Five Minute Friday: Seek Him FIRST

First:

Seeking Him first. When I wake up in the morning, the first thing that I need to do is sit down in whatever quiet space is available with a cup of tea, and open His Word. Fill my mind with Him and His thoughts FIRST. First, before Facebook, before getting immersed into social media, or the cares of my day- my husband, my children, my work, my Netflix list. First.

The Bible tells us that if we will seek Him first, then "all these things shall be added to us." God wants to add to us, but we must FIRST seek Him.

I don't know about anyone else, but I know that when I put Him first, it pays off. I'm still learning various ways to put Him first, I know it goes beyond reading the Bible first thing in the morning. It's in thinking His thoughts first in any given situation. It's in obeying Him FIRST before I question. It's in sharing Him with my children and others before I share anything else with them. Seek. Him. First.

Stop.

This post is a part of Five Minute Friday where writers set their timer for five minutes and WRITE. Click over to see more submissions!

Speaking Good Things Over Our Children

One day after my two older children had left on an outing with their grammy, I was home alone with my three year old son and napping three month old daughter.

I received a phone call from my husband who had been at work all day, and I was eager to talk to him. As we were chatting, my three year old ran into the room, and began to play with the baby's swing. He pushed it roughly, and switched on buttons, and music played, while the swing rocked quickly forward and back without the weight of a baby in it.

"Stop messing with the swing!" I snapped, more interested in getting back to my conversation with my husband.

The three year old switched the buttons off, and then on again in a flash, and ran out of the room.

"Little turkey!" I yelled.

"I not a turkey!" he yelled back.

"Did he just say he's not a turkey?" my husband laughed. "You can have what you say, you know."

That phrase. "You can have what you say." I know it to be true. But how often do I observe outward appearances and call it as I see it? Had the stress of motherhood made me forget to speak good things over my children, rather than just labeling them by the looks of their behavior?

Our culture applauds those who "say what's real", and so we value people when they make seemingly accurate observations. As Christians, though, we're called to go beyond that. To see beyond the see-able. To see what God sees.

In Genesis, we see the universe in chaos. Thankfully, God chose to see past that. He said, "let there be light."

My son came back in the room. "You're a blessing," I said to him.

"OH! Thank you, mom!" he beamed.

Our children need us to remind them how God sees them- not just how their behavior causes them to appear- and certainly not how they make us feel in a moment of tension. God's word is a mirror- to us, and to them.
Let's build up our children to be the awesome men and women God has called them to be!

What phrases can you speak over your children to affirm who they are in Christ?

Linking up with:
Mama Moments Mondays
Teaching What is Good 

My Bible Reading Goals for 2015

Recently I wrote about the Bible being our spiritual mirror.

Have you ever let that reflection get so foggy, you hardly recognize yourself? If so, you are not alone!

I know as moms, we can get so bogged down with every day life that we get away from the most important thing. The reason we do anything at all: God! His Spirit. His Words.

They are life-giving, and every time I read them, I see myself a little more clearly.

Once upon a time, I wasn't yet a wife, I didn't have children, and I pretty much only had myself to think about. Whoo! I was so spiritual! Can you relate to that? I thank God that I had time to myself early on to dive deep into His Word and get to know my way around the Bible, but thankfully, He had more in store for me!

I was soon married and quickly (really quickly!) became a mother, and then became a mother again...and again, and now I'm expecting our fourth blessing. I can be exhausted sometimes. It can be so hard to get up earlier than everyone. It can be a challenge to get to bed at a decent hour, because I spend time catching up on things after everyone else is in bed. In the most recent times that I've gotten up and have been able to spend uninterrupted time in His Word, it has been glaringly obvious to me that I've become distant from Him.

I don't want that to be the case in 2015! So, I'm pressing on. I mentioned a while back that I had found a great Bible reading plan in the YouVersion app on my phone. Guess what? I'm still plugging away at that plan! Project 345 Plus is a 365 day reading plan, most days having four chapters to read. Needless to say, it's taken me much longer than 365 days to read through it! But that's okay. I was pregnant with my third child when I started it, and that plan has seen me through a pregnancy, a postpartum period, a growing infant turned busy toddler, all while homeschooling my two older children, and now another pregnancy.

My plan is to be purposeful about waking up earlier than everyone so I can have that uninterrupted time to read and soak in His Word. I need that time to replenish my spirit! I need it to give me the mental, emotional, and spiritual energy to keep things going smoothly around here (I plan to do a better job at that this year! Only by His grace).

Will you join me? Pick out a Bible reading plan on YouVersion or somewhere else (even the back of your Bible might have one) and just get started. You won't have to waste time hemming and hawing over your Bible in the morning about what you should or shouldn't read. You'll know what's next. And amazingly, so will God. I'm always astounded that whatever I'm reading is exactly what I need for today. He is so good!

