overwhelmed
I have been thinking about this post for about 5 days now. I see so many people stressed out. Some by circumstance and others by their own doing. I look back at how busy our lives use to be. Don’t get me wrong I LOVED it, but wow was I overloaded. It was my own doing. I loved being a part of something that I saw making a difference and I wanted to do all I could. It was all good things, touching lives and trying to make a difference but I allowed it to take over my life. I had 2 little ones at the time and I know that they got what they needed and felt loved and all that good stuff but I also know that I was easily frustrated and overwhelmed much of the time. So today is a new day I will not allow myself to put to much on my plate and I refuse to feel pressure from others to do more. Now we have 4 kids and it is all I can do to keep my head on straight day to day. I have added some ministry to my plate and I enjoy that a great deal. I can say today that I look forward to what God has for us to do. I have learned how to put up boundaries to protect my time and family. I wish that people understood that doing good and doing for God doesn’t have to consume your everything. put aside time for your family and don’t allow things to take all of your time. An easy test to see if your overloaded is by looking at how you respond to your spouse and your children. If you seem on edge and everything seems to bother you then you may need a time out. Your family is the closest to you and the easiest to unleash on. When things are in order and your not so stretched you can relate to all of them in a different manner. This is just my experience and felt I should share. I see way to many people, doing and doing, their family pays for it by frustration and a worn out spouse and parent. God has so much for us all to do. The key word is ALL. There are many people and keys to His puzzle so let others come along side and help lighten the load.
1 comment July 23, 2009
walking the walk
I want people to know me for walking the walk not just talking the talk. I desire to fulfill the call of God on my life but in order to do that I have to align myself with His word. Even in difficult times and situation I must obey His words. If you desire to walk out your calling I encourage you to follow His commands. Not just the ones you like, or the easy ones but all of them. The hardest one is to love your enemy. Our human nature wants to do the opposite but we have to learn to train our flesh not to react. I promise I have had to do this and when you seek God with everything in you some how this isn’t so hard. I look back now and think how wonderful God is that I truly love those who have hurt me and I have no hidden agenda but to love and pray for them.
Luke 6
27-30“To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.
Add a comment March 9, 2009
work the words into your life
I have been meditating on Luke 6 for a bit now and I find myself challenged and moved. We so often do what has to or needs to be done but why are we doing it? It is about the why not the deeds done. Who we are is not what we do it’s why we do what we do. A good tree does not produce a rotten apple and a rotten tree does not produce a good apple. When we translate this to our lives we find that the more pollution we allow in our lives the more it begins to destroy our inner man. We begin to tolerate things we once thought had no place in our lives. We begin to compromise our values because we have been worn down by the lies of the enemy. Take a look at your life. What do you watch, listen to, engage in, talk about and act on. Now think about a time in your life that you felt closest to God, would you have done the same things then. I’m not saying we are all far away from God I am just sitting down and evaluating my life along these lines and thought I would share my thoughts with you.
The health of the apple tells the health of the tree. You must begin with your own life-giving lives. It’s who you are, not what you say and do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds. What is your life saying?
Luke 6:43-45 message bible
Add a comment March 4, 2009
Being full in an empty place
I don’t know about you but there are times in my life that I have felt that I was in an empty place. I may have had a full schedule, a lot of friends and a full house yet I still felt empty on the inside. Have you ever wondered if there was more? Have you ever wondered if you were doing enough? Have you ever wondered if what you were doing was the right thing? Well in Isaiah 58:9-12 it tells us a sure fire way to fulfillment. If we would stop blaming people, quit gossiping about others sins, give generously to the hungry and caring for those that are down and out God will shine His light upon us and guide us to where we should go. He will give us full lives even in the empty places. He will make us strong. We will be like well-watered gardens. We will be known as those who can fix anything. I don’t know about you but I want those promises of God. I want to know I’m in His will. I want to care about what He cares about. When we learn to take care of what God cares about He takes care of what we care about. The amazing thing about this is that your cares start to line up with His cares because you are asking for His heart!
Add a comment January 29, 2009
Are you tired? worn out? burned out on religion?
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you will recover your life. I will show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it. Learn the unforced ryhthms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill fitting on you. Keep company with me and you will learn to live freely and lightly. Matthew 11:28-30 (message bible)
This passage has been so refreshing for me this past week. I am making this part of my daily prayer. I want to watch, learn, and grow as I watch God work in and through me. I don’t know about you but I need a rest every know and then. I need to get lost in God and not in the doing of God. Sometimes we need to be renewed so we can hear clearly again. I have been able to share this passage with a few very dear ladies this past week and I know it is God. I encourage all of you to find your rest in Christ Jesus. Not people or places or things. He is the only one that will sustain you when you are going through a difficult situation. He is the only one that will listen with out giving opinion. He is the only one that can give you a way out of the situation you are in. It may not me easy and people may think you are crazy but remember God can and will pull you out of the mirry clay and transform you and your life and family into something new. So today I pray NEW hope, New peace, New rest, New Grace, New love on you. Rest in Him. Make your request known to HIm clearly and to the point. Watch him work. He is waiting on you to ask so He can move. It is never to late, to long, and you are never to far gone for God!
2 comments January 26, 2009
all in
Are you living a life all in or are you holding some of you back. It is easy to be all in when the stakes are not very high. When you are just getting established or you don’t have a lot to loose. It seems once the stakes are raised meaning once you have something to loose all in isn’t as easy. You may be half in or a quarter in but all in may mean you will loose something. If you are desiring to live a life full of God all in is not an option. To truly go where has is calling you to go you must be all in. You life is a living sacrifice for the price Jesus paid at Calvary that special day. You will never be completely satisfied until you are all in. One persons all in may be on the mission field while another persons all in may be serving at a local soup kitchen. All in is not what people tell you to do or what looks good to do it is what GOD is calling you to do. Today is an all in challenge. Are you all in on the plan of God for YOUR life????
1 comment January 25, 2009
New Season
I am so thankful for God’s timing! I am so thankful for his patience also. He allows us to stop and breath, to get refueled and ready for our next faze of life. He is always waiting and wanting us to succeed. He is never sitting there hoping we fail. He desires us to live a life of true freedom in Him and be able to move freely as HE wishes. I feel real strongly that He has laid 2 passages of scripture on my heart for this year. Isaiah 54 and Matthew 11:28-30.
I feel that this year is a time of renewal in Christ Jesus not in religion or programs or activities but truly laying it all at the feet of Jesus and being renewed by His spirit for the tasks ahead.
Add a comment January 24, 2009
getting ready
I am getting ready for Christmas and enjoying it to the fullest. I am however exhausted! My sister in-law gave me a recipe for homemade ornaments and I decided to make one for each of Isaiah’s classmates. It is taking me forever!!! The babies want more mommy time today which is putting a delay on the process. I am however escaping alone tonight for a little me time. Nothing fancy just me and the stores with nobody asking me for anything and no one attached to me! Mommyhood what could be better!
Add a comment December 3, 2008
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