Prayer is not for the benefit of God. God is omniscient, so He already knows whats on your mind, and whats on your heart. But one of the purposes of prayer is for Him to expose to YOU what is really in your heart, and to help you be aware of and often adjust your attitude. The longer time you spend pouring your heart out to God, the more He reveals to you what is there. Whenever you find yourself avoiding a heart to heart with God, that's an indicator that your heart is not in the right place and that you're refusing to see what God already knows about you.
Matthew 12:34b "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Monday, August 19, 2013
Coming Soon!
Be patient! A new blog post is coming soon!!! Been busy with the first day of school!!!
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
The Superman (or Superwoman) Complex
So lately my three year old son has been on a Superman kick. With the help of grandparents, he now has a Superman costume, Superman pajamas (with a detachable cape), a glow-in-the dark Superman t-shirt, and a regular Superman t-shirt. Minutes after dressing him for the day, I will notice he has once again changed his shirt back to his Superman pajamas and is racing around the house with one hand on his hip and the other fist forward mimicking the theme song to the Christopher Reeves Superman movies. When asked who he wants to be when he grows up, he quickly answers "Superman!" After all, who wouldn't want to be faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound?
Sometimes I catch myself attempting to be a Super-woman. I try to be someone I'm not. I try to do it all. At one point, I was working a part time job as a receptionist at a nursing home, a part time job doing home shows as a Premier Designs Jewelry Consultant, a once a week job babysitting, a once a week job housekeeping for a friend all while being a full time housekeeper of my own home, cook, wife, a homeschool mother of two energetic boys, as well as a volunteer youth group leader, Sunday school teacher, and counselor. It was a recipe for burnout and I quickly found out I needed to eliminate a few things I was involved in and prioritize better.
I don't want to be pulled in a million different directions, but I feel like a Pioneer exploring all new territory. I am new at writing (college papers don't count), new at blogging (I still haven't figured out how to really set up my blog the way I'd like it to be), new at homeschooling, and I only have 5 years under my belt as a mother and 6 years as a wife. There are so many things I want to do and be a part of and learn about and I find myself getting caught up in the excitement of the moment only to realize I've jumped on another bandwagon that has taken me off course. I read other women's blogs who are speakers and have years of blogging experience and parenting under their belts and I get overwhelmed at what I would like to accomplish someday.
Then God gives me a dose of perspective, brings me back down to earth, and reminds me to just be faithful in the little things. Instead of striving to be like all these other women (or in my mind, Super-women), I need to simply get alone with God and ask Him what he desires for me and my life now. After all, I want to be the woman God has called ME to be, not the woman He's called someone else to be. I want to follow His will for MY life, not what someone else says I should be.
That's not to say other women aren't to be emulated. As a matter of fact, if they're following the principle of "imitate me as I imitate Christ" then they are certainly great roll models to look to. But I have found that rather than jumping on the wagon of another woman's passion and calling, I am most satisfied in Him, when I use the gifts and talents that He's given me to honor and glorify Him.
I don't need to be a Super-woman. I don't need to do it all. I just need to be the woman God has designed me to be; the woman He has called me to be! And when I get my focus back on Him and the truths that I know, He begins to reveal to me little by little what that woman looks like.
Sometimes I catch myself attempting to be a Super-woman. I try to be someone I'm not. I try to do it all. At one point, I was working a part time job as a receptionist at a nursing home, a part time job doing home shows as a Premier Designs Jewelry Consultant, a once a week job babysitting, a once a week job housekeeping for a friend all while being a full time housekeeper of my own home, cook, wife, a homeschool mother of two energetic boys, as well as a volunteer youth group leader, Sunday school teacher, and counselor. It was a recipe for burnout and I quickly found out I needed to eliminate a few things I was involved in and prioritize better.