What Bible-reading goals do you have this year? Share in a comment!

Changing my Filter

I got a "check" in my spirit the other day. You know how that goes.

I was writing a blog post last week about What I'm Into. Typically, in that kind of post, I (and the many others who write these kinds of posts) will list certain categories and then share things that held my interest or occupied my time. It's all for fun, and to show more of the personal side of the blogger on the other side of the screen.

The "television" category came up. I started to recall what I had watched all month. I typed. I stopped. I read what I wrote. Hmm. Really? I quickly realized that I didn't really want to share that with the world! *

Not that I was afraid of being authentic so much as I realized that sharing what I watched wouldn't be helpful to anyone. I certainly didn't want to encourage anybody to then go and actually watch the programs or movies I had watched (or at least to the extent that I had). A thought popped into my mind: if I don't think I it would be beneficial to share this with my readers, maybe I shouldn't be watching it!

As Christians, we're called to wisdom!

The foolish woman is noisy; she is simple and open to all forms of evil, she [willfully and recklessly] knows nothing whatever [of eternal value]. Proverbs 9:13 (Amplified, emphasis added)

This woman has no filter on what comes in or what goes out!

Adhering to this idea of filtering and discerning what we take in or allow into our airspace kinda goes counter-culture. It's pretty much seen as a virtue to be open to all things. But God wants us to be vigilant, and protective of our minds and hearts!

Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23 (Amplified)

Entertaining though it may be, we need to be mindful of what we watch on television. The content as well as the quantity. I don't say this to be legalistic, of course, but we need to be aware that some things can easily drown out the voice of God. It doesn't happen right away. It's gradual. In hindsight, I saw this happening with me.

I don't know about you, but I need to be aware of His presence and actually hear His voice more than I want to be amused. I don't want anything, whether television, movies, music, or whatever, to dull my appetite for Him!

How about you?

*For anyone who simply must know, I watched a couple seasons of House, M.D. and a romantic comedy or two. I realize there are worse things, but with everything, we need to think, "am I helping my spirit?" If the answer is "no", it's time to adjust accordingly!

Linking up with these fine blogs:






  

The Sower

Last week, I dove back into God's Word for the first time in a while. With babies, homeschooling, chores and all the other things that go along with being a stay at home mom of three children five and under, it's really easy to "justify" not spending time in the Word.

I fought for this time of reconnecting with God through the inspired Words that so many people struggled over centuries to put into print (for me! And you!) It has been a battle since I have not yet mastered the art of waking up long before everyone in my house. (Note to self: make this happen!)

So with the baby napping, and the older two children semi-occupied with toys or a television show, I would sit, pen in hand, ready to underline Words that ministered grace to my soul and spirit.

Then one day, things got hectic, and I didn't get around to my new routine. By early afternoon, there was frustration, raised (angry) voices (okay, just one...mine!), and general chaos. Nothing had gone the way I planned for that day, and I began to wonder, "is God punishing me for not reading my Bible today?!"

"Is God punishing me for not reading my Bible today?!"

The immediate answer I "heard" in my spirit: "NO!"

Right after that, I was reminded of the parable of the sower in Mark 4:

 

3“Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. 5 Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. 7 And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

9And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

What's that got to do with me? (I know you English majors are rejoicing right now! Ha.) Well...read on...

14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. 18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

Could it be that my heart is like the wayside? Or the stony ground? Now, I'm not generally one to blame the devil for all the mishaps of life. Sometimes, it's just me. But Satan really doesn't want the Word to take root in my life. Oh, God has got me! No doubt about that. But Satan wants to do everything in his power to make sure that the Word doesn't influence my actions, my relationships, my world (and all the people in it).

If I'm not busy tending the soil of my heart, the birds of the air would like nothing better than to steal away the seeds that have been planted. Distractions come. Children misbehave. Plans unravel. First and foremost, I need to make sure I'm guarding and protecting the precious Words God sows in my heart. Prayer waters them, and acting on the Word (James 1:22-23) tills the soil, until slowly but surely, the soil becomes good ground.

So, no. God does not punish me for neglecting His Word. But I can't bear fruit for Him if I am not diligent to seek after His Words and put them into practice. The enemy sure would like to distract me, sometimes right away, and I need to be aware and know that he likes to sneak in little attacks along the way. But, man! Sometimes it's hard to see through it to the bigger picture.

How about you? Have you been able to work through the stony ground to make it good, fertile ground for God's Word? 

Linking up here:

My Smartphone Keeps Me Connected . . . to God?

I've always been sort of a low tech kinda girl. In the past, when choosing a mobile phone, I just really wanted something I could make phone calls on, send text messages and take a picture or record video on. (Okay, I know that's not low tech to some people). So when my husband and I were in the market for new phones this past December, he was really excited that there were great deals on Smartphones. I was really hesitant to get on board with that idea, and I hoped to stick with something more basic. So I researched all my (surprisingly limited) options online, but ultimately, I chose to get an Android, all the while telling myself that if I didn't like it, I could return it and get something with fewer "bells and whistles".

