Deuteronomy 28:2 "And all these blessings shall come on you and overtake you, if you shall listen to the voice of the Lord your God."

Overtake a : to catch up with b : to catch up with and pass by c : to come upon suddenly.

Related Words: chase, pursue, gain, reach, pass, surpass

Can you tell that as I (Mia) was reading through Deuteronomy, this word literally "overtook" me. It created a beautiful image in my mind of how passionate God is for me.....how passionate God is for you!

"Blessings shall come on you and overtake you......." I can just picture a wave of blessings pulsating, rising up, chasing me, pursuing me and then all of the sudden overtaking me suddenly as if by complete surprise. I love it. I love that God's goodness is a like a wave that crashes over me continually. Can you see it? Can you feel it? It blows my mind!

On the flip side, however, I know how much of my life was spent being overtaken by guilt, shame, sorrow, sadness, fear and self destruction. I remember what it was like when a wave of depression would rise over me and fill every part of my heart and mind. It was all consuming and I saw no space or possibility for joy, I saw no light. I couldn't swim out of the pain and I felt like I was drowning in guilt and sadness. But God.......

But God, caught up with me, His goodness moved faster than me and passed by my guilt and shame. His grace came over me suddenly and took away my sadness. He chased me when I was running from Him, He pursued me, He gained ground and He reached out His hand to me. In all of my running He passed and surpassed me with his blessings, goodness, grace and mercy.

I was overtaken by the blessings of God as I listened to His voice instead of the voice of the liar. Oh Lord, how amazing are your blessings!

Today, my friends, may we listen to His voice through His Word and by His Holy Spirit. And as we listen to the voice of the Lord our God may we be completely overtaken with His blessings. May we be overwhelmed by His grace.

This day, as we observe and remember, may we step back and thank God for all He has done, all He is doing and all that He is going to do.

As I {Alayna} watched the youth choir at my church on Mother's Day, I noticed a few kids who couldn't be more than 14 or 15 years old and they brought tears to my eyes. It was obvious that they loved Jesus. And it made me cry, because there is nothing more that I want than for my children to know and love Jesus passionately at a young age. 

I remember what I was like at 14 or 15: a moody, snotty, disobedient, lying teenager. I didn't listen to my parents and church was just a bunch of rules. I knew about God, but I certainly didn't love him or live for him. I never want my children to be like me at that age. I want them to choose a different path, and I will have to lead and encourage them to choose differently.

Watching one beautiful, young teenager, worshiping Jesus without a care as to how she appeared to the whole church, without a thought of herself, convicted me about the things that I need to do to raise a child like that. One who loves Jesus above what others think, above her friends, & above herself... 

So what do I need to do to have a child like that? I believe it's pretty simple. Live it. Be in the word, talk about God, teach your children about God, and discipline them using God's word as my guide.

I know I will fail as a mom. I know I will yell. I know I will have angry, mommy moments. I know I will screw up. I know above all things, to succeed in motherhood, I need to lean on God. I need His grace. I need His guidance. I need God. I need to be in God's word. So how's my quiet time? Oooooh, ouch, yeah not as often or as lengthy as I wish it was. How's yours? 

Talk about what God has done in your life. Do you reflect on how God has moved and led you in your own life, even before you knew Him? Reflect and share your stories with your kids. I don't know about your kids, but mine love stories! Share stories of how you met Jesus, how God led you in different areas of life, and how He speaks to you now. Your kids will benefit by seeing how God works in your life. 

Teach them about God using Bible stories in addition to stories from your own life. Focus on the attributes of God, His love, justice, sovereignty, omniscience, omnipotence, and more! Make it simple and integrate it into all aspects of life: Nature, our bodies, their relationships with you, siblings, and friends. Seek to seize the teachable moment and point them back to God! 

And in discipline. God disciplines us, and we should likewise discipline our own children like the ultimate loving parent does. God's word has guidance, stories, and verses for pretty much any discipline issue you come up against. Lying, lack of kindness, anger, hitting, and almost any issue from toddler-hood to teenager-dom, it's in there. For a good guide, click HERE to see the book Creative Correction by Lisa Whelchel for help. 

We will never be perfect mommas. So give up the illusion now. With God's help, self discipline, and a little bit of therapy, we can mold and guide our babies to become like the beautiful young woman I saw singing this last Sunday; with a radiant countenance, a heart filled with love for God, and abandoned in worship and love for her Creator and Savior.

I {Mandy} wrote this today for all the moms who may not have had a picture-perfect Mother's Day. To be clear, this is not necessarily an accurate portrayal of my own Mother's Day. 

Maybe today is the day after Mother's Day. 

Maybe yesterday didn't go exactly as you'd hoped with flowers, a sweet card and breakfast in bed.

Maybe the gift you'd hoped for wasn't waiting expectantly for you--maybe there was no gift at all.

Maybe the hand-made, finger-painted sign never materialized.

Maybe there was hardly a mention of what a great mom you are or an exuberant "thank you" for all that you do.

Maybe it was business-as-usual with the many, thankless tasks you perform on any given day: laundry, meals, clean-up, etc. etc.

And maybe today, Monday, it's raining and dreary to match your mood. 

Maybe your son sprayed cereal all over the kitchen when he tried to open it himself and your toddler knocked over an entire cup of apple juice all over the counter, bar stool and floor.

Maybe you're still nursing the wounds of feeling unseen, unappreciated and unimportant.

Maybe you cannot possibly pick up one more toy or wash one more dish. 

Maybe today you need to just be still.

Maybe today is the day you turn off the computer, shut down the iPad, power off the iPhone.

Maybe today the laundry waits, lunch is cereal, and the dishes are put off a little longer. 

Maybe today is the day that you just sit and be.

Maybe you need to crawl into the lap of your Father and listen to Him tell you that you're valued and appreciated.

Maybe today is when you slow down and listen to His words of affirmation instead of seeking them from someone or somewhere else. 

Maybe today you realize that one Hallmark-driven holiday does not define your worth as a mom; does not encapsulate your value.

And maybe as you're sitting, feeling lost in emotion and disappointment, struggling with feeling so down and also with guilt for feeling so down when so much else in your life is right, your 6-year-old brings you a beautiful picture she drew and says,

"I'm sorry I didn't make you anything for Mother's Day. I really didn't have much time." 

And maybe you hold her and cry, feeling silly for letting one day define you.

For putting pressure on others to recognize you because the calendar says they should.

For neglecting to see all the things you DO have in favor of all the ones you "don't."

And maybe you take Psalm 46:10 (MSG) to heart:

"Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything."

And maybe you realize that what you do is seen. What you do is appreciated. What you do has value. Who you are has worth.

And maybe today you will determine that you will not let another moment go by where you take for granted the beautiful life, the amazing children, and loving husband you have.  

And maybe you will realize that what you're feeling is really about the struggle to recognize your worth in God and not in man. 

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Romans 8:18 (NIV)

And maybe the clouds will part, the sun will come out, and you'll say a prayer of Thanksgiving for all that you have. 

Your job is hard, mama! You do so much that is never recognized, never seen with human eyes, never accounted for in earthly timing.

But God sees it all. And one day you will receive a crown.

And that crown will not be worn on your head, but thrown at His feet. 

So realize all that you do is not about getting praise here on earth, but to give Him the glory.

The world is swirling. I can't focus on what is going on. My husband is speaking to me, but I don't hear him. The kids are crying about something, but I don't know what about and I can't get myself to care. My phone beeps with a text. I don't want to answer it. I'm so tired...all I want to do is sleep. All I want is be alone.

The worst part is...I [Ginny] just wrote several weeks ago on my personal blog about overcoming horrible depression that left a dark mark on my early days of parenting. I had the opportunity to help so many, and several women wrote to me about how they, too, were struggling and were so encouraged by what I had written.

But now...here I sit...a new wave of depression overcoming me.

It started with anxiety and I slipped deeper over the days to come...and I sat there, overcome with the feeling that I had failed all of the people who were looking to me for encouragement. How could I keep blogging and helping others when I was sitting there feeling like this?

That is exactly what Satan wanted me to think.

And I let him warp my mind for days. I allowed my anger at God to overcome me. I allowed this sickness to make me believe lies that dragged me deeper into despair and further away from my blogging ministry.

Then my husband looked me in the eyes and said, "I know what this is."

Tearfully, I looked at him, questioning him.

He told me that the Devil didn't want me to succeed. I was opening myself up to let God work through me to change lives and bring more to the Kingdom, and that angers and scares Satan.

1 Peter 5:8 ESV "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

My husband made me understand that this was an all out attack, and the Devil knew exactly how to get me and to discourage me from taking a step further.

Anyone who has worked in ministry will tell you that they have experienced attacks. Heck, even Jesus was attacked as He was about to start His ministry.
(Matthew 4:1-11)

How can we prepare in advance for these attacks and respond if they happen?

1) Memorize Scripture (ex:  2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Ephesians 6:10-20, 1 Chronicles 5:20) that will remind you of why you are in ministry, that God is with you and will equip you, and that God is stronger than anything that comes at you.

2) Be in prayer before you even begin and during the course of your ministry.

3) Ask others to be in prayer for you. Have a team of prayer warriors in prayer each day and ready for when you feel an attack coming.

4) Know your weaknesses. Satan will often tempt you in areas of weakness. But know that he may surprise you with where he attacks. For me, my weakness is discouragement. That discouragement is at its highest when I am tired and worn out from too many things coming at me at once.

5) If you need to, take a break, but do not quit. I took a week off from writing my blog to recoup and recharge. But I knew that even though I wanted to just turn off the computer for good, quitting is a win for Satan. And I'm not letting him win this battle.

6) Have a support team around you. I'm so grateful for my Deliberate Women sisters, my counselor, and especially for my husband who has literally carried me over the course of the past couple of weeks as I fight this battle spiritually, physically, and mentally. Find others who can speak TRUTH to you in the times where you believe the lies. Find people who won't give up on you even when you want them to.

Don't let the fear of being attacked keep you from allowing God to do great things through you.

God is stronger. He will fight this battle with you, and He will overcome. I pray for those of you who are in this battle right now. You are not alone. Let the great God you are serving wrap His arms around you and arm you with his boldness, strength, and courage to face the enemy. Then get out there and keep fighting.  There is a war to win.

Ginny is a child of God, wife to an amazing husband, and adoptive mother to two sweet little girls. When she isn't having dance parties with her kids, homeschooling her youngest, or singing at the top of her lungs to Disney soundtracks, she enjoys a good chai from Starbucks, watches Downton Abbey, and gets giddy over discovering new yummy paleo recipes. You will also find her sharing her joy moments and faith at www.joyfromgrace.com.