Hello Monday!
The sun is shining (for a change) and it's the beginning of a new week.
Today's #hellomornings passage was Isaiah 41:8-10.
Just about every time I've read that passage, I've stopped and found such hope in verse 10 - "Fear not, for I am with you". It is just so comforting. As believers in Christ, He is truly with us and we have nothing to fear (only fear itself). After all, "No weapon formed against us can prosper." Right?
But today.
Today, I stopped and enjoyed the second half of verse 9, the Promise that come before the "Fear not".
"You are my servant, I have chosen you
and have not cast you away:"
I find such pleasure in being a Servant of God...co-laboring with Him to see His purposes and plans accomplished here on earth as they are in Heaven. I don't see it as a "servant" in the sense that I am the "hired hand". I mean sometimes it may feel like that, but we can't trust feelings now can we?
But the very next phrase is what is blowing my mind... "I have chosen you and have not cast you away." He. Chose. Me. He chose you. He saw so much potential in us that He chose us for the specific tasks and circumstances we find ourselves in this very day.
We can't take that lightly.
And example from today...
When I went to sleep last night, I had every intention of spending today working on my blog. I knew I had the whole morning to write, tweak, etc. Then daylight hit, and so did laundry, kids heading back to school, #helloexercise - walking 2 miles, and the phone calls that needed to be made. All stuff that needed to get done before a lunch date at 1pm.
I have two responses to this scenario. The first is frustration. Not getting to do what I had planned, what I wanted was frustrating. I'm not gonna lie I may even have pouted a little.
The second just struck me actually, through these words:
"I have chosen you and have not cast you away..."
I have been chosen for this day and hour.
I've been chosen to create atmosphere in my home.
But I've also been chosen to write here in this space I call home.
He didn't cast me away, and neither did the cares of life this morning. He loves me too much for that.
It simply gave me something to think about and share with you, dear reader.
Have you felt left behind or cast aside lately?
Take heart - He has chosen you and has not cast you aside.
He loves you too much for that!
Have a great week!!
Sometimes the build up of expectations leads to a dramatic let-down...After.
I've seen it so many times. Experienced too many times to count.
The struggle just to enjoy the moment...the planning...the actual moment...not fearing or worrying about the After...the clean up...the what comes next thoughts.
I used to be a wedding coordinator and one of the things I constantly reminded my brides was just that...enjoy the moment. Enjoy the feeling of that moment...enjoy the joy and anticipation.
The after will take care of itself.
Will there be things to deal with? Sure.
Will there be struggles and disappointment? You betcha.
But in this moment...enjoy it.
The after will take care of itself.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will worry about its own things.
Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matt. 6:34
That's how I try to view After now. Enjoying, the moment, knowing that God sees everything I am facing and that I will be facing, and He has all things worked out for my good.
Linking up with Lisa-Jo and the Five-Minute Friday Writers.
Hello Monday, April 1st! Can someone explain to me how that might have happened? April already? I know that the prophets are all talking about acceleration in this hour, but c'mon - April? Already?
Hello Easter Weekend - and the end of the Lenten Season. It was different this year. I think it may have started back in January when our church did a corporate fast - so many things changed...in me.
THEN, I was blessed to get to read though Holey, Wholly, Holy by Kris Camealy. Ahhhh...it truly changed my thought process and set me up for an awesome Easter Week. By the way, I highly recommend this book! Kris has such a beautiful way of weaving thoughts on refinement together - it's like you're sitting talking to her over a cup of tea and she's putting words right to the thoughts in your heart. Honestly, it's a book that was meant for the Lenten Season, but it's applicable anytime you're ready to go to the next level with Jesus. Pick it up at Amazon here.
Friday evening, Good Friday, we went to a wonderful celebration in our region. Only about 15,000 people joined in for a night of praise and worship, a few sermonettes by various local pastors, and communion together. It was tremendously special.
Then Sunday, Easter, was a wonderful family day. We spent the morning at church with our church family, and then we came home. It was just us, and it was lovely. We followed through on a few traditions...baskets (which I actually made this year aren't they adorable?), a photo shoot after church on our back porch, a nice lasagne dinner, and naps...