Flash forward a couple months, and it turns out, I really kind of like it! (Okay, sometimes a little too much!)

Anyway, I recently came across this awesome app on my phone called You Version. It has the Bible in many different versions, as well as several other useful tools.

I had been struggling to stay in the Word for a number of reasons, and looking to find a Bible reading plan that I could realistically stick with. Well, one day I got curious, and started exploring this app, and noticed that there were Bible reading plans. Oh, my goodness! There are probably hundreds of different plans to choose from. Ranging from your basic "read through the Bible in a year" to chronological studies to week long plans for study on a particular topic.

I ended up going with one called Project 345 Plus. It includes readings from the New Testament, Psalms, Proverbs as well as selected readings from the Old Testament.

What I really, really love about this app? The "Catch Me Up" button! Usually, during the week, there are four selections to read, and when you complete all of them, it congratulates you on completing a day (who wouldn't love that?) But when you don't, there's the option to catch up, and when you tap the button, it basically updates your plan so that you don't skip the readings, but you also don't get "swamped" with missed readings. As a mom of two little ones, and one on the way, I really appreciate that!

So, how does that keep me connected to God? Not only can I pretty much do my study time any time, anywhere, but it also keeps me focused. I know that I can open the app any day, and have something specific to read. While I haven't gotten back in the habit of a daily study time, I'm closer than I would be otherwise.

Does reading the Word somewhat regularly or even everyday make me perfect? Absolutely not! But at least I have a better chance to "hide His Word in my heart" (Psalm 119:11) than I would otherwise.

Do you use any "gadgets" to keep you focused spiritually?

But Why, God?

I'm a mother of a four year old. For the longest time, I would hear of moms going a little crazy when their little one would start asking the question, "why?" These moms had children who were two or three years old. My little guy never really asked that question at that age. I reasoned that he's a bright kid, and if he wanted to know why something happened, he would either try to discover the reason for himself, or eventually, he would ask, and be satisfied with my response.

Fast forward to now: I'm the mama going a little crazy with the incessant questions. "Why?"

"It's time for bed," I'll say.

"But, why?"

"You need to eat your dinner."

"Why?"

I started to hear the dreaded question more and more frequently. I would explain each reason to the best of my ability, trying really hard not to resort to "because I said so". Until one day, when I realized that "why?" doesn't actually mean "why?" As in, my four year old doesn't really care "why". In a lot of cases, I've discovered that it's a form of protest. As in, he doesn't want to go to bed. He doesn't want to eat dinner. He doesn't like the fact that we can't go to the park today. Why doesn't really matter.

Does any of that sound familiar to you? I know I've gone through seasons where the events are just so frustrating, that all I can say is "but why?!" Why do I have to deal with this? Why can't this person just do the right thing and stop bothering me? Why can't I just go out and buy whatever I want or feel like I need? Why does that family get to go on vacation, and we don't? Why, why, WHY?

The answers often elude me. But the fact is, I don't really want to know "why". I just want to escape the situation and get back to a place of comfort. In essence, I'm telling God "it shouldn't be this way. Fix it!"

The answer to the question "why" is usually something that my four-year-old wouldn't be able to truly comprehend or appreciate to the fullest extent- at least not now. In the same way, if God decided to tell me why, I'd probably be overwhelmed by the answer. It wouldn't make sense from where I'm standing right now. Just like we as parents have understanding that exceeds our children's, God's ways are infinitely higher than our ways.

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:9

Have you (like me) ever been through a season where you asked the question every parent (including God) loves to hear?

Linking up at:
I Choose Joy

Reflections on Five Years of Marriage

Five years and a few weeks ago I was a jumble of nerves. People fussing over me, spraying me (yet again) with hair spray (which I rarely even use), adjusting my headpiece, rushing me to get the party started already (I'm sure they meant well). On that day, there's no way in the world I would've been able to imagine what was ahead of me.

It seems five years has been such a long time but at the same time, has gone by in a flash. We've experienced pregnancies, babies, financial crises, job changes, job losses, a relocation, not to mention birthday parties, unexpected blessings of various kinds, date nights, moments of laughter and more. I think those sorts of things have a way of making time go a little faster than normal! (Maybe faster is normal).

The word that's come to me about the "theme" of our marriage lately has been "sifting". I hear this word in my head whenever something trying is happening. Sifting. (As in Luke 22:31 when Jesus says "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.")

I've come to understand that marriage is a refining process. Apparently God has His work cut out with me! Some things have been far more challenging than I could have guessed. People always say "marriage is a lot of work". That kind of statement is something you just can't understand until you're there. Kind of like when people say "motherhood is amazing" or "life-changing". If you haven't been there, you just kind of smile and nod and in the back of your mind, think "of course it is!" but you just don't understand the magnitude of that statement until it happens to you.

