So this may be a bit more than I can keep up with but I am currently involved in two different Bible study groups and am SO excited about them both so I wanted to share.
The first is by a blog called Good Morning Girls and this is something I've taken part in before. It's an online study which is great for me as a working Mom because I can't get to the Ladies Bible study at my church like I would like to. I've been part of Good Morning Girls off and on for the past couple of years. You can follow along through their blog, and also I'm part of a Facebook group where we discuss the passages each day. The best part about this study is that it helps me be focused on reading from the Word every single day. Even though some days it may only be a couple short verses, it's getting in the Word every day.
And this session, which is about to begin {TOMORROW morning!!!!!} is called Intentionally Focused! I feel that the Lord had already placed the word Intentional on my heart before I heard about this study, then when it was announced it was even more confirmation that this was what I needed to be learning about and focusing on. So I am THRILLED about the topic!
If you are interested in joining, please go to the blog and SIGN UP! You will get emails which include all the study materials, you'll get blog posts, videos, etc. It's all included and I can promise it will be a BLESSING in your life!
Here is a little bit of how I set up my study materials. I use a basic spiral bound notebook and of course, if you know me at all, you know I have to 'pretty it up' a bit. {The second notebook is for counting 1000 Gifts, I could write another whole blog about that so I'll save that for another day!}
I printed out the reading schedule and taped it in my notebook:
Then I printed certain pages from the study guide where there are specific questions to answer or verses to memorize. Other than these few pages, the rest of the notebook will be filled with writing out and 'SOAPing' my passages each day.
This is the first page in my 1000 Gifts journal, hoping to count to WELL OVER 1000 this year!
And the second study I'm working on is from one of the author's over at Good Morning Girls - her name is Courtney and she blogs at Women Living Well. She wrote her first book last year and I bought it over Christmastime - I'm about 4 chapters into it now and really, really loving it. It's such an encouragement for every area of the Christian woman's life - The tagline is 'Finding Joy in God, Your Man, Your Kids and Your Home.'
You know a book is good when I have highlighting on just about every page!
So Courtney has also started a study to go along with the book and those materials are also available to print out for free! I printed out the schedule, then each of the pages that has discussion questions for each chapter ... so far I am really enjoying reading the book and following along with the questions. If you're interested in jumping in on this study, check out Courtney's blog and order your book today! {I got mine from Amazon and it was very affordable! It's an easy read so I'm confident you could easily catch up even though you missed week one.}
So that's what I'm up to lately. Many mornings having my quiet time and study time is a challenge as I'm trying to get the girls up and ready for school as well as getting myself ready for work and out the door. But I've been trying to set my alarm clock at least 15 minutes earlier and also stay OFF the computer in the morning. And if I don't finish it all in the morning, then I try to work on it when I get back home on my morning work break.
All of this doesn't make me superMom or superChristian - in fact I'm just a sinner, saved by grace who needs to keep learning and growing each day to become more like Christ. I feel like you can never know enough and always have to strive to grow more and more each day.
Are you currently doing either of these studies?? I'd love to hear from you!
OK it's Saturday and I have time so here comes another blog post for today! I have a feeling most of my posts will happen on the weekends when I have time to catch up!
So I read this fab blog called Peak 313 Fitness and this year she talked about making a vision board to visualize your goals for the year. Her post is HERE if you want to take a moment to read it and get an idea what I'm talking about.
Taking my word INTENTIONAL and running with it, I had SUCH a fun time putting this board together! I already had the large bulletin board in my bedroom, it had photos of hubby and I through the years on it - I moved those photos to another place and used the bulletin board for this project. I used things I found in magazines, some free printables from the Peak 313 blog, and also printed out some things from my Pinterest Boards that I found especially inspirational.
The board is set up in four sections with four major areas of life I'd like to be intentional in this year.
Relationships, Finances, Health and Faith.
