Kristin

Momma, You are Called to Greatness!

May 6, 2013 By Kristin • 20 Comments

I remember telling my mom, in the the shyest of ways, that I felt like there was greatness in me. I knew that God had a calling on my life and I knew that it was significant. That greatness is in all of us who have surrendered to Jesus. His calling on each of us is a call to live with His extraordinary greatness flowing out of us.

For too long I have felt desperate, overwhelmed and have moaned about how hard mothering is. I somehow lost sight of that greatness.

I hear God calling me to wake up. I sense He’s calling us all to wake up to greatness.

Yes, being a momma IS hard but we have a choice to quit moaning and being overwhelmed and saturate ourselves in the presence of God where He calls us to greatness in our homes.

We can lead our children not only to the cross to avoid hell but to God’s face so that they are changed, and the greatness in them is stirred up. So that they hear Him and see Him and KNOW Him. So that He stirs up callings and giftings in their lives while they are but babes and they take their generation for Him because they had a mom who led them to Jesus. A mom who sacrificed her own moaning for an easier life for crying out to God with her children for change. A mom who didn’t just bandage the hurts and wounds of her children but asked God to speak to them and waited on Him with her children in effort to teach them that this is what you do when you are hurt… you run to Him.

You have greatness inside of you. Now let it out! Stir up that greatness in your children by living a life knowing who you are and the using the tools & weapons that you have.

Be overwhelmed with Jesus and not with your circumstances.

Quit fretting about all of your mistakes and how to do it ALL and simply press in, with your children, to see the heart changes you long for, to see God’s power rise up in your home and in their lives.

Pray for their friends as if your children’s lives depended on it (they do). Pray for their schools as if revival is possible (it is). Pray for healing as if it’s yours (it is). Ask for the things you need and watch God move in power and overwhelm what overwhelms you. His greatness is ready – waiting – to rise up in you and do great things.

You are the key momma. You! Yes, all the little things matter and God sees you serving. It’s true. But don’t fall asleep thinking that you can just go about your day and there isn’t an enemy out there waiting and watching for a way to devour you and yours.

Rise up, oh woman of God. Rise up mighty warrior. You are called to greatness. You are called to be a GREAT leader in your home. You are a lioness who has cubs in her care. It’s time to get tough and dirty on your knees before God and even in front of your children. They need to see how you fight. They need you to show them How God fights for them, how He sees them. Quit waiting for something magical to happen in you. You already have everything you need.

Do you feel it rising? It’s called greatness. Now let’s walk in it!

In this with you, Kristin of The Beautiful Deep

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Kristin Lemus is married to her best friend and "momma" to 7 kids. She has 5 girls and 2 boys (one in heaven). She is passionate about encouraging moms that they are good at what they do and helping them to walk in truth. She's been saved by grace, is madly in love with her Savior and wants everyone to know the amazing freedom He brings. Kristin shares her heart and her stories at The Beautiful Deep.

How to do What you are Called to Do Without Failing

March 14, 2013 By Kristin • 30 Comments

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As a blogger you can get pretty lost in all of the “to dos of blogging.” It’s a list that most blogging conferences, or blog posts on how to blog, confirm: promote your blog, use social media, comment on other blogs, guest post, connect, build relationship… It’s not a bad list and it does yield results but it may not yield the right kind of success if you aren’t supposed to be doing those things.

Over my 3 years of blogging I have watched blogger after blogger burn-out. They felt called to write at one point or another but then the demands of it took time away from their families and they couldn’t find the balance so they had to lay it down…completely. I admit to wondering time and time again if I should lay blogging down but every time I seek God about it I hear a clear “no.” I have had seasons of laying it down but have never felt the necessity of letting it go completely. However, It scares me, honestly, that there is such burn-out among bloggers, especially moms.

As I have watched so many bloggers struggle with the balance I could not help but be desperate for the answer to cure the epidemic. “God why do so many women struggle with this, myself included?” and what God spoke to me was a swift and absolute answer.

“Only Do what I told YOU to do.”

Oh! I get it. Too often we get caught up in what someone else is doing and attempt to follow their path. Sometimes that is the right thing to do because that’s what God has told us to do. But sometimes it’s not. Sometimes we are just chasing the success of someone else. If you’ve been told what to do then THAT is your path to being successful. If you haven’t been told {or haven’t taken time to ask} please make that a priority before moving on.

When I think back to the beginning of my blogging journey I remember that God called me to write. Every day. He said “Write every day. Live your life and blog along the way.” He never said to catch up with Mrs. Jones who has been blogging for years. He never said promote yourself like crazy. He never said “you have to connect.” He just said “write.”

And I remembered how God is interested in our hearts. Do we trust Him with what He has called us to? Will we be faithful to obey? Even if it isn’t the way it looks for someone else?

Of course I had the potential to burn-out because I cannot expect that God will bless, protect and grow what He never asked me to do {also known as disobedience to what He HAS called me to do}. He equips us faithfully for our calling. We falter when we leave Him behind thinking that we’ve got it now and know how to do it.

{Please note that there is a difference between burning out because you are following the wrong path and God changing your path. And there is ALWAYS grace. I have missed the mark on this so many times and He lovingly brings me back to truth…every time.}

My calling may be different from yours. You may not even be called to blog. You may be called to blog and promote and work long hours to make money at it. You may be called to connect like crazy. BUT if you aren’t you should stop. I had to stop.

Let me leave you with a verse that God has been speaking to my heart over and over. Psalms 23:1 says:

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

Another version says …I have everything I need. Is the Lord your shepherd? You have everything you need. Your calling is enough for you. But get this: in Hebrew the word translated “want” also means to fail or (cause to) fail. So you could also read it like this: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not fail…

Make the Lord the shepherd over your calling. Do only what He asks you to do. Guard it and your time diligently and You cannot fail. He won’t let you.

Kristin Lemus
The Beautiful Deep

Kristin

A Prayer for You

March 11, 2013 By Kristin • 12 Comments

My heart overflows for you today sweet Allume community. Would you allow me to pray for you and sow a seed into your blogging and ministry?

Heavenly Father,

I pray for the precious woman reading this right now. I thank you that nothing surprises you and wherever she is in her blogging journey that you are pleased with her and love her fully right here. Would you allow her to rest in You right now? That you have her in this place and this online space for a reason.

Thank you Father, that this woman, this molder of words, is fearfully and wonderfully made. I praise you that you have great plans to prosper her. Thank you that you know her every thought and that you delight in the details of her life.

I ask that You would help her to know and understand more clearly the amazing depths of your love for her that she may live a life of confidence in You and the things you have called her to. Holy Spirit, would you speak to her right now about who You are and who she is in You? Reveal any lies she has believed about who she is and flood her heart with the truth of how you see her.

I ask that you would provide for her in every way. Grant her unusual wisdom, abundantly clear direction and great vision. Protect her and her family as she walks in this calling and takes back territory that the enemy has held. Arm her for battle Lord, but hold her tightly when she is weary from it.

My heart cries out for you to bring her the encouragement that she needs and the friendships she longs for. Fill her life with sweet moments, reflections of Your heart, that bring her great joy.

Teach her to let You be her source so that she never runs dry. Give her a deeper passion for You and Your Kingdom and drive eternity into her heart so that eternity would drive her.

Father, when she fails, help her to know that you You never do. Then let her rest in your unfailing love as you hold her and wash her with grace. Be her strength in weakness.

Teach her to turn away from comparing herself to anyone else, for comparison is death to what you have called her specifically to do. Help her to trust Your plan and Your timing. Thank you that you never look at us in comparison with anyone else but that you see us as you created us to be: beautiful and holy.

I ask for a breakthrough for her this year. Because of Your goodness and her obedience to this call to bare her soul with words, would you tear down walls that have stood in her way? Will you rain down your favor and blessing in her life in new and fresh ways?

And to you be all the glory and all of the honor for every crown she receives. You alone are worthy of praise and may you be magnified and lifted up in her real light living.

Amen

With Love, Kristin at The Beautiful Deep

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