Of course it is. Marriage is a lot of WORK. (And it's not for the faint of heart). That's not to say it's drudgery or anything like that. But you must always bring your "A game". I don't know that there will ever come a time when I can just sit back and relax and let my marriage be on auto pilot. It just doesn't work that way. One must always be proactive and keep on stepping outside of themselves to cultivate a healthy marriage.

I think one of the most challenging things has been adjusting my expectations of what married life was "supposed" to look like. I had ideals and ideas of how things were going to go. Of course, no one expected that I would become pregnant within the first month of being married, and nobody expected that pregnancy would be difficult (both stressful physically to me personally, but also a strain on our marriage), and nobody expected that I would want to leave my job at the church to care for my son. Nobody but God, anyway. He knows everything. And He is never surprised or caught off guard at anything that we do.

There's always peace if we will just trust HIM. Trust that first of all, He didn't lead me astray when I made the decision to marry (same goes for my husband) or that we were "missing it" somehow. Trust that He knows the end from the beginning and that He'll show us exactly what we need to do (and that it may not always feel good or line up with how we think a situation should be handled). His ways are higher than our ways, and marriage is in fact a refining process. He wants us to get rid of selfishness, immaturity, impatience, pride and everything else under the sun that's not of Him. He is more concerned for our holiness than He is our happiness. (Though both are found in Him alone).

So sifting. This is about saying "yes" to God's higher ways, and leaving my own ways behind. About glorifying God with my attitude and approach to caring for and loving one of His dear children (my husband). It's about "bucking the trends" and setting an excellent example to future generations and showing others that marriage is not a lost art, or something that's simply not for today's culture.

My desire for the next five years (and beyond) is to have the discipline and courage to leave behind even more selfish behaviors and thought patterns. That I would glorify God with my actual response to my marriage situation and my husband (not just my thoughtfully composed response in the blogosphere).

Have you gone through a season of sifting? How has God used your marriage to "refine" you?

A Promotion!

I've been serving in the children's ministry at our church in some capacity or another for about seven years. My first assignment in the children's ministry all those many moons ago, was writing curriculum for our (then) enormous (at least to me) elementary school age ministry. (We all know how much I like writing!) But then, I was serving as a teacher due to our church losing many of the teachers we had at the time. There was a need, and I stepped up to meet it, thinking in the back of my mind that it was a temporary thing I was "just filling in" for. Most recently, I've served as assistant director of our children's ministry (again, due to need), and now, I've been "promoted" to Children's Ministry Director!

Sometimes when God calls people to a specific assignment, they run screaming in the other direction, and I was certainly no exception! Seriously at first, I really didn't like the idea. I'm definitely not one of those "kid-loving" people by nature (my own children being the exception, of course). At least that's what I keep telling myself!

Yet, God proved Himself yet again the other night when He gave me the opportunity to share the Gospel with a young person. He showed me how I love communicating the truth of God's Word on their level, taking something that can seem complicated and breaking it down so that a child can apply it to their own life.

So that Sunday night, I talked with the little boy, and he made the decision to accept Jesus as his Savior. Even more awesome, was that it was his birthday! How awesome to be born again on the anniversary of your natural birth!

I love the Scripture that says "Delight yourself also in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4). I really believe that sometimes we don't know (or we deny) the true desires of our hearts, but when we do delight ourselves in Him, He gives us the most amazing of gifts. Even if it's something that we didn't expect to find joy in.

Anyway, our children's ministry is small, but growing, and I pray that I (and the rest of the team) can be used to help reach out to all children from birth to sixth grade in our community.

I would so appreciate your prayers as I enter this new season in ministry! 

What exciting ministry opportunities have you had lately?

Finding Contentment in Lean Times

The Bible warns us about comparing ourselves to others. It's an unwise thing to do. (2 Corinthians 10:12)

I think the reason for that, at least in part, is that you never know what another person has been through. We may look at another family that seems to be more financially comfortable than we are, for example, and begin to be envious of their situation.

In this instance, however, what we don't know is what's hurting us.

I know many times I've looked at various couples or families and felt jealous of what I perceived their situation to be. But is it always the situation I think it is? Probably not.

Consider these possibilities:

• Maybe they work a whole lot more (or a whole lot harder) than I do.
• Maybe they have some kind of income that isn't obvious, like an annuity or settlement of some kind.
• Maybe they have sacrificed something precious to them in the area of giving, and now God has blessed them (Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. Luke 6:38).
• Maybe they're much more diligent in the area of budgeting and saving.
• Maybe, just maybe, they're in debt up to their eyeballs!
  

It's easy for us to look at someone else and think that they simply have it better than we do. Life is easier for them, and we want our lives to be like theirs. We get frustrated with God and feel bad about where we are in life.