I don't want to be pulled in a million different directions, but I feel like a Pioneer exploring all new territory. I am new at writing (college papers don't count), new at blogging (I still haven't figured out how to really set up my blog the way I'd like it to be), new at homeschooling, and I only have 5 years under my belt as a mother and 6 years as a wife. There are so many things I want to do and be a part of and learn about and I find myself getting caught up in the excitement of the moment only to realize I've jumped on another bandwagon that has taken me off course. I read other women's blogs who are speakers and have years of blogging experience and parenting under their belts and I get overwhelmed at what I would like to accomplish someday.
Then God gives me a dose of perspective, brings me back down to earth, and reminds me to just be faithful in the little things. Instead of striving to be like all these other women (or in my mind, Super-women), I need to simply get alone with God and ask Him what he desires for me and my life now. After all, I want to be the woman God has called ME to be, not the woman He's called someone else to be. I want to follow His will for MY life, not what someone else says I should be.
That's not to say other women aren't to be emulated. As a matter of fact, if they're following the principle of "imitate me as I imitate Christ" then they are certainly great roll models to look to. But I have found that rather than jumping on the wagon of another woman's passion and calling, I am most satisfied in Him, when I use the gifts and talents that He's given me to honor and glorify Him.
I don't need to be a Super-woman. I don't need to do it all. I just need to be the woman God has designed me to be; the woman He has called me to be! And when I get my focus back on Him and the truths that I know, He begins to reveal to me little by little what that woman looks like.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Here Goes Nothing...
Okay, so I've been trying to begin a blog for a long time, but I'm not sure where to start. I'll be totally honest... I have no idea what I'm doing! I haven't done a ton of research on blogging, I'm not really sure where to begin, which direction I want to go with this blog and quite frankly, I don't know if I really want to share my thoughts with other people who may end up totally misunderstanding, taking my words out of context, or judging me!
You see, actually, I'm kind of torn about the whole thing. I know that the Lord has been leading me in this direction, and by faith, I'm trying to walk in it. I'm the type of person who likes to be prepared. I like having all my ducks in a row before crossing the street (bad combination of analogies, but I hope you get the picture). But lately I've been (re)learning that sometimes obedience comes first before the understanding. I don't really understand what I'm supposed to blog about, only that the Lord is wanting me to blog. So I'm trying to walk in obedience to that.
There are two scripture verses that keep coming to mind when I think about blogging. First, I'm reminded of Psalm 119:105 "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." It doesn't say that it's a spotlight that shines a mile down the road. It says it's a lamp for my feet. It shines only enough light for me to see the next step ahead of me. I want to know where this path will lead because I want control of it, but God keeps reassuring me that He knows what He's doing and I just need to trust Him, and follow in obedience. The second verse that comes to mind for me is found in Luke 16:10a which says "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much." I don't know where blogging will lead, but I want to be faithful in it. As feeble as my attempts may be, I am going to try to be consistent in writing something. So here goes nothing...
Pray for me as I begin this journey!
You see, actually, I'm kind of torn about the whole thing. I know that the Lord has been leading me in this direction, and by faith, I'm trying to walk in it. I'm the type of person who likes to be prepared. I like having all my ducks in a row before crossing the street (bad combination of analogies, but I hope you get the picture). But lately I've been (re)learning that sometimes obedience comes first before the understanding. I don't really understand what I'm supposed to blog about, only that the Lord is wanting me to blog. So I'm trying to walk in obedience to that.
There are two scripture verses that keep coming to mind when I think about blogging. First, I'm reminded of Psalm 119:105 "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." It doesn't say that it's a spotlight that shines a mile down the road. It says it's a lamp for my feet. It shines only enough light for me to see the next step ahead of me. I want to know where this path will lead because I want control of it, but God keeps reassuring me that He knows what He's doing and I just need to trust Him, and follow in obedience. The second verse that comes to mind for me is found in Luke 16:10a which says "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much." I don't know where blogging will lead, but I want to be faithful in it. As feeble as my attempts may be, I am going to try to be consistent in writing something. So here goes nothing...
Pray for me as I begin this journey!
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