We should not strive to live perfect lives but instead purposeful lives.

I spent way too much of my life and energy trying to be perfect. I spend even more time beating myself up because I never meet the expectations. My need for perfection drove me into depression. I am learning to be purposeful. As a matter of fact, I spend some days being purposeful about being purposeful.

When I am being purposeful, it is OK when things don’t go my way. It is OK when I make mistakes. When I am being purposeful everything becomes a Chance for God to shine through. It is a time for my actions to shine brighter than my words.

It is here that I wanted to write a beautiful prayer. However, instead of trying to be perfect I am going to be purposeful. I am going to leave you with Carey’s words instead.

Lord, help me be a light in the world—not perfectly, but purposefully. Help my words and actions point others to You. Sometimes sharing my faith makes me anxious because the world is becoming intolerant. Would You give me the courage to evangelize anyway? Would You help me preach with my words and my actions? I am available to You and will walk through the doors You open. I want to be part of the reason Your name is praised in all the world. Please give me the boldness and confidence to not cower but instead, stand strong as I praise my Father in heaven. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Uncommon
Carey Scott

September 25, 2017

Keep Moving Forward

Psalms 37:24

If he stumbles, he’s not down for long; God has a grip on his hand. (The Message)

For those of you who don’t know, I am working on my Doctorate degree in Curriculum and Education. I have finished all of the classwork. Two weeks ago, I had to turn in a final exam that consisted of writing two papers. The next steps should be to propose my dissertation, write my dissertation, and then finally defend my dissertation. The problem is I have hit a snag. I did not pass the exams on my first try.

Now, the good news is they sent me the rubric with all of the evaluator’s comments. One of my papers lacked a connection between two parts. The evaluator said both halves were well developed but I need to work on connecting them. As for the second paper, I got lots of nice comments on it. The only thing I did wrong was not write enough.

I was disappointed when I first read the email. It is never easy to get a rejection. However, when I sat down and read the comments, God graced me with a heart prepared to receive critique and not read it as criticism. He had also been preparing me over the past several months during training I received through Proverbs 31 ministries on becoming a writer. One issue we discuss all of the time is how to accept rejection and move one.

I have stumbled, but I am not down for long; God has a grip on my hand. I know he has called me to this path and I am going to keep walking.

What does that look like now? Well, I have two weeks to make corrections and resubmit by exam. So, I will pray and put pen to paper and do what God has called me to do…WRITE!

I would welcome any extra prayers you can send my way.

September 21, 2017

Find My Way Back

Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

There are days when you get pummeled from every side. Those are the days you stop and go, “Wait just a minute! Satan you are not going to get away with this.”

I also know Satan is not behind every bad thing that happens to us. First of all, he can’t be everywhere all of the time. Unlike God, he is not omnipresent. Can I please hear an AMEN to that one!

So, what about his little minions? No, I am not referring to those adorable little yellow guys. I, of course, am referring to demons. Yes, I am sure they are around and cause havoc, but they still aren’t behind every bush.

No, I believe sometimes bad things just happen. I also believe there are times when Satan is sitting back laughing because he doesn’t have to lift a finger. We humans are pretty good and creating horrible situations all on our own.

Let’s also get honest here. We can never say the devil made me do it. We always have choices.

I find my students complaining about rules and they inevitable say we have no choice. I remind them they always have choices. They can always choose to not follow the rules. We always have choices, we just have to weigh if the consequences are worth our choice.

Our daily lives are the same as my kiddos. We all have choices and consequences. Many times we just figure the consequences are worth it. We take the wrong path and we find ourselves in trouble. No, the devil did not make me do it. No, the demons didn’t set me up. Even if the last one was true, I was still in the final control. I made the decision. I chose my path.

Here is the rainbow. When we find ourselves lost, we know the direction to look. UP! We will find the great navigator just waiting for us to ask directions back to safety. He is waiting with his grace and loving warm arms wide open. He has the perfect directions to get you home and he will even light the path!

September 19, 2017

T.H.I.N.K.

Ephesians 4:29

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Some days I just wish I could unload a verbal assault!

The anger burns inside because someone has said something whether it is behind my back or to my face. Maybe I read some stupid comment or post on social media. It could be about me, my kids, my students, my family, my friends or maybe it is just some different political or ideological viewpoint. It doesn’t really matter, I am steamed and ready to blow.