Personally, I feel that in our society (and especially my generation), we are much more tempted to be discontent with our lot. Not that we need to stay in the same place forever, and we shouldn't strive to do better, but it's challenging to simply "be" and wait for God to bring us increase.

Our trust gets put in the wrong places and we look to things to make us happy. We strive in our own power to get to that place of being fortunate, happy, "to be envied", when the only way to get there (really!) is to trust in God and find contentment in Him.

I love what the Apostle Paul says in Philippians 4:12 (Amplified):

I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want.

"...the secret of facing every situation..." We learn that secret in the next verse, "I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me..." God gives us strength for our situation! Not what we think someone else's situation is! Ours.

Have you ever fallen into the trap of comparisons? What Scriptures help you find peace and contentment in your current situation?

Goals for 2011 Revisited

I know if I were the truly goal-oriented type, I would check in on my goals more than semi-annually. I'm working on it! Just this morning, I was reviewing my goals from half a year ago in my journal.

I was actually quite pleased at my progress. That's not to say that I've already accomplished what I set out to improve on entirely, but I'm closer than I was at the beginning of the year. Yay!

Here's the original post about my goals to read in it's entirety if you missed it.

(And for those of you who may desire more rapid growth and more accountability for reaching your goals, check out the 3 in 30 Challenge if you haven't already! There's some great encouragement as well as awesome ideas for making improvements in your life!)

Spiritual Goals:

1. Spend moments alone with God (in prayer and Bible reading) everyday. Put Him first before anything including computer time and chores. Well...I've done alright here. I have kind of been hit & miss with my commitment to have my quiet time before computer time and chores. Maybe that's why I've only been averaging about four days a week in the Word. Hmm.
2. Cultivate the fruit of the Spirit- Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. Not really sure how to measure this one. Perhaps this one would be best broken down into mini-goals, kind of like #4. As in working on one area at a time.
3. Make church a priority. Be excellent in my areas of service. Do what God directs me to do regardless of whether or not my work is acknowledged or appreciated. Keep my eyes on Him! I've been much happier in this area so far because of this attitude. There have been a few times when I didn't make it a point to be involved, but overall, I've done a lot better. Last year, I think I technically attended pretty regularly, but wasn't really "there."
4. Make a habit of speaking the language of praise- stop complaining! Tame my tongue! I'm still working on this one! I've been more challenged in this area lately, so it's time to really focus on this!

Marital Goals:

1. Be positive with my husband. Don't criticize, complain or condemn. Criticizing, complaining and condemning was a habit last year. I think I can say it's less of a habit now. :P I've read one really good book that addresses this called The Surrendered Wife (read at your own risk, it is not by a Christian author) and it really helped me to break the cycle on some of this behavior. I even wrote a post about one attitude change of mine.
2. Keep "covenant" in the forefront of my mind- by doing a Scripture study and/or reading books/listening to teachings that promote covenant in marriage. Honestly, I haven't really gone out of my way to do this! This is one I'll need to focus on in the latter part of the year, apparently! :)
3. Be flexible (this one is a biggie for me!)- Let your immediate answer be "yes" or at the very least "I'll think about it". (So often I am immediately opposed to new ideas- this is a habit that I would like to break this coming year to promote peace in my marriage). See #1.

Maternal Goals:

1. Actively direct P & C to the Lord by sharing Scriptures with them, weaving Biblical lessons into the everyday- don't be afraid to show them my need for the Savior when I mess up, too! Keep them in prayer on a daily basis! I've been fairly diligent to my little ones in prayer (when I have my prayer time!), also, I've been trying to communicate to my son "We treat others they way we want to be treated" especially during those times when he's "less than nice" to his sister. It's been relatively easy to confess my faults to them (when it has something to do with them, of course). I just read this post the other day that gave me some ideas on how to share Scripture with them.
2. Focus on spending quality time with them in instruction, creative play, and just for fun (with no agenda)! Get out of the house on a weekly basis (in addition to church- i.e. to the library, park or elsewhere). Institute regular TV turn-off weeks/days. We did our "Screen-Free Week" but I haven't done much in the way of limiting television other than that. Maybe I will schedule another one for the second part of the year...maybe in the fall. I've also started having "floor time" with them, which is essentially just that. I sit on the floor, and they get to come up with what to do. Sometimes it's reading books, other times it's climbing on top of me. Lol! Getting out of the house has proven more challenging lately since my husband returned to work. He's been gone for most of the day six days a week, and he works too far away for me to drop him off. Hopefully that will change soon! (Though I am thankful he has a job!)
3. Work toward having "real food" be the basis for their diet (and ours too of course)...phase out store bought/processed foods like chicken nuggets. I was really excited when I realized my progress here. I don't remember the last time I bought chicken nuggets! We have had a few times of fast food or tacos from the local Mexican restaurant, but for the most part, they eat real food. I've even been able to phase out the snack-y foods like crackers and such and even cereal to some extent.