I know a few friends who are making similar goals this year and I'm excited to have people who will help keep me accountable and cheer me on. I hope to do likewise for them as well and pray that I can be an encouragement in their lives as well.
Clare's vision board idea stems from the concept of 'dream it, do it' ... so you dream of the progress you'd like to make in certain areas of your life, then you make a plan of action so you can DO IT! I also LOVE how on Clare's posts she uses this verse as a guideline, after all, if you pray that the Lord will help you, He will never fail to show up and give you the strength to accomplish great things! “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” Proverbs 16:3
OK, here is the whole picture of my board:
Here is the HEALTH section
And my health section DREAM IT / DO IT goals:
Here is my FAITH section
And my faith section goals:
Here is my FINANCES section
And the finances section goals:
My RELATIONSHIP section
And the relationship goals:
I put this photo of my family over the photo of NO FB ... not because I am
going to stop using FB altogether, but I want to be intentional about limiting
my time on there and specifically limiting the time while my family is home
and awake. If the girls aren't home or are already in bed for the night I don't
mind spending a little time on it. But if it's the evening time and everyone is home
and awake I want to spend that time WITH THEM, not with FB.
At the top of the board is my word for the year as a little reminder.
And in the center I printed out Clare's Dream it ---> Do it graphic.
Here is the whole thing hanging on my wall. I get so inspired each time I walk past it!
How about you? Do you have big dreams, plans or goals for the year?
Yes, I've changed my blog name ... again! I know this is like the 3rd or 4th change I've made, but hopefully this will be a lasting choice. I still feel like my life reflects the song "Just Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Vassar BUT really felt like I wanted the blog title to reflect my faith more. So I've been looking up scriptures and songs and trying to find something that struck me just right. I LOVE Philippians 4:13 and thought about calling the blog 'I can do all things'. But then I came across this image on Pinterest and fell in love...
We have Psalm 37:4 written on our chalkboard wall right now and it's always been a favorite of mine.
And it's also on the cover of my prayer/Bible study journal ...
But, I also love the rest of it where it talks about how we will 'shine like the dawn, our vindication like the noonday sun'. So I decided on SHINE LIKE THE SON for a new blog title. Sort of adapting the verse and making it SON instead of SUN because I want to shine like the SON - Jesus Christ - in everything I do.
Here is a song by Matt Mahar called Shine Like the Sun - I love the lyrics!
Psalm 37:4-6
New International Version (NIV)
4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.
I hope that my life reflects the light of Jesus, I pray that I will be joyful and full of SUNshine and also SONshine in everything I do. And i want my blog to reflect that so welcome to the new and improved blog and thanks for stopping in and reading.
Yesterday I had the wonderful privilege of speaking at our MOMS group at my church. I have to say I do NOT feel like a gifted speaker, however the topic I got to speak on was something that has been on my heart for almost a year now, so since it was something I felt passionate about I truly felt the Lord blessing it and giving me strength to face my nervousness and fears. A friend asked if I could post what I talked about here on the blog which I think is a fabulous idea! So if you don't mind reading the longest post ever, here we go ... {some of this is slightly tweaked from what I said in person, but this was basically the notes I spoke from.}
*Another quick thing to note, this whole topic was born because of the blog (in)courage and last year the writers at (in)courage hosted what they called the (in)RL {In Real Life} conference where women all over the world met together in each other's homes one day for a virtual conference. I was so impressed with the topic of community and our need for it that I purchased the DVD and Study guide from that conference and began studying more about the topic. (in)courage is hosting ANOTHER (in)RL conference this year on April 27th, so if you'd like more information about it, please click over to their blog here and find out more.*
Good
Morning! My name is Kathy and I have been married to my husband Bob for
16 years, we have two beautiful daughters – Hope is 11 and Joy is about to
turn 10. And I am BLESSED to be here and to be part of this COMMUNITY of MOMS.
But it wasn’t always that way for me. I moved here when my husband and I got
married, 16 years ago. But I was coming from a place of wonderful Christian
community since I had been attending Bible College for the previous few years.
