Worship

I couldn't have said this better myself. Copied from Wired: For A Life Of Worship by Louie Giglio- I recommend this book to all.

How do you know where and what you are worshiping? It's easy.
You simply follow the trail of your time, your affection, your energy,
your money and your loyalty. At the end of the trail you'll find a throne;
and whatever, or whomever, is on that throne is what's of highest value
to you. On that throne is what you worship. Sure, not many of us walk
around saying, "I worship my stuff, I worship my X box, I worship this pleasure,
I worship her, I worship my body, I worship me!" But the trail never lies.
We may say we value this thing or that thing more than any other,
but the volume of our actions speaks louder than our words.
In the end our worship is more about what we do than what we say.

right song wrong time

Here we go again! I was complaining and trying to figure out again how to function with vertigo. Trapped in my body with so many things needing to be done I came to a complete halt again in the middle of the night Wednesday. I spent all of Thursday in bed and most of Friday as well. Asking God WHY is my first reaction of course. What is going on? Don't you know I am soooo busy right now?

Friday when I was able to get the needed adjustment form my chiropractor, noticing my complete helplessness and frustration with this all too often reoccurring pest he felt it necessary to share something he recently read. UGH! it was like he hit me right between the eyes. He spoke about the article and how it said that after the Israelites crossed the sea that God opened for them they were full of praise and thanksgiving to the God that delivered them. The article went on to say that it was the right song just the wrong timing. They should have been singing at the beginning of the sea trusting God when their problem was insurmountable.

How many times after the problem is gone do I praise God for the deliverance instead of praising him at the beginning trusting that NO MATTER WHAT He is always there. This was a great reminder...even when it is almost impossible to be thankful I will trust and praise the God that has me in the palm of his hand.

Exercise

Aging is inevitable but how I age is controllable. Thanks to some wonderful friends I have started walking again. We meet at 6am every morning  I said I wish I had someone to walk with in the morning because I am too lazy to get out of bed. BIG MISTAKE... they both said "I will go with you." I was trapped. (did I mention that they are morning people and I am not UGH! ) so last week we started walking every morning. sometimes I drive to our meeting place and sometimes I walk (which also means I have to walk home too.. not the fun part) Except for yesterday, when my alarm didn't go off and I abandoned my friends in the cold soggy morning, I am enjoying getting up early and getting some exercise. BUT COULD SOMEONE PLEASE TELL MY BODY IT IS OK!! This is going to make a difference for the long term I have to keep remembering that. The experts all say Walk, Walk, Walk

Don't need a day on a calendar to know it is Mother's Day

I wish there was a recorder that you just had with you when you were processing thoughts but can't write them down. I know there is amazing technology out there but I mean something that you don't have actively activate to record thought. Usually my best thinking is when I am driving or when I am either trying to fall asleep or awakened in the night and too lazy to get up and write.

Thinking on my way home from spending  a wonderful evening with my daughter- "How did I get to be so lucky?" "What does it really mean to be a mother?" 

Of course my first inclination was to go to my emotional side of my mind which quickly went like an old movie real playing in my head the millions of memories I have over the past 27 years of motherhood. Wow! Crippled by the magnitude of my blessings I am overwhelmed that God chose me to play the part of a mother to three outstandingly unique and beautiful people.

Which then triggered the spiritual side of my mind wondering if I was faithful with the gift that God gave me. Did I do everything possible to point my children to fall in love with the awesome God that I serve? Do they truly understand how divine He really is?

I realize this was a short drive home but trust me my mind was racing much faster than I was driving :) Which is a good thing because I would be a danger to all on the road if it was reversed.

I am a woman that has more blessings then even this amazing form of communication that exists in blogging could contain.  I love husband and  my children  more than life and I am especially grateful to be included in their lives.  I don't need a date set aside on a calendar to be honored as a mother. I know the gift I have every day and I am in awe of God's provision as I watch life unfold for my children as well. I know my children love me. Not to mention the enormous blessing of being a Ya Ya!

To God Be The Glory!

So blessed to have such great mom's in my life!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Beauty

"The me I think I should be is at odds with the me God created me to be" John Ortberg

Who are we to decided what someone should look like?

Why do we place so much value on outward appearance?

When will we learn to be comfortable with the person that we are created to be?

Why is our self worth is based on not only how we view ourselves but how we think others see us?

Time and time again I hear I wish they were prettier, thinner, taller, stronger, cuter _________ you fill in the blank.

How can I make you see that your true value is not in what others say of you but it comes from what God says is true about you?

You are a new creature(2 Cor 5:17)

You become a child of God (John 1:12, Romans 8:15)

You are declared righteous by God (2 Cor 5:21)

All your sins are forgiven: past, present and future (Col. 2:13-14)

When our security is based on Christ we do not have to have success or anyone else's approval. 

He knows exactly who you are and in His eyes you are righteous, forgiven, pleasing, loved, etc.

Accept yourself and embrace the beauty within that God created you to be!

Failure

"The only real failure in life is the failure to try"

Why is it that even when we are given the freedom to fail the fear of failure still hangs over us?

I remember growing up not really feeling that anything I did was good enough. Over the years I would let things pass me by thinking I could never do that or what if I couldn't do it right?  I realized that my fear of failure is one of the major causes for procrastination

Until we learn to embrace failure we never get out of our comfort zone.

The pressure to be perfect leaves us feeling safe but stagnated—and not quite alive.

What if we not only accept our failure but go out of our way to fail? This is such a foreign statement that I have to stop and read it again and again until it began to make sense in my mind.

Fear of failure or disappointment has controlled many of my decisions in life without my even knowing it. I remember being asked one day, " What is your biggest fear in life?" I didn't have to hesitate long before I answered fear of failure or not measuring up. Another time I read that breaking out of your comfort zone and facing your mistakes can lead to innovation and stronger relationships.

I know that God doesn't intend for His children to live in fear. He has directed us over and over again not to fear. So again I ask Why is it that even though we are given the freedom to fail the fear of failure still hangs over us?

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

I Live I Work, I Rest because of the Lord of the Sabbath

Great message on Sabbath tonight at church has my brain going 100mph.

Have you ever considered that the day of rest was a gift of grace that God gave us?
He designed it so the He could reflect and enjoy His goodness?

Time for refection...
REST
I had to ask myself when was the last time that you rested for a 24hr period? No TV, computer, phone, radio etc.
Unfortunately I can not think of such a time excluding the time I almost cut my toe off or was bed ridden due to vertigo. Somehow I don't think those times really count.
TIME OUT
Do I take time each day to make sure the things I do are not about me but about the creator of all things?

On a side note... how do you know if a word that sounds like it ends in er really ends in or. I have always been confused with this issue. Like the word creator which is why I am chasing this rabbit in the first place or instructor senator. It may be because I was raised in NY but I do not hear the or sound there.

One more question that God placed on my heart that I am going to wrestle with until I can truly say absolutely not Lord. Do you look at other with Pharisaical eyes?