Domestic Goals:

1. Cultivate order and beauty in our home. Make it a place of tranquility and hospitality. Go the extra mile to make things "pretty". Fail! Lol! Actually, not really. :) I've been better about keeping things in order, and teaching the children to help out with clean up time. This has been more or less a daily thing, so that's good. I don't know that our home has become any "prettier" since last year. (Unless you count crayon and highlighter scribbles on the wall) :P Just keepin' it real!
2. Find and use one new recipe each month. I have not been purposeful about this. Though I would imagine that I probably do come close this without even thinking about it.
3. Pare down our possessions by doing "27 Fling Boogies" or something similar on a regular basis. Keep stuff I/we love and use, but sell, donate or dispose of other stuff. I have done probably all of 2 "27 Fling Boogies" so far this year. But that's okay! That means we now have 54 fewer unneeded or unwanted items in our home!

Personal Goals:

1. Continue to develop friendships with other women...pray for and be on the look out for a Titus 2- type mentor. I think I've done okay with the first part of this one. As far as a mentor is concerned, I still have not really become "connected" with someone like I need to be. My Pastor's wife is an awesome choice, and I actually have had a couple of meetings with her this year, but I know it would benefit me to meet with her more regularly.
2. Continue to blog regularly- make a schedule of posts every month (you know, so I don't sit around wondering what to blog about every day!). Gain 60 new blog followers in 2011. Well, I don't know if I've blogged as regularly as I set out to, but I've posted usually at least once (sometimes twice) a week. And actually, I think I've come at least close to half way on my goal to gain followers! So that's exciting. (Not sure of the exact number, as I did not record my number of followers at the beginning of the year).
3. Read! Commit to two books per month for a total of 24 in 2011! (And, try to read one book at a time! :D) I've been reading...just not sure how much! I have joined the adult reading program at the library, so that has helped motivate me (I so want to win a reusable bag full of goodies! ;-) It can just be so stinkin' hard to stay committed to a book. Mostly because right now, I'm not reading frequently enough that I guess I get bored with whatever I happen to be reading. And I definitely have not stuck to one book at a time!
4. Contribute $400 per month to our family's income (with the purpose of covering "non-essential" expenses like gifts and other nice-but-not-necessary things) through my Pampered Chef business. The closest I've come to reaching this goal is about half way! I need to really get busy on this, at least for now, as it's not really "fun money" at this point. I have a couple other ideas to contribute monetarily (you know, without getting a "regular job" hee hee) so we'll see how those ideas pan out.

How have you done on your goals for 2011 so far? Remember, it's not too late to create some goals if you missed the "resolution making" of the New Year!

No Corrupt Communication

 
Oh, crap!

I don't freakin' know!

How often do we say things like this? I know I've been guilty of more than my fair share of verbal slip-ups...and ones even less tame than that!

One day I was going about my business, when I tripped on a toy or something, and something awful came out of my mouth.

Holy Spirit brought the Scripture to my remembrance from Ephesians 4:29-

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

I was stopped in my tracks. For the first several years of being a Christian, I really didn't have any issues getting over changing my speech patterns. Gone were curse words, I didn't talk about ungodly things like I once did before Christ. Now, years later, when I should know better, I was embracing angry speech, and just letting whatever fell into my brain instantly fall out of my mouth as well.

The root of the word "corrupt" means "broken in pieces." Immediately I think of how this indicates the state of my heart. We all know our words come from the heart, right? Not broken in pieces in the sense of emotional heartbreak or anything like that, but broken in pieces as in unwholesome or lacking integrity. Faulty. Defective.

Wow.

But thanks be to God, there is a way of escape! (1 Corinthians 10:13) And that is through repentance:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

I repented, and God has cleansed me, and given me the grace to stop myself before I continued down the path of corrupt communication. Before I sowed unwholesome speech into the hearts of my lovely children. He showed me the error of my words, and filled in the cracks in my heart with His love!

I love that when we are humble enough to ask for His help, He freely gives it!

What has helped you avoid corrupt communication?

Linking up here:

Learning to Receive

Before I was married, I read several books on marriage. I learned about communication, covenant, and certain things that were reserved for married folk only (ahem). I learned about Five Love Languages, and His Needs, Her Needs. And I keep on reading. I want to continually grow as a wife, and be the woman that my husband (and God) needs me to be.

Just recently, I came to the realization (with the help of this book) that I'm not doing such a great job receiving from my husband. There have been times when I have FOUGHT to get him to GIVE to me...meet my needs, speak my love language and all that other fun stuff that I learned so much about. It's as if I'm telling him, "you want the key to my heart? Here it is, in five easy steps." All the while, I'm missing out on the blessings that are coming from him.