In Bible College I lived in the dorms with a hundred other like-minded
Christian girlfriends and we bonded day and night and built amazing friendships
and connections. But then I married and we moved here, where my
husband had lived all his life and had built his own community of family and
friends – but I had no one. Well, not exactly no one, I had my in laws and I
had a job where I met people and made friends – but it was NOTHING like the
Christian community that I had come from just the year before and at first it was very
lonely.
Now don’t
get me wrong, my husband is my best friend and we certainly enjoyed our
marriage and our time together and like I said, I DID make some great friends at my
job. But when it came to Christian girlfriends I was struggling. We came here
to this church, but as you can tell it’s a big church. It was hard to find my place and
make connections in those early years of marriage!
When I got
pregnant with my first daughter, about 4 years into our marriage, I finally connected
with a couple of other Moms who were also pregnant and due around the same time
as me. After my daughter was born, I quit working to be home with her and I
began to attend Ladies Bible study and MOMS and have playdates with other Moms
and their babies and I FINALLY began to feel that sense of Christian community
that had been lacking for several years. Does that mean I’ve never been lonely
again? No way, in fact I find that even in this season of life, where I am
blessed with MANY wonderful Christian friends, I STILL go through seasons of loneliness.
So this
morning I want to talk about this concept of community and how we as
Christians, as Moms, as women can find the connections and community that our
hearts so often desire. {We watched a portion of the video from the (in)RL conference.}
Let’s talk
about your thoughts on community – what’s the first thing you think of when you
hear the word ‘community’? {the women shared some ideas}
The
dictionary defines community as: a group of people who reside in a specific
locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical
heritage; a social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common
characteristics or interests.
So what are
some of the communities you are a part of?? {several women shared}
Sometimes
even though we may be ‘connected’ with several different types of communities,
we can still feel overwhelmingly lonely, right?
How often
have you felt like the Mom who is just stuck in the house, raising your kids,
cleaning your house, doing the daily things you need to do – yet so desperately
thinking ‘gosh, if I could just go grab a coffee with a girlfriend today, with
NO KIDS, how wonderful that would be, how refreshed I would feel as a mom!’ I
just want to encourage you that we’ve ALL been there! I know we all adore our
children and see them as a blessing from God, but it’s OK to want a break and
to desire a little time away every once in a while!
So what
holds us back? What are the obstacles that get in the way of us having deep,
meaningful friendships and not just having the friendships but making the time
to foster those relationships?? {again, the women shared their thoughts}
1 Corinthians
12:12 says ‘The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though
all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.’
This verse illustrates the unity of believers,
though we are all very diverse and have different backgrounds or Spiritual
gifts – we are created to work together as one body, just as an arm is
incomplete without the rest of the body. The Lord created us
for community; His desire is to see us work together as one body. He didn’t
create us to be alone; He created us to need each other!
When was the
last time you joined another group of women {or just one other woman} to do
something together? What was it? How did you feel afterwards? {several ladies shared}
IT FEELS
GOOD! I LOVE the time I get to spend with my girlfriends and I come away from
those times feeling refreshed and happy and full of joy.
Have you
ever thought about reaching out and seeing if a few other women would like to
join you in doing something you all enjoy? It could be as simple as grabbing a
cup of coffee, or doing some exercise together, or cooking together or doing a
hobby like scrapbooking … You might be surprised if you took the initial step
to reach out, that you might just find a couple or even a LOT of other women
who would love to join you!
If this is
something you’ve had on your heart but were always too afraid to step out in
faith and do, start praying about it today! Pray that the Lord will bring that
friend into your life. Pray that YOU can be the kind of friend someone else
might need today. Holley Gerth says, ‘Prayer connects us, it’s the shortest
distance between two or more hearts.’ Pray for friends and pray for the friends
you DO have. Some days I get a text from one of my friends with just a quick
‘would you please pray for me today?!’ plea and I always try to reply right
away so she knows I’ve got her covered – then stop what I’m doing and pray for
her right away. And I love that I have a few friends who will do the same for
me. It’s so important to lift one another up before the Lord!
