Slowing Down

Well, yesterday would have been a great time for me to blog because I was home all day. We had a 'snow day', really it was an ice day. The kids were home from school and the office was closed so we lounged around in our jammies wathing TV. We napped, we ate, and we laughed.

Sometimes I get frustrated and can't wait to get those kids out the door and off to school, then at least I don't have to deal with the drama anymore. Yesterday, though I realized that all that frustrating stuff only happens when we are rushing to get ready to go somewhere. When we take the time to just relax and don't have to be anywhere, life if good! Everyone in sweet, considerate, willing to do for each other and easy going. I mean I know we have to go places and we have to get ready and we need to work on being more understanding during that time, but all that being said, I think life is too busy. Not only does busyness stress us and make us tired, it stresses our relationships and makes others tired. I want to work hard to simplify things. I know my family does many things that are unnecessary and that only makes it harder to nurture our relationships and malnourished relationships makes life not so good.

God is Good!

My kids are out of school today. They were yesterday also. Yesterday I was so exasperated with them. They had certain chores they were supposed to be doing and in the process they called me several times because someone wasn't cooperating. It's times like these when I feel like a failure for not teaching them how to better communicate with each other. Also, I get so frustrated that they are not more perceptive of when things just need to be done. Like when I have to say, "Pick up those shoes!" after they have stepped over them, tripped over them, and kicked them out of the way. "Brush your teeth!", when they smile and it looks like they just ate cheetos. Yuck!

Anyway, today is a new day and I just read something that my youngest daughter wrote and it warmed my heart. She was singing the praises of her two older sisters and how much she loves them and that they make her feel special. She was greatfull for the relationship they have. Thank you, God! I guess you'll always have the fussy days when it's hard to communicate with each other. Or when others can't live up to the expectations we put on them (because they are unrealistic. Guilty!) But it's ok, when ultimately, things are good!

So, I realize, what's most important is the relationship of the people in your house. If THOSE are what they need to be, then the stuff that hinders our communication sometimes, the stuff on the floor, and the stuff on their teeth are actually not that big of a deal.

I'm starting this new Bible Study by Beth Moore called Esther. I'm very excited about it. I don't know if you knew this, I certainly didn't, but God's name is not mentioned one time in that whole book. Weird, huh? Anyway, as I was watching the intro video she said something that caught me by surprise. She made this statement, "God will not fulfill your destiny without YOU!"

Now, think about that. I guess our lives will progress until we get old and die or we die by some other means. And whatever happens in the between time will, in essence, be our destiny. But will it be the way God wanted it be? As I thought about that statement, I realized that I want to be an active part of MY destiny. I want it be the way God wants it to be. The only way that's going to happen is for me to ask Him, to seek His every step for my life.

As it is right now, I don't ask Him what He wants me to do each day. I don't ask Him what He wants me to do next week, or next month. I haven't asked Him in a long time what He wants me to do next year. I want God to fulfill my destiny with ME! I want to be there every step of the way and I want the Destiny God intended for me when he 'knit me together in my mother's womb'! Because, I know THAT'S the destiny that will bring me true joy, peace, and a life worth living. Not to mention, when I seek God's destiny for me, I give Him the worship He deserves. When I die, I want people to say, "God fulfilled her destiny WITH HER and she loved every minute of it!"

No More Filing Cabinets!

Last night at dinner we were talking about our day and my son, Seth, asked what something meant. (I won't mention what that was because it was a little inappropriate, but I was glad he asked instead of just say it) Anyway, we told him the meaning and that it was not a nice comment to make. His answer to our explaination was funny at the time, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it's exactly what we all do without even realizing it. He said this, "I should take a hose, put one end in my mouth and the other in my ear, tell myself what it means and not to say it, then the little men in my brain can write it down and file it away!" We laughed because there is never any telling what is going to come out of that boy's mouth. But isn't it so true?

We tell ourselves things constantly or hear others tell us things that will help us, encourage us or make us better and more into the person God created us to be and what do we do with it? We let the 'little men' in our brains file it away! Why? Why don't we do something with it? Maybe it doesn't seem like that big of a deal, or we think we'll do something about it later. But we never get around to it. Let's use those thing we tell ourselves, that are true, or the things others tell us to change us. That's what I'm going to do! I'm going to let those 'little men' write those thing down, but I'm not going to let them file it away. I'm going to ponder it, believe it, and use to allow God to let it change me. No more filing cabinets for me!

MMM.....Diet Dr. Pepper!

Well, the work week is almost over and I don't feel like I accomplished much. I did the same ole thing and didn't lose a pound, AGAIN! All that cookie dough I ate last night didn't help either. I guess at some point I need to change my approach if my outcome is going to change. Imagine that!

Well, starting tomorrow, I'm giving up soda. (I say tomorrow because I'm right in the middle of a delicious diet Dr. Pepper. It's more like a dessert that a soda. Did you know that?) I read we waste 450-500 calories a day on the things we drink! I would much rather waste those calories on the things I eat. Well, I don't mean add those calories to what I'm already eating, but you get the jest.