Hello Spring Break - you wouldn't know it by the temperatures, and the snow flurries every so often, but the calendar says it's spring and the kiddos are home for the week, so it must be.
Hello my first Twitter Party! I joined up with a whole bunch of ladies last night for my first Twitter party! It was a hoot - I got to meet several new ladies, and even pick up an early bird ticket to the Raising Generations Today - Hope Conference next Spring. Woot Woot!
I'm saying "Hello" over at Lisa Leonard's today!
Remember?
After 18 years together, My Man and I, we say that a lot....
Do you remember...?
-how sunny it was before and then the massive amount snowfall after, on our wedding day?
-the way we tried to sneak off early in the morning to deliver our first babe?
-or how only 11 weeks later we packed up everything we owned and move 2000 miles away?
-or how we moved back home only weeks before the birth of baby #2?
-or how we moved 9 times in 8 years?
-or how many job transitions it took to find out we should run our own business?
-or how about home-, private-, public- and even charter-schooling our kids?
And through it all - Do you remember how incredibly faithful God has been?
How we have never lacked for anything?
I remember...
Linking up with Five Minute Friday
Yep, that's my One Word for 2013. Intentional.
You really wouldn't know it by looking here at my little ole blog would you?
Even this post is a little late.
These past two weeks have actually set me up for this post though. I call it ...
"My Return To
Intentional Living"
Because somewhere along the way, I lost my way, my intentional way. Maybe it was caring for the child with the fractured knee who was immobilized and on crutches for five weeks.
Or maybe it was caring for the same child who caught a horrible case of the flu and was out of commission for a week.
Or maybe it was the sinus infection I had for a month, the same one I shared unknowingly with my daughter.
I'm not sure where, but along the way, all intentional living went out the proverbial window.
And here I sit. Looking at dust thick enough to write in, and plants dry as a bone. Laundry done only sporadically and ironing stacking up yet again. It's truly been a season of "putting out the fires" instead of preventing them.
But last week I had an aha moment. It was that moment of realization - just how far off we had gotten. Nothing earth shattering, just not intentional.
So I "took stock" and made a list of where things had gone astray...
Sadly, at the top of the list - My Quiet time and #hellomornings routine. Sickness had robbed me of sleep and my time in the mornings.
Meal planning. What's that again? It's been so long, I'm not sure I remember what to do. I've been in the "oh we need that? I'll stop on my way home" mode for weeks now.
Family finances. Oh man. This one makes me cringe. Thankfully, my haphazard receipt tracking has not caused any late fees or penalties, but all I can do is shake-my-head.
Blogging. Reading. Household Projects. All undone.
Looking at that list, I could get a little lot depressed and even more discouraged.
But instead, I'm choosing grace.
I'm choosing to see this as yet another season, and another opportunity where I can learn to extend grace to myself as well as those around me. We all need it. Desperately. Intentionally.
So I've stated the problem. Here comes the solution....
This week was a #hellomornings restart! Yay! I've pulled my tail out of bed three days in. a. row. and studied the Word, connected with my Twitter #hmcsm group and more importantly, started the day with my Daddy.
I'm working on getting the kids back into a groove with chores. We have a system set in place, we just have to get back into intentionally working said system. Same with me and the dreaded menu.
Family finances are up to date as of this afternoon. Now I just need to keep them that way...
I'm working on the writing/blogging aspect. I've been writing posts by hand in my handy dandy composition notebook. (Sounds like Blues clues - is that still around these days?) That way I can carry it with me and have it while I am in carpool, etc.
I'm also working on the principle of 30 minutes...setting a timer and reading or working a project for 30 minutes and then moving on. It's amazing what you can get done in 30 minutes.
And probably the most important change. Bedtime. For several days, I've worked hard to get myself in bed at 9:30pm so I could wind down and read for a few minutes before turning out the light at 10pm. I NEED sleep, and with all that has gone on around here, my sleep cycle has seriously suffered.
It's truly amazing what you can do when you are rested.
That my friends in my "One Word Update for March." It's truly a picture of my word - Intentional.
How about you - how are you doing?
I'm linking up with Melanie for the One Word Linkup Party.
