Living it

I am certainly not living the life I should.  I mean, don’t we all fall so short of what we hope for ourselves and short of what God has for us? 

We talked this week about what it is that pulls us away from what we should do.  Is it that we are too busy?  Too tired?  It is too hard to do _______ (fill in the blank______?

Well, I have not arrived, by any stretch, but as much as I fail, I occasionally do something right.  So often I think I hit the mark most with my children than with myself.

(Now after the past 2 weeks or so, I am not feeling too proud as a mom, but I am not sure that is truth I am leaning on…. another issue for another day..)

Anyway, last fall our church took over the management of a local food pantry.  I have always wanted to be more involved in service projects, but with 4 little kids it is hard to be able to do too much.  With our church so involved though,and knowing nearly all the adults working there I decided to get my older boys involved. 

 

Discipleship ~ Part II

So, Tuesday  I shared some of the thoughts in my head, bouncing around (I am sure there is lots of open space for such thoughts to bounce….)

What does discipleship really look like?

How do we “do” it?

To whom do we disciple?

Many of these thoughts came from reading Radical by David Platt. 

 

While reading that book, I have listened to a few great podcasts too like :

Matt Chandler and Mission of God

Michael Fletcher @ Manna ReligionX

The underlying theme in all these places has been that it is not about God saving us to Save Us – it is about saving us so that we can live our lives glorifying HIM.  I just love this.  It is not about us.  Never was.  Never will be.  Wow.  I love this!

moments slipping by

I have been trying to figure out how to live each day – to grab each moment and get everything I can out of it.  Instead of just schooling and going through the motions, instead of being distracted by a to-do list that is always “to-do” and never “done”.  Being where I am at the time it is happening and now somewhere else mentally or emotionally.

How do we do this?  How do we live each  moment of the day grabbing the moments we so often try to get back once they slip by?  Some days I do better at this.  Saying yes to the simple and frequent requests for a walk, or a game of cards, or the reading of a favorite book.  But all too often the “no” slips out before I can even think of why I would say no.

I started out the year with a list.  It was a simple one.  Not goals for the year, not a list of to-do’s – instead a simple list on my mirror in my bathroom, reminding me of who I want to be this year.  A mom who says yes.  A woman who puts truths into her heart to take up residence there.  A wife who honors the man who works so hard to provide for this family of ours.  Making it a priority to spend 10 in 10 (10 minutes in prayer and Bible reading) each morning.  I hoped to delight in reading to my blessings instead of just reading to check a block (whether for school or just when asked to read).

And now, this year is passing by, the days are few at this point – and yet still so many moments to grab.  How am I doing?  I am not sure I have accomplished any goals enough to check them off – not that I would check them off, they were intentionally chosen as reminders – as things to do better.  And yet, I have said yes a few times without thinking, I have made prayer and scripture a morning priority.  And yet, there is so much further to travel.  So as these days of 2010 slip away, I need to continue to try to remember my list of “Today I want to:” and be more of the woman I think God wants me to be.  Do less on my list – really what will those items matter with respect to eternity?  Very little.

So for now, I will ponder how to put more of me into my family & less into those pesky lists (even if I do enjoy checking those items off) and I hope to grab a few moments that would have otherwise slipped by!

Here was my list of 2010 – wonder what 2011 will look like….

2010 : Today I want to

~Follow and serve Him

~ Read my Bible for 10 minutes

~ Spend 10 minutes in prayer

~ Be a loving & patient wife

~ Be an intentional Mom

~ Say yes more

~ Read to my children for the sake of joy

~ Be frugal with our money

~Plan ahead (meals, time, etc)

~ Encourage someone

~ Spend some time doing something

relaxing

And now I need to read to 4 clean, snuggly kids before they depart for dreamland, and there is a certain Dr. Doolittle waiting for us!

where is the focus of your worship?