Anyway, baby steps, that's my motto. I'll try this, then maybe I'll let go of something else. I know this though, nothing worth having (a slim, health, sexy body) is easy! I guess everyone knows that, but sometimes I just have to remind myself that it applies to my weight and health also. Help me out by giving me tips to abstain. PLEASE!

Sing Out Loud!

You know what's mood changing? Singing! It's true! When you're having a bad day, turn on the radio and sing. It doesn't matter if you can't carry a tune in a bucket. Let it out! I have a friend, (and she knows who she is) who knows she can't sing on key if her life depended on it, but she doesn't care. She loves to sing and doesn't let anyone's comments hinder her. And it makes her happy!
A couple of weeks ago my husband spoke at church about peace and one of the things he said was that singing to the Lord gives you peace. He also quoted someone that said something like this, 'everyone has a song but the tragedy is that most of us die with our music still in us.' (you can hear this awesome message on www.fielder.org podcast!) Now that could take on a number of meanings, but I think one of them is the obvious. Let your music out! Sing out loud and honor God and He will give you joy and peace. (At least until you start worrying again!)

Yeah! Clean Dishes!

Do you ever look around your house and your things and think, "Ugh! What a mess! I hate cleaning house, doing dishes, cleaning toilets, picking up shoes!" I do. This weekend I thought just that. But this morning, I woke up and starting thinking of all the things I should have done and all things still left to do, and thanked the Lord for all of them!

I once heard a story of two women. One was a young mother who was exhausted every day by chasing her toddlers around and doing daily chores. (We women know exactly how that feels!) The other was an older woman whose children were gone and her life had slowed down a bit. Each day they would go to their dishwashers to put up their dishes. The older woman would open her dishwasher and with a sigh of disguest, say, "Ugh, clean dishes." The young women would open her dishwasher, not even remembering if she had turned it on the night before, and with excitement in her voice, proclaim, "Yeah! Clean dishes!"

You see, it's all a matter of perspective, one women was put out at the thought of having to put up her clean dishes, the other was just happy that they were clean! That's how our lives are. It's all a matter of perspective. We may have too many things or we may be tired, but most of us can truly thank God for the fact that we have houses to clean, that we have shoes to put in our closets, that we have toilets to clean. So as for me and my stuff, I'm chosing to proclaim with excitement, "Yeah! Clean dishes!"

"Lord help me. I mean, help others!"

I work in a small office and there is only 3 of us, all women! Working so closely all day with two other women has brought us pretty close. We know alot about each other and sometimes it's hard to hide when we are discouraged or dealing with something difficult. We try to encourage each other and most the time we end up laughing and lightening the mood. Sometimes that doesn't happen. On those days, we are quiet, all work and snippy to each other. This week was like that.

I thought alot about how I would handle hard things if I didn't have Christ in my life. I can't imagine praying for God's help or encouragement not really knowing if He hears me or if He'll answer. I think I would feel very alone and I might go crazy. So, alot of my quiet time this week was filled with prayer. But, as I was thinking about it this morning, I realized all of the prayer was for me. 'God, help ME to stop worrying', 'Lord, please help ME to be nice', 'Father, I wish I was a millionaire!', 'God, help ME to keep my mouth closed'. Nice, huh?

Now, I know it's ok to pray for myslef, but not one time did I stop and pray for the ladies in my office. They are going through different things than me, but still there are things! How many times a day do I tell my kids, "Treat others the way you want to be treated." "Put other's needs ahead of your own and God will provide for your needs." I wasn't doing that.

I want my life to be about others. I've been so caught up in myself that 'others' hardly ever cross my mind these days. I truly do believe the words I try to teach my children so I want to start, again, to do them instead of just say them! So, that being said, everything I do today is going to be for someone else! "Lord, help me!"

Oh my goodness, my very own Blog!

I've come into this whole internet, facebook, computer thing a little late, but I have to admit, it's sooo fun! The internet amazes me! I can type in anything to 'Google' (that's a funny word) and I find exactly what I'm looking for. Even ME! My name is on the internet! That's a bit scary but exhilerating at the same time. In a very short time, I have reconnected with people I haven't seen since high school and I'm so excited every day to check my emails. I've turned into a computer geek. Sort of. I don't know anything about how they work (and frankly don't care), but I check every day now!

Ok, so then I get a text from my husband and he says, "How about we get you a blackberry? You could email from your phone! You need to get into the 21st century, Baby!" And I can't believe I said, "That sounds good!" Now if you know me I'm totally not into stuff like that. I'll take the hand-me-downs and the cheapos. So when that came out of my fingers, I was surprised.

Then as if that wasn't all new, now I have a BLOG! "Look, Honey, I'm in the 21st Century!"

I don't know if I have anything interesting to say, but even if I'm the only one to read it, I believe it will theraputic and fun. Just what I need, something else to take up more of my time!