From Janna's Heart

Janna from 2Cool4MyMinivan and I met last year at Blog Sugar. For those of you who don't know, Blog Sugar is a fabulous blog networking event. Since meeting, we've discovered that we have more similarities than our minivan blog titles. She is the real deal. Thanks for sharing with us, Janna!


This school year I started out strong.  I had a set time each morning to make reading and studying the Bible a priority before anyone else woke up to distract me.   However, lately I’ve found myself slipping.  I justified spending less time by reading a quick online devotion at home and praying on the way to work.  The devotions started to become sporadic since I have a habit of getting sidetracked by chores or tasks whenever I’m trying to get out of the house.  But at least I still prayed on the way to work, right?
Then last week as I was praying, someone cut me off in traffic.  My sentence went from “and thank you God for…” to “watch where you’re going, {insert not so nice word here}!”  That was my first clue that maybe my heart wasn’t really in it.  I guess it came down to the fact that I viewed a daily walk with God as an appointment I can pencil in when it works for me, yet I expect Him to be there whenever I have a request.  It makes me cringe to admit that.  Do I really like to be reminded how self-absorbed and selfish I can be?
I couldn't continue down that path.  I pulled out the unfinished book that has been unopened on my coffee table for the last month: The Power of a Positive Mom by Karol Ladd.  I picked up where I left off, and would you believe the chapter was about modeling righteousness for our children?  The chapter began with a quote by Leo B. Blessing – The foundations of character are built not by lecture, but by bricks of good example, laid day by day.
I have no choice but to make this my morning combo:

It got me thinking about the kind of example I’m setting for my kids.  For the last few weeks, they’ve seen more of a frustrated mom with a short fuse rather than a patient mom who always has a loving attitude and kind words for them.  Sure, we go to church and quote memory verses in our home, but my actions were speaking louder than any lecture or sermon they’ve been hearing.
John 15:4b No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.  Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
I’ve tried so many times to be a Godly example, and the times that I try to do everything on my own results in failure.  To be the daily model that my family needs, I have to make the conscious effort to remain attached to the vine so that bearing fruit starts to occur naturally.  So from now on, I’m setting the alarm clock early because there’s something important I have to do.  Something that will determine the legacy I leave my children and that will have eternal value.

Please get to know Janna more by visiting her blog here.

And if you are interested in a gift certificate to Starbuck's to enjoy a cup of coffee like Janna as part of her combo, just become a follower and leave a comment. The winner will be announced on Tuesday.

Much love,
Katie