Let’s
talk for a bit about the excuses, the reasons why it won’t or doesn’t work out
for us.
I showed this photo on the screen {it's from a couple weeks ago at a local Starbucks and is my friend Pamela's picture}
I want you
to see this photo of these lovely ladies … you will recognize many of them from
our MOMS group and a few may be unfamiliar … I didn’t get to go to this
gathering because I had something else going on that day – but this was just an
informal thing that Pamela put together where she basically made an
open invitation for anyone to join them at Starbucks this day. I just LOVE the
diversity of this group – we have young moms, older moms, single ladies, women
with little children, women with adult children, women who homeschool, women
who send their kids to public school and on and on it goes! But what I love
most, is the fact that each of these ladies got up that morning and didn’t make
excuses for why they couldn’t go … perhaps they didn’t know any of the other
women that would be there, perhaps Shirley or Jane may have thought, ‘aw, my
kids are grown, how will I fit in this group?’ or Maria may have thought ‘well
I’m not married and I don’t have kids so surely I won’t fit in’ … or maybe
Jessica thought about backing out because she was the only one who had to bring
her little one along – but guess what? Not one of these ladies used those
excuses! They showed up and were blessed! And I know I said I wasn’t there, so
how could I possibly know they were blessed? Because Matthew 18:20 says ‘For
where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them.’ When we
show up, when we reach out, when we build a community of Christian women, we
are BLESSED! The Lord delights in these kinds of gatherings! We find
connections with women we might never have thought we’d be friends with! All it
takes is a small step of faith!!
A
few years ago I had to take one of these huge leaps of faith. I was supposed to
go to a Christian Camp for a women’s retreat with some of my friends from church – but
as the week of the retreat rolled around my daughter Hope was VERY sick {and
turned out to have pneumonia} so I had to cancel and stay home. This came at a
time when I desperately needed the connections and time with other women and
just a chance to ‘get away’ for a weekend and I was sorely disappointed when I
couldn’t go. But my Mom ended up offering to pay my way so that I could go to a
different ladies retreat which was a month later at another Christian camp. The
only hitch
was I’d be going alone. My mom would be there on property, but she’d be working
in the kitchen and staying in the staff housing and I would go as a regular
conference attendee and share a room with women I didn’t know. I’ll be honest,
I almost said no. And the week leading up to the retreat I was filled with
anxious thoughts and thinking I might just back out! But I made myself go and
it was hard. I felt silly and uncomfortable at first because I didn’t know who
to talk to or what to say. I didn’t know who to sit with at dinner or in chapel
or how I would feel sharing a room with 6 strangers. But that night as the ladies
and I settled ourselves in our room we found out that we had ALL come by
ourselves. The camp had wisely placed us all together since we had all come as
‘singles’. And what a relief to know we were all feeling just a bit out of
sorts for the same reasons. We ended up sitting together at every meal,
worshipping together at every chapel session, playing late night board games in
our room and forming a great bond over the course of the weekend. It didn’t
matter that we had come from all different walks of life, it only mattered that
God had brought us together and by stepping out of our comfort zone we had
opened ourselves up to community.
Jen Schmidt
says ‘Sometimes we use our busyness and our crazy schedules to say we don’t
have time for community.’ I feel like this is where I’m at in this season of
life. My kids have many activities in addition to school and church, we have
family obligations and church or ministry obligations and quite honestly it
just feels like life is BUSY most of the time. Sometimes it IS hard to schedule
‘girl time’ with my friends. Sometimes it takes many, many emails or texts
going back and forth in order to find a date that works for everyone. But I
also know that even little emails or phone calls or encouraging texts from my
friends can really boost me up when I’m feeling lonely. One of the ways I
connect with my friends during busy sports seasons is by chatting during the
girl’s practices. During soccer season my daughter would have a an hour and a
half practice so since my friend’s daughter was on the same team my friend and
I would walk laps around the fields and talk while the kids practiced. It was a
great way to get exercise AND fellowship time! {or while the kids are at Awana
night we might go out to grab a bite to eat while they are at Awana for 2 hours} Sometimes you just have to get creative with ways to get together and
make time for your friendships!