This week at Bible Study we listened to Priscilla Shirer speak about how our GOD is ABLE.  She did such a great job of using illustrations from her lift to demonstrate how God is able to do far more than we ever expect him to do.    She is using a verse in Ephesians to demonstrate just how ABLE God is.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Eph 3:20-21

 

But so often in the day to day, in the details, in the moments in an hour, we forget.  We forget how ABLE our God is.  We forget the promises he lays before us, and the blessings he wants to pour down on us.  We forget to live like we serve a victorious God and not a defeated one. 

And in those moments that we forget, we can sometimes start to worship our problems, instead of the God who can help us through those problems.  We dwell on the yucky stuff instead of asking why God has allowed that in our lives and living like it might be there for a reason.  The reason might be ME. 

Maybe my children are challenging my patience more these days because my patience muscle is weak!  Maybe  the problem is not my kids acting up, but it is really ME.  I need to get my focus off of my problems and turn to the ONE who can give me the patience I cannot find, the grace I do not have, and the strength I need to navigate those same problems.

So I have to ask myself in the moments of my day, after a morning of time with Him, why do I so quickly take the focus of my worship off a worthy God and put it onto my unworthy problems?  Why do I never fail to return to my sinful roots when trials rear their ugly heads?

These next days, and hopefully weeks, I plan to look my problem (aka : issue, trail, whatever) in the face and look for what God could be trying to teach me in the midst of it all.  And I hope to turn back to a heart of gratitude while I am at it.  I have more things to be grateful for these days, than I can count, and yet I can still get frustrated, envious, and many other things despite all the blessings pouring down on my family right now.  So I am going to try to focus my heart on the things that really matter.  On a God who so deserves ALL I can offer him, and more!

So, where is your worship?

starting anew

2010! Wow! What do you have in store for me and my family?

That is what I have been pondering these past few days. But first, can I share a few of my favorite pics from 2009, these are not the best of smiling kids, but I love these, they are treasures...

Okay, thanks. These 3 are just 3 of many, but they make me smile. I see God in each one, do you see him? I hope so!

So, after some soul searching, some family discussions and some prayer and Bible time I think I have a handle of my plan for this year, on where I want to go in 2010.

My Theme this year is : To Follow & Serve Him

Follow Him : Around the World in 360 OR 10 in 10 – this is a challenge from Manna Church in Fayetteville – to spend 10 minutes in prayer each day and 10 minutes reading the Word each day. I heard someone say how the Bible is like God waiting to reveal something to us, anxiously – but we have to open it and read it to receive it. When we do not open it we do not receive it – not sure about you, but I need all I can get from Him!! I hope to inspire my children to read the Word as well as they see how it radiates from me. I realize that I cannot follow someone who I do not spend a great deal of time with!

I am going to join a blog titled Extravagant Grace for scripture memory – 24 verses in 2010 – 1st and 15th of the month. Who cannot use a little extra scripture memory in their lives, and I can always use a little more encouragement too! So my first verse of 2010 is:

Blessed is the man …[whose] delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Psalm 1:1-3

Be Intentional : Less computer time, less unintentional time spent, less distractions when I am “working” (i.e. teaching my children, reading the Word, or working in my home). This means no more Facebook games, no more facebook checking & updating while schooling, no more phone calls during school, and no computer in general until school is over. This is going to be so good for me and my children!!

I want to plan better, my time, my money, my energy. I hope to stay ahead of meals and ahead of my time. So far, I feel like I have a plan to help me stay ahead, but I know it can slip away so quickly!! Be intentional with my words too, with regards to gossiping, but also anything I say – I hope to control my tongue! My children are listening, but more importantly, He is listening to my heart, what is it saying today?

Find moments of peace to ponder and listen. I believe this will lead to new perspectives and new insight that without taking a break and a moment to listen we will miss!

Serve Others : I want this to be a year of Yes! So I hope to say yes more and when I cannot say yes to a certain request, I hope to find something I can say yes to. Thank you to Holy Experience for this idea. Like her, I am a mom of no – and I do not want to be that mom. I hope to use this philosophy as a way to serve my family, but I hope to encourage my friends and family this year too, more.

So I am excited about 2010 – so many great memories and great things lie in front of us! I pray that I learn to be a better follower of my Lord and that I spend this year serving him as I grow closer to him! What are your goals for 2010?