As a wife, I can't very well receive anything from my husband if I'm telling him in great detail what to give me! Men do not operate that way. It's like going to a restaurant and ordering off the menu...well the waiter isn't bringing me a salad with ranch dressing instead of the bleu cheese just because he's so nice and understands that I don't like chunky things in my salad dressing. He (the waiter) did not acquire that information because he was so intimately acquainted with the desires of my heart. He brought that salad just the way I wanted it because I told him exactly how I wanted it. He was just doing his job.

But that kind of approach doesn't work with my husband. He doesn't want me to tell him what to do! (Wow, there's a big shocker, right?) But he wants to please me, I know this much. (The Word even confirms it: "But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife." 1 Corinthians 7:33) My husband wants to give to me from his heart. Just like when we were courting! Somehow, in the midst of marriage, parenting, and other busy-ness, I began to fail to see this. I wanted to be in control. I wanted my husband to adhere to my top five needs and speak my love language all the time, or else I concluded that he didn't really love me. I thought that something in him had changed!

Are we as wives, looking at the heart of our husbands the way God does? "...For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) How many times have we missed our husband's loving intentions because what he gave us wasn't exactly what we ordered? I really believe now that I could have avoided so much struggle in my marriage if I had "gotten" this truth early on.

It's time for me to stop trying to get my husband to "do everything right" and start receiving the expression of his love that God puts on his heart.

Do you struggle in this area too? It may be time to stop and take note of the things your husband does to please you.

What actions has he taken lately to benefit you in some way? (Big or small). 

Linking up with Come Have a Peace for Marriage Mondays 
and  

Scriptures for Pregnancy and Birth

There's a lot of attention paid to preparing your body for birth. Or getting your birth plan just right or packing your suitcase (if giving birth in a hospital). But what about preparing your spirit? Pregnancy and birth is quite the spiritual event! I found it was helpful to be prepared with some Scriptures ahead of time. They strengthened me and gave me a better perspective on the big changes that were happening.

Before I gave birth to my daughter, I compiled this set of Scriptures on index cards to meditate on while I was in labor. Here are some of my favorites (All Scriptures are taken from the Amplified Bible):

Patience-

Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him; Psalm 37:7a

Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God. Psalm 42:5

Faith-

No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God, fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised. Romans 4:20-21

Safety-

Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, there shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent. For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service]. Psalm 91:9-11

Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness--trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never]. Psalm 91:14

Endurance-

Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. Romans 5:3

Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. 1 Corinthians 13:7

I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Psalm 16:8

For by You I can run through a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. Psalm 18:29

Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord. Psalm 27:14

Fear-

The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever leans on, trusts in, and puts his confidence in the Lord is safe and set on high. Proverbs 29:25

He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is firmly fixed, trusting (leaning on and being confident) in the Lord. His heart is established and steady, he will not be afraid while he waits to see his desire established upon his adversaries. Psalm 112:7-8 (Just leave off that last little bit if you write this one down on an index card! :P)

Pain-

The strong spirit of a man sustains him in bodily pain or trouble... Proverbs 18:14a

Strength-

But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently. 1 Corinthians 10:13b

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the [consistently] righteous man [upright and in right standing with God] runs into it and is safe, high [above evil] and strong. Proverbs 18:10

But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired. Isaiah 40:31

Peace-

Mark the blameless man and behold the upright, for there is a happy end for the man of peace. Psalm 37:37

A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones. Proverbs 14:30

Support from God-

But the salvation of the [consistently] righteous is of the Lord; He is their Refuge and secure Stronghold in the time of trouble. Psalm 37:39

Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day by day, even the God Who is our salvation! Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! Psalm 68:19

Those who trust in, lean on, and confidently hope in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides and stands fast forever. Psalm 125:1

The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, endure forever--forsake not the works of Your own hands. Psalm 138:8

God's Perfect Will-

The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly of the Lord [even the events that seem accidental are really ordered by Him]. Proverbs 16:33

For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. Jeremiah 29:11

We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose. Romans 8:28

[For it is He] Who rescued and saved us from such a perilous death, and He will still rescue and save us; in and on Him we have set our hope (our joyful and confident expectation) that He will again deliver us [from danger and destruction and draw us to Himself], 2 Corinthians 1:10

Concerns for Baby-

For He has strengthened and made hard the bars of your gates, and He has blessed your children within you. Psalm 147:13

Victory-

But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph [as trophies of Christ's victory] and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere,

Joy-

He makes the barren woman to be a homemaker and a joyful mother of [spiritual] children. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) Psalm 113:9

All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil [by anxious thoughts and forebodings], but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of circumstances]. Proverbs 15:15

Obviously, there are many more Scriptures that can apply to pregnancy and birth, but this should get you started!

What are your favorite Scriptures pertaining to pregnancy and birth? Add them in the comments!