So … I want
to encourage you to step out of your comfort zone, open up your suitcase, as the woman shared in the video, be
willing to share your ‘stuff’ – the good, the bad and the ugly! We all have
tough things, we all have baggage, we all have struggles. By opening yourself
up and allowing yourself to be vulnerable you just never know what can happen
and it could be the start of a very beautiful friendship!
Also, I want
to let you know about a few ways you can connect before you leave this room
today. Pamela has planned another ladies get together for NEXT Friday
– if you would like to come and join us PLEASE be sure you
stop and talk to her at the end and get the information. Also, in April, the
makers of the blog (in)courage are having another (in)RL meet up day and I am
going to host it in my home. That day they will be showing more videos on live
streaming and we plan to have food and fellowship time. If you are interested
in this please come see me after and I will take your email information so I
can get you connected with this. We’ve also placed some papers and pens on the
tables today because we want you ladies to take down each other’s phone numbers
or email addresses – we want you to connect outside of this room when you go
out from here today. We LOVE this community of MOMS here, but if you leave here today and still feel lonely and disconnected then we have failed in our mission of building community.
Now here is the video for the (in)RL conference for this year ... if you live locally to me you are MORE than welcome to join us, please contact me!
Is that even a word? Inspirers? As in, people who inspire me? Who knows ... anyhow, moving on!
So, my computer is acting weird, my internet is acting weird, my blogger is acting weird ... I feel like it's all going to crash on me soon so I hope this post works! haha!
Another AMAZING blogger I've been following for awhile is Sara aka Gitzen Girl. If any of you have heard of her, or followed her, you know that she went home to be with Jesus just a few weeks ago.
Sara was homebound for the last several years because of her chronic illness. But that never stopped Sara from being joyous and embracing life. In fact, her blog is appropriately titled 'Choose Joy' and it was most certainly her motto while here on earth. She lived her life with joy, all the way to the end. Despite all the pain and discomfort she suffered on a daily basis, she still chose joy. JOY, JOY, JOY - she knew and believed with all her heart that GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME.
I praise God that she's no longer suffering here on earth, though I'm sad that we've all lost a wonderful person. After all, I think we need more Sara's here on earth to help spread joy no matter what our circumstances may be. I know this post could be considered sad because Sara is no longer with us - but I do hope you'll still check out her blog and go back through the archives because I promise you will find some inspiration in choosing JOY.
Today's challenge: Stop over to see Sara's blog and if you find it as inspiring as I have, then leave a comment to let her family know. I'm sure it will encourage their hearts to know how many people Sara has touched even during this incredibly sad time in their lives. And also, in Sara's own words: "Make it about Him, not you. Enjoy every second. Choose joy."
I know some people loathe making New Year's resolutions. I know some people may think they're just crazy aspirations that never come true or never get carried out.
But I always love to think of the New Year as a chance for a fresh start. A chance to begin again and do things better. A goal is set and is hopefully reached. And even if it's not reached ... it's something that I continue to ponder and work towards.
With that being said ... I have a few 'resolutions' that I'm planning to work on this year.
* Spend more time with the Lord. Reading the Bible, having my quiet time, praying, writing in my journal, etc ... * Spend less time watching TV and being on the computer * Eat more healthfully * Exercise more consistently * Prioritize my time better * Plan specific times to have one on one time with each daughter and hubby and make sure that I carry them out. * Make more time for friends and keep in better contact with the ones that live farther away. * Read more books. * Model Christlike behavior for my girls and anyone who sees me.
I'm sure the list could go on ... as I sit here I think of more and more things I'd like to do this year. I'm going to leave it as it is for now. I know that I can't possibly carry out all these things in my own strength - but only with the strength and wisdom from our loving God can I do these things. He knows the desires of my heart and knows that I'd like very much to be able to carry out these things in my life.
Phil. 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.
Aww ... ya'll really do love me! Thanks so much for all the sweet comments after my desperate plea went out to all the lurkers on this blog! I'm so thankful for so many awesome friends and family who take real interest in our lives. {And I promise I will remember that I too need to stop lurking and start showing ya'll some blog love too!}
Anyway, I just wanted to share a couple little stories that have really helped me remember how truly blessed I am. For those that know me well, you know that I have the tendency to overthink things (Lynn, stop laughing!) ... and that I always over analyze and often times even question my own decisions.
So homeschooling has been no exception. I've often thought that I'm not equipped to do this, or that the Lord made a mistake by calling me to this, or what if we made the wrong choice ...
But two little things that happened recently have helped encourage me on this journey.
First, as I've mentioned before I try to go outside on the deck each morning before the girls awake to have some quiet time with the Lord ... read my Bible, spend time praying, etc ... Some days the girls will show up out there with me. It depends how early they wake up. So one morning H came out. Then after saying good morning she said she'd be right back and came back out holding a book and her little devotional Bible. She then sat down and said that she too was going to read her Bible with me. WOW, I was so encouraged! I thought back to past years when I've rushed through our morning, trying to get out the door on time and I've never given any time to the Lord. I thought about the fact that because we are homeschooling, and have more time in the morning to ease into our day, it gives us time to really make our quiet time a priority. And it really encouraged my heart to see H doing the same thing and learning through my example! Thank you Lord!
The next thing that happened was on Monday. Mondays are one of Bob's days off so we have decided that Mondays will be our family field trip day. Now since it's still been pretty warm here we decided to go to the beach this Monday. The weather was beautiful and there was hardly anyone there (mostly older people who stared at us like 'why aren't those kids in school?!'). Even the water and the waves were perfect. For a long time the girls played together in the water. For once they were really getting along well and were just laughing and splashing and having a wonderful time. I sat in my chair thinking that I really didn't want to go in the water. I didn't want to get my hair wet or get cold or do anything but sit and relax. But the more I watched the fun the girls were having the more I had the desire to join them.
Finally I got up and ventured into the water. Like I said, it was beautiful, clear, no seaweed, and no jellyfish -- it hadn't been that nice all summer! Needless to say I ended up spending the next hour playing and splashing with the girls in the water. We rode the waves, we swam, we got our swimsuits all full of sand ... it was the most fun I've had in awhile. I felt like a kid again! It was amazing. And to think ... if they had been in school all day I probably would have cleaned my house that day! Another memory made, another chance to thank the Lord for the relationship He is building between us and our children. Thank You Lord!
Now I know these two things are not major events in the grand scheme of life. I simply wanted to share the fact that we can and should take every chance we can to create memories with our kids. They are growing up at an alarming rate and all too soon they will no longer choose to sit in our laps or hold our hands to cross the street.
I'm choosing to be thankful for every day and to use the moments I'm given to enjoy my children. And I'm so thankful that the Lord chose me to be my children's 'teacher' ... I may not be perfect or always do it right, but I can ride the waves and read my Bible and try to teach them about life along the way.
Recently my oldest daughter has been full of questions. It seems like she's trying to figure out how the world around her works. And more specifically how her Mommy works. These are just a few of the questions she's been asking me lately ...
Mom, what makes you laugh? {{OH NO, does this mean I don't laugh enough??}} Mom, do you like to wash dishes? {{Not really, but someone has to do it!}} Mom, is driving a car fun?{{Maybe, but you still can't drive till you're 16!}} Mom, why do you like to cook things?{{Because it's fun to make new things and provide for my family.}}
And on a deeper level ... I have just recently been much better about having a regular 'quiet time' with prayer and reading my Bible each morning. Prior to that I would always wake up and immediately jump right on the computer in the morning. I felt like I was really wasting so much time on the computer and felt such guilt over never making the time for the Lord.
So I have tried very hard to focus on my quiet time first, before I am allowed to 'log on'. It's been a wonderfully, rewarding time for me that I have really come to enjoy. I take my notebook, Bible and prayer journal outside each morning with my coffee and sit and enjoy the wonder of creation in the early morning hours (well, not REALLY early, but at the start of my day.) The girls have often wandered outside to find me in prayer or reading my Bible. I stop and chat with them a bit, or they snuggle up to me on the swing, then I continue on reading or praying until I'm done.
So now the questions have become ...
Mom, are you going to be outside have devotions every morning now instead of being on the computer when we wake up? {{WOW, talk about convicting!!}} Mom, do you like to read your Bible? Mom, why do you come outside and pray every morning?
OR, one day recently that I SKIPPED my devotional time and the youngest found me on the computer in the morning ... Mom, did you read your Bible yet today? {{YIKES, they really DO pay attention don't they?!}}
At times over the last few weeks I have felt like my life is being lived under the microscope. I know that from birth the girls have been observing me and the world around them. But these questions have really challenged me to think hard about what I do and say every day ... and how my actions and words affect the little ones who are watching me.
Having a regular devotional quiet time has never been a priority to me ... I always wanted it to be a priority, but never made it happen. Which is my own fault and something I feel awful about. I am so thankful that God doesn't give up on me though. He is faithful when I am not. I'm thankful that He is using the innocent questions of my little girls to help me to be disciplined. Through their questions and watchful eyes I'm learning just how very important it is that I focus my life on God and living His ways.
I want to let you know that I'm not writing this to 'toot my own horn'. As I mentioned I have just recently begun making this a priority. I know it's hard as a Mom to make time to sit quietly and pray and read the Bible. There were many times when my 'quiet time' was simply reading "Our daily bread" while I sat on the toilet for 5 minutes. And even then, I'd hear the kids start screaming or crying or pounding on the door for my attention!!
Now that the girls have seen me in my effort to make this my priority they have really been wonderful at respecting my time. I usually wake up before them, and brew my coffee and head outdoors with my Bible. And if the girls wake up, which usually at least one of them does ... they wander out and say good morning and most of the time they will go back inside and get some cereal, or watch cartoons, or read a book or play. On rare occasions I'll have to say ... just give me a few more minutes to finish my quiet time. And they are great at respecting that.
I know my kids are a little older than those Moms who might have babies and toddlers. But even at the younger ages I think our kids have the ability to see when something is important to us and respect it. Or even to sit quietly in your lap while you pray. What a great example we are setting for our children when we do this! It's helped me teach the girls that it really is important to "read your Bible, pray everyday" like the old Sunday school song says!
I'll leave you with this poem that I recently received through email. It's all about how children observe things from us when we think they aren't looking. Whether we like it or not, as parents we are living our lives under the microscope ... what will it reveal about you to your children?
WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life. When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always talk to, and I learned to trust in Him. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other. When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing, and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have to take care of what we are given. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn' t feel good, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be. When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up. When you thought I wasn't looking I looked at you and wanted to say,'Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.'
It's hard, super hard, extremely hard ... for me to be disciplined. I love to eat, I hate to exercise. It's really hard. I've been trying, I've been doing it, but it has not been easy. I guess it shouldn't surprise me that it's not easy - after all, it is called 'WORKing out' - that would suggest that it takes WORK!
Yesterday I felt like I made a huge breakthrough. I was at work and there were these big, soft chocolate chip cookies ... I was SO tempted! Then I read the back of the package, they had 270 calories in each one! I had to force myself to walk away, I just could not justify eating it! I know it seems like a minor thing, but I was proud that I had the willpower to walk away. In the past I would have eating TWO, just because, and would not have even cared about how many calories it cost me!
I can do this!
" I CAN do everything through HIM who gives me strength " -phillipians 4:13
This has become my theme verse. I hope it can encourage you too!
I've been trying for a couple of months now to lose some weight. And just to be healthier in every aspect of my life. Unfortunately, I haven't seen any success yet when it comes to weight loss. So I'm in the process of trying to figure out what steps I need to take to start seeing results.
Anyway, there is someone who is very special to me who is always full of great words of encouragement ... especially on the topic of healthful living.
I copied and pasted a portion of her email today because I found it to be very encouraging and uplifting.
Here it is: " I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me " Phillipians 4:13
Day 1 ..... Begin writing food eaten in journal.
" If you bite it...write it " ww motto
Day 1 ...... Begin cardio program, 10 minutes of any cardio ( eliptical, walking, dance dvd ) Write it in the journal !!!!
" The toughest thing about a new exercise program is the first step " -joyce meyer Day 1.... " Draw on the limitless power of the Holy Spirit, rather than your own very limited power. HE will always lead you to victory . " - Joyce Meyer
So my 3 things for day one that I need to remember are: 1. Write down everything I eat. 2. Start some kind of cardio, even if it's only 10 min to start 3. Pray for success and discipline, God will lead me to victory!
Today, and every day, I am so thankful for the two Moms in my life. My Mom, Barb and my Mother-in-law, Robin.
It's funny because Barb and Robin are two very different people. They have different backgrounds, different interests and hobbies, and are just very different in a lot of ways.
But when I think about them, and being thankful for each of them ... my reasons are very similar!! Both of my Moms love the Lord with all of their hearts. They both serve God in every way they can and live out their faith every single day. They both are inspiring to me, they encourage me, they support me and they love me unconditionally. Both of my Moms have been through some tough times in their lives. But they both still choose to give all glory to God and choose to live for God every day, knowing that He has a perfect plan for their lives ... even through the hard times.
I love that they love their kids ... and even more so that they love their Grandkids. They both love doing special things with the grandkids and spending lots of quality time with family. If you were to stop at either one of their homes you would find countless pictures of Grandkids on the walls, fridges, cupboards, etc... as well as artwork by their grandkids hanging on the walls, the fridge, everywhere! I hope that one day I get the chance to be that kind of Grandma. (Not anytime soon of course!!) =)
I love that I have learned so much from these two women ... not because they are constantly throwing advice at me or telling me how to live my life ... but simply through their examples, the way they live every single day. The way they become prayer warriors on my behalf, or on behalf of other family members. The way they teach through example. The way I see them treat others, even strangers.
I love this verse and think of it often when I think of my two Moms: TITUS 2:3-5. "Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God."
I also love that I consider both of my Moms to be two of my very best friends. The first ones I think of when I need to talk to someone or when an issue arises. I know they will listen and they will pray, and they will help in any way they can. And they will do it all without judgment or criticism. And they will love me through the whole process. And I love them both for that ...
Happy (Early) Mother's Day to the two most special Moms in my world!!
(Oh, and I feel totally horrible about this ... but I don't think I have ANY current pictures of me WITH my Mom or Robin!! Guess I'd better get right on that!)
We sang this song this morning in church and it was such a blessing to my heart. I bolded certain parts that I particularly love.
From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea Creation's revealing Your majesty From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring Every creature unique in the song that it sings All exclaiming
Indescribable, uncontainable, You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name. You are amazing God All powerful, untameable, Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim You are amazing God
Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night None can fathom
Indescribable, uncontainable, You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name You are amazing God All powerful, untameable, Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim You are amazing God You are amazing God
Indescribable, uncontainable, You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name. You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable, Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim You are amazing God
Indescribable, uncontainable, You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name. You are amazing God
Inconquerable, unchangeable You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same You are amazing God You are amazing God
Thank you Lord that you see the depths of my wicked heart and love me just the same!
