Our youngest children, ages nine and eleven, are learning to cook. Tuesday is their day to plan and cook dinner. Yesterday, as I helped my daughter, I asked if she had read through the recipe and understood the directions. Sheepishly, she admitted she had not. I assured her if she followed the directions correctly, the dish would be delicious. Inwardly I chuckled, thinking of many recipes I tweak, or dishes I prepare without a recipe, Amelia-Bedelia style: “A little of this, a dash of that.” They aren’t always a success.
Immediately God spoke to my heart, and I was the one feeling sheepish. I realized sometimes I do that spiritually—my own version of His will, His commands. I asked God to forgive me. And this morning as I read and studied His holy Word, I pondered over my life. Am I truly following the Bible? It’s a sobering thought.
Yet, it’s also liberating. If I obey His directives, my life is a success. “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loved me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him” (John 14:21). Consider this promise: “And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming” (I John 2:28).
This is a “recipe” I dare not tweak—and the end result will be eternal life with God. Praise His name!
Enter below for your chance to win a copy of Faith’s
Prayers for a Simpler Life!
Do your quiet times with God feel disconnected from the rest of your overflowing days? Shouldn’t our devotions affect how we live our lives? In this 90-day devotional for women, plain Mennonite mother and wife Faith Sommers helps connect your moments with the Lord to the rest of your life. Steeped in the faith of Amish and Mennonites, who maintain that how we live is as important as what we say, Sommers’ words hold gentle warmth and wise nudging for readers tired of disjointed living. Offering daily devotions, prayers, journal prompts, and ideas for how to simplify your life and strengthen your faith, Prayers for a Simpler Life guides readers toward a deeper commitment to the way of Jesus.
Purchase your copy of Prayers for a Simpler Life: Paperback
Faith Sommers is a conservative Mennonite mother, wife, and columnist for Ladies Journal, a publication for Amish and Mennonite women. She and her husband Paul have six children between the ages of six and twenty-one.
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We’re retired so we have a pretty simple life now, it seems like the most hectic thing is juggling Dr. appointments! 🙂 Thanks for all you do Tricia, I really enjoy your newsletter & tweets!
This blog post is so true. Sometimes we miss the signs of following HIS plan.
Thanks for the opportunity to win this giveaway
Now that I have entered the giveaway and saw the question…..
I have retired and I enjoy the simple things in life these days-especially the granddaughters and their lives
I would turn off the news and the electronics & read more interesting, uplifting books.
Great post today!
I’ll have to say that my household needs more organization to make our life more simpler.
I am retired now but I have become the chief caregiver for my 3 year old granddaughter. Not complaining but my life isn’t simple right now. I definitely need Prayers for a Simpler Life! Thanks for sharing.
Great reminder. Simple simple simple.
Wow, a simpler life! That would be so great right now. I am retired, but my life seems to have gotten more complicated instead of easier. My oldest daughter is going through a nasty divorce, and I have had to travel back and forth to Indiana to be there to support and help her with her three children. My son is suffering from severe PTSD and has been in and out of treatment for the last two years, and I am basically his caregiver and have to take care of all his financial and legal affairs. Along with all of that, my husband and I have both had some health issues and surgeries, so life is pretty complicated right now. Somebody help me find a simpler life…..please!
I try to live a decluttered lifestyle. We use a fireplace for heat rather than central heat. We use window A/C units for cooling. These easy simpler lifestyle changes not only save us money, it gives us a less hectic environment.
Less time on electronics, namely my iphone!
One way my life could be more simple would be for me to BE PRESENT!! As one of my friends says, “Be where your feet are.” 🙂