Linking up here:

"FLYing" toward Biblical Hospitality

I so love the book of Romans! Especially chapter 12. Every time I consider purchasing a new Bible, this is the chapter I read to test whether I should buy that particular version. (I have a system, okay?! Ha ha!)

Well, today a particular verse was brought back to my remembrance...verse 13 that says:

"...distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality."

And I know I'm not the first to make this connection, but in order to adhere to the command to be "given to hospitality" you've got to have a relatively clean house, right?

Having been fairly diligent lately to stay on track with my "FLYing," my home has been relatively presentable. That feels so awesome! While I wouldn't jump to host a ladies tea at my place at this point, I can have people over without being totally embarrassed by my lack of diligence in housekeeping. I can even invite people in if they show up unexpectedly. Even my kitchen has been in such a state of semi-readiness that I can offer a snack to people. It feels great to just open the door and say "sure, come on in!" without scrambling to tidy up and throw a bunch of stuff in the bedroom and quickly close the door. (Probably nobody else knows what I'm talking about!)

I know that hospitality extends far beyond moving past talking to visitors on the porch. But chaos (or CHAOS- Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome as the Fly Lady calls it) in our home is something that keeps us from moving toward the Biblical directive to be given to hospitality. And guess what? If you are regularly given to hospitality, your house will by necessity stay clean and orderly. It's a beautiful thing!

The Bible tells us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39). But in order to love our neighbor, we need to love our self! We need to make our home a place that we love to be, and in turn, other people will love to be there too! And we will love to invite them over!

Where are you on this journey? Are you loving yourself? Are you loving your neighbor and inviting them over? What can you do this week to take a step closer to hospitality?

Linking up Here:

Keys to Overcoming Anger- Staying Connected

 ¹ Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2, New King James Version)

As a wife and mom, there are many things that I have reacted to in anger over the past few years.

Anger because I feel let down. I feel rushed or overwhelmed. I feel like there's not one more interruption I can tolerate. I can't bear to feel one more small round bit of cereal crunching under my feet.

Before I was married, I seldom got angry. I was so spiritual then! As one man of God has said, "everyone is super-spiritual until they get around other people." That truth certainly has played out in my life!

People make mistakes. They stumble. They sin. Sometimes against you!

Keep your eyes on Jesus.

It's such a cliche. And one that I kind of got tired of hearing...until I got it!

When we allow ourselves to respond in anger, we are taking our eyes off of Jesus, and putting our hopes and expectations on our husband, our children, our whatever! 

We must stay connected to Jesus, no matter what! That does not mean that we will never get angry at anything. But those frustrating situations will be less and less in our minds as we are looking to Him to meet our needs, to fulfill our expectations and hopes. He really is everything to us! 

As we learn dependence on Him, we will begin to overcome anger!

 ³³ These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, New King James Version)

What helps you to stay connected to Jesus?

Linking up with:

Ready, Set, Pray!

Have you taken time today to commune with the Creator of Heaven and Earth?

I know there are days when I don't spend that time with Him, and I let the day get away from me. I guess sometimes I feel like I need to spend an hour in prayer in order to be effective. Life with little ones can make for an unpredictable morning, and sometimes, even if I'm up early enough to get that time in, they might "thwart my plans" and get up early too!

Well, friend, prayer does not have to take a long time in order to set your day in the right direction or to touch the lives of people in need! Can you spare five minutes? How about three? By all means, if you can take that hour, you should shoot for more time, but sometimes, that just doesn't happen in a home where the needs of little ones are immediate.

Here's my challenge for you- and something I've been challenging myself to do recently: Step one- Set a timer for five minutes. Step two- Pray!

I have found that doing this causes me to be more focused on what I'm praying, and I know that the time is drawing to a close rapidly, so I am much more purposeful about what I'm praying for. Sometimes, when the timer stops, I keep going. Other times, when it stops, so do I. But that's much better than not praying, not interceding for loved ones, not asking for God's wisdom and perspective on situations.

How much time do you have today? Will you take me up on my challenge? Let me know how it goes!

Linking up to Good Morning Girls for Women in the Word Wednesdays!

Religion or Relationship?

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Matthew 11:28-30 Message

 

I love this Scripture! In my experience, this it what it's really like following Jesus. The only ones who burden us are ourselves (or other well-meaning people) who think that God requires us to work for our relationship with Him. Sure, we do have a part to play- just like with any relationship. But God wants to give us so much more than He requires from us!

As wives and mothers this perspective is so helpful...so freeing. We need the "unforced rhythms of grace" at work in our lives on a daily basis.

God offers us a relationship. He gives us strength and wisdom for everyday. Peace. Hope. Love. All that good stuff! He gives it to us, so we can give it to others. Our husband. Our children. Our home. Our ministry.

Walk with Him today! Don't be afraid of "giving up too much" for the sake of His Kingdom. Just take it step by step. Go as He directs. You won't get overwhelmed or burned out!

Is your walk with God about religion or a relationship?