Today was one of those days.

Have you ever been here? Standing on a cliff and ready to jump in with both feet without thinking first. All you know and care about is you have been wronged someway, somehow and now you are out for revenge.

I have been here one too many times. I recently read a book by Karen Ehman called Keep It Shut: What to Say, How to Say It, and When to Say Nothing at All. It was a fantastic book. She taught me how to ask an important question when I get so angry.

Is what I am about to say going to be helpful?

Sometimes, when I am upset, I really do need to say something. The person I am upset at may not even know they upset me. It may have been a misunderstanding. However, if what I have to say and the way I say it are only going to make the matter worse is it really helpful to say it? Do I need to step back, take a breath, and consider the best way to approach the situation?

Or perhaps I don’t need to say anything at all because it really isn’t going to make a difference. Just like today.

No matter how I choose to handle the situation today or tomorrow, I do know what God expects of me.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ~Ephesians 4:29

September 11, 2017

Fail or Fly

2 Kings 2:9

When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”
“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.

But what if I fail?

What if I disappoint someone?

What if I am no good?

What if I am too old or too young?

What if they laugh at me?

I cannot tell you how many of these thoughts have entered my head. I am ashamed to say many of them have stopped me from following through with goals and plans. So many what ifs in my life that I will never get an answer for because I never even tried.

Elisha came from a wealthy family and was appointed to follow the profit Elijah around. So many miracles and accomplishments he must have seen. He knew all the time it was going to be his job to take over one day, but oh the shoes he was going to have to fill. How intimidating it had to have been to see all that Elija was doing and knowing what was going to be expected of him.

Yet, when it came his time to do just that there was no hesitation in his voice. There was no second guessing himself. Elijah asked him what he wanted and his quick, confident response was “a double portion of your spirit.”

I would be satisfied with a quarter of Elisha’s confidence.

Wait maybe that is the key here. Instead of concentrating on all the things that might go wrong, I should be asking for what I need to make them go right. I need to ask for what is not going to make me fall and what will help me fly! Because the only way I fail for sure is by not trying.

September 8, 2017

#ADHD Prayers

Joshua 1:9b
Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Thank goodness God answers ADHD prayers!

I know how important a prayer life is, but I also understand how cluttered life can be. I don’t think I am the only one who has ever sat down and set your alarm for early in the morning so you can get up and pray. Or maybe it is the opposite and you try to put your prayer time before bed. You are doing so good and then all of a sudden it is “Squirrel!” Every thought you can possibly think of all comes flooding into your mind at once.

Please tell me I am not alone here?!?!

So many people read the first part of Joshua 1:9 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. But I kind of like the last part, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. To me, that means God can keep up with me. Even when I have what my friend likes to call the zoomies.

The zoomies are what her dog does when he races all over the place bouncing off furniture and the wall and pretty much anything else he comes in contact with. It reminds me of my mind some days. I get the zoomies! My mind bounces off everything I come in contact with.

It is nice to know in those moments God is keeping up with me. He knows my needs long before I do. He knows my heart. He knows I so badly want to concentrate on him, his word and prayer time. He knows me!

Now you can stand here and spout off about 20 verses about having a steadfast mind and being diligent. I am here to tell you those verses are in there to remind of what I am striving for. If I could do it all of the time, I wouldn’t need God to direct me there!

I am also going to tell you God made me, zoomies and all. So, I am not going to get discouraged because I know God can keep up with me even when I can’t keep up with myself!

September 6, 2017

No Hope?

Isaiah 40:31

But those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

This week my World History students have been studying five major religions of the world. I took away a valuable idea from all of them.

The key focus of my lesson was how do our religious beliefs influence the way we live our lives. At first, my students struggled with the concept. Then we began to talk about each religion’s idea of what happens to us when we died. They quickly realized all the religions had one thing in common, hope and faith in the fact there was something else after we died.

What I took away from this lesson was a sadness for those who do not have this hope and faith. I can’t imagine walking through life without either of those. Why would I get up in the morning? Why would I even try to live my life or improve upon it?

I suffer from depression and PTSD. I know what those dark hopeless days feel like. It is Isaiah 40:31 I often turn to remind myself that my hope is in the Lord and he will renew my strength. He will give me wings to soar far from this depression and I will be able to run and walk again. Without that hope, I would stay crumpled up emotionally and sometimes physically in the fetal position unable to go on.

I am so thankful for my religious beliefs. They bring me comfort and strength. They do influence the way I live my life. I want to share this hope and faith with everyone I meet. I pray for those who have nothing to believe in.

I leave you tonight with this one thought:

If there is no God and Heaven when we die, what did I truly miss out on while I lived?

If there is a God and Heaven when we die, what will I miss out on forever?

September 5, 2017

I Need You to Just “Be”

Psalms 40:1
I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.

I sat and listened as my friend poured out her heart and soul. She was devastated, frustrated, angry and felt totally alone.

I remember a few years back this same friend had come to my rescue. After a simple phone call at 10:00 at night, she showed up on my doorstep. She wasn’t there to fix anything. She was there just “to be”!

This concept of not fixing something can be very difficult for some people. Not to sound sexist or anything, I know for men it can be extremely difficult. They are naturally born fixers and problem solvers. However, there are many times we women don’t need “fixes” or even solutions. We just need someone “to be”.

There are many times in life where there are no words to fix things. I am reminded of a song by Jason Gray, Not Right Now.

Don’t tell me when I’m grieving
That this happened for a reason
Maybe one day we’ll talk about the dreams that had to die
For new ones to come alive
But not right now

While I wait for the smoke to clear
You don’t even have to speak
Just sit with me in the ashes here
And together we can pray for peace
To the one acquainted with our grief

I know someday
I know somehow
I’ll be okay
But not right now
Not right now

This song always reminds me of Psalms 40:1. There are many times I wait for the Lord because I just want him to listen to my cry. This verse tells us he turns to us and listens. He is just there. We are not alone. We are not forgotten. He is listening. He is just “being”.

My response to my friend was simple. I told her I was sorry. I wish I could fix it, but I know I can’t. I could give her a million “Christian” things to say and verses of encouragement, but I knew they wouldn’t help, right now. So, I offered to just listen and empathize with her. I told her when she needed me to be her cheerleader and encourager I would, but today I was just going to sit with her and be miserable with her so she was not alone. I was just going “to be”.

September 4, 2017

We Were Not Called to Climb Every Mountain

Hebrews 12:1

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

I have come to the realization, I can’t live anyone else’s life and I don’t want to.

I have a friend who sells jewelry as a side job. Her hopes and dreams are for it to take off so she can quit her full-time job. She loves selling this jewelry. She loves wearing it and she loves the smiles on her customers face when they first put it on and they realize they are beautiful!

Recently she made a confession to me. She belongs to various social networking pages specifically designed for consultants that sell this jewelry. She was reading peoples successes and she began to feel very jealous. She wished she could be them. The Holy Spirit quickly pricked her soul and said, “No, you don’t! You don’t want the trials and tribulations she has been or is going through.”

When she told me this I realized I have done the same thing many times. I have looked at magazines or watched TV, social media or even just saw someone walking down the street. I have said things like,

“I wished I looked like _________.”

“I wished I had that person’s _______.”

“Wow, I wish I could do _______ like that person.”

God has marked out a path just for us to travel. He has equipped us with just what we need to walk that path.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked for us.

Why do some paths lead down pitfalls and rocky roads, while others seem to walk on rainbows and sunshine? I don’t know, but I can promise you something, no one is always walking on either one. When you see those people who seem to be on the high, you never know the cliffs they climbed to get there. What’s more, you weren’t meant to make that climb.

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.

Let us throw off the jealousy, envy, covetousness, enviousness, green-eyed monster, jealousy, resentment that entangles and let us find our own path of blessings, grace, mercy; favor, kindness, mitzvah, advantage, aid, assistance, gift, help, relief, support, comfort, consolation, solace; bonus, extra, delight, joy, and pleasure.

Tag: Discipline

Forget Fighting to Find Focus

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Purposeful Not Perfect

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Keep Moving Forward

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Find My Way Back

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T.H.I.N.K.

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Fail or Fly

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#ADHD Prayers

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No Hope?

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I Need You to Just “Be”

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We Were Not Called to Climb Every Mountain

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