Elisabeth Elliot on Mental Rest

Elizabeth Elliot hit the nail on the head in a devotion of hers I read this morning.

If you are not familiar with her, she was the wife of Jim Elliot, a missionary who died trying to take Christ to an unreached people group.  The story of her life is precious, and that is only one small portion of it.   She has written a book, entittled “Passion and Purity” –on my bookshelf.

I encourage you to read her thoughts today…I think they will minister to the needs in your life as much as they did to mine.  You’ll sit under a waterfall!  So refreshing.

Related quote.

(photo source)

 

Bliss

Your comments and emails the last few days have just totally cracked me up.  You guys are the bling of life.  You add life everywhere you go.  I want to be like you.

You know, I sit down to blog these days and feel the most surreal sense of peace and quiet!  As in,  I have nothing spinning inside trying to get out.  Nothing to say.  Nothing to write about.  Nothing to contemplate.  Nothing to complain about.  No goals that can’t wait until tomorrow. 

It’s wonderful.

It’s almost, well, discombobulating.

And you know what?  This morning, I realized…I am here!  I have arrived. 

THIS is rest.

Quiet.

Peace.

Oh my!  How I’ve been seeking you all summer!  I finally caught up.   

It’s a wonderful season of rejuvennation, provision, and soaking. 

I keep trying to think of someone I can share it with, but that would require some complicated thinking.  So, if you want to come grab some…well, come on over.  Just don’t make me plan.  I refuse.  Go with the flow…enjoy the moment, and keep drinking deep.  That’s what we are all about over here.

My friend Sarah was here the other day, the Mrs. of Jeff Jenkins Blog, visiting from out of town (Texas)…we’re kinfolk, down the line, by marriage, somehow.   We’ve done Beth Moore together.  I think she endured me leading a group some years ago.  She was always coming to my house bringing me delicious bread or cookies.  I had three kids, she had none.  Well, now she’s caught up.  She sends me emails like, “How in the world does a person get a bath?”  You know, that sort of thing.  I love it.

Anyway, while we were swinging kids this way and that, she was cell-phoning, planning events, friends for every day of their short visit in.  I was admiring.  Shoot.  I could barely keep up with the road signs.  She did that for me, too.   Thank goodness.  But, I figured out the difference, I think,  (denying any absent-mindedness as a whole on my part).  She has a month LEFT before school starts, whereas, I only have one week.   Surely in a month, she’ll be zoned out, too.

Nothing is able to jerk me out of this forceful deep drinking.  One short week.  Oh, I’ve tried:  goals/fall cleaning/other things…they’ll come.  But, when push comes to shove…I need all the summer I can shove into this one.  small. week.  We keep finding enough to eat between garden veggies and quick meals or left-overs.  There is enough clean underwear for today.  No, my closets aren’t the admiration of everyone on the west US…but, do they have to be?  I hope not. 

Let me just save you some trouble.  If you come to my house and you look through my clothes, you’ll see piles on the floor.  It’s easier for me to remember what I’ve worn and what I haven’t that way.  Some of it gets very wrinkled, and I hate that…so I remember, and hang it, if I can find a hanger. 

Under my sinks, there is normal under the sink stuff.  It was organized at one time.  On a good day, it will be.  On a normal day, it’s all falling over.  And that’s okay, because that is what cabinet doors are for.

My kids rooms?  The beds are not normally made.  At some point, I’ll force the issue, but for now, I just don’t go upstairs.  They change their clothes in the laundry room, where all their clothes they wear on a daily basis are stored.  Most of them fall out of the closet only the floor when they pull them out.  But, I still just have one room to clean at the end of the day.  And even that room isn’t cleaned every day…just when I decide to throw a fit about the clothes in the floor.  I don’t have energy to throw a fit every day, so it doesn’t get cleaned every day.  As long as they are finding clothes to wear, I really don’t stress over it.  That room has a door.  I try to keep it shut.  But, if you come to my house, you may pass by that door, and you will probably see the clothes volcano streaming it’s lava everywhere, and you will think, “that looks dangerous”…and you would be correct.  Don’t go in there unless your life insurance has been paid.

But, I pretty much know where things are, in what stack, and I take comfort in that I have a few pictures of a time when it was clean and orderly.  It can be done.  It’s just not worth my time every day.  I seem to find more entertaining and fruitful things to do.  I am hoping by the time my kids get a bit older, I’ll have that under control, and they’ll think I’ve always done it that way in memory.  “My mom always kept our clothes  hung up and orderly”.  My sons will probably make their wives feel guilty over it. 

My son tells me his mom NEVER had laundry in the floor.  She may have.  I just choose not to believe it.  I’ve seen her laundry room, and it doesn’t look that much more organized than mine.  She does do a lot of laundry…I am in awe…always have been.  I just choose to not develop a guilt complex due to laundry on the floor.  I have better things to have a guilt complex about if I so choose to have a guilt complex.  It’s just not a worthy issue.

If you keep a tidy laundry room…I am in awe.  Truly.  When you come to my house, perhaps you can motivate me. 

Well, I guess that’s all.  Nothing hidden now.  I do enjoy reading blogs of those who have “Works for Me” Wednesdays and garage sales from their basements in swaps for summer.  I’ll be like that someday when Jesus gets done working on me.  And I go through my phases where I am all about the organization.  Just don’t expect to be intimidated when you come visit.  And should you decide to peek in a closet…feel free, just open the door VERY slowly, and wear a safety helmet, please.  You have been forewarned. 

If the closet is clean, relish the moment.  You may not ever see it that way again.

Now, back to my blissful thinking and novel reading.  (I’ve not read ONE novel in like FIVE MONTHS!  I really cannot end summer this way).

Off to the pool-side to read for my first time this summer!  (Come join me if you are in my kind of mood.  I’m game–we’ll be eating crackers and peanut butter or something).

How to Find Hope, Rest, Focus

These were three verses from my time with the Lord yesterday.  They hit me immediately where I was stuck.

“Trust in the Lord and do good.”  (Psalm 37:3 NIV)

 

“I have told you these things, so that you may have [perfect] peace and confidence.  In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration;  but BE OF GOOD CHEER [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]!  For I have overcome the world [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you].”John 16:33 AMP 

“Lean on {emotionally}, trust in {mentally}, and be confident in the Lord {outward expression of trust} with all your heart {emotions} and mind {thoughts} and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.  {Instead}In all your ways {thoughts, actions, presentation, feelings}, know {know Jesus}, recognize {look for Him }, and acknowledge Him {say “hello!  I see you!  Thank you!”}, and {then} He will direct, and make straight, and plain your paths.”  (Proverbs 3:5-6) {brackets mine}

Joyce Meyer’s  Seven Things that Steal Your Joy :  Chapter, ”Excessive Reasoning” was for me yesterday:

“If you want to have joy, you must stop trying to figure out everything.  You must stop rolling your problems around in your mind.  You have to quit anxiously searching for an answer to your situation, trying to figure out what you should do about it…you will not enjoy your life because there are too many things you will never figure out.  You can decide to move on without knowing the details.  If God wants to tell you, He will tell you.  But don’t drive yourself crazy trying to figure it out…”

Jesus said to the disciples {worrying about feeding the crowd},  ‘ O ye of little faith, why reason among yourselves?’ (Matthew 16:8 KJV)”

Such joy and peace and blessing and direction invaded my world yesterday after a good, focused, quiet time.  Such a great shift.  

Blessings,

 

Checking Out…Checked Out

I’ve been doing some “minimizing” lately to refresh and replenish my little soul.  (I