Verse of the week -- Ephesians 3:20, 21

Recently my bedtime reading has brought me to a book heralded as the sequel to Shepherding a Child's Heart. Although my oldest still has a couple years before official teenage categorization, I want to prepare as fully as possible for this next stage of parenting. Age of Opportunity has offered some insight, encouragement, practical tips, and real life examples of parenting teens God's way, even when our own fallen human nature botches things up at times.


Paul Tripp shares about some of his failures and then verses that have helped him get back on his feet again and one of these really jumped out at me. In Ephesians 3 Paul shares the following, empowering words, "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."

That's a reminder I need to hear more often. As I strive to live my life in honor and praise to the King of Kings, I need to remember that His power works in me. The power that created the waterfalls, greater power than exists in our earth, greater power than the universe can contain. Power that can accomplish more than we can imagine. Not just a step beyond what we could envision, but abundantly beyond it. That very same power works in my life.


I can do it! I can parent. I can accomplish all that God has for me in the next 24 hours. Not in my own strength, but resting in His.


When I give up, He's just getting started.

When I cave, He's rock solid.

When I pull back, He presses on.

When my vision blurs, His clarity grows brighter.

I'm so glad I'm not in this alone.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

~Ephesians 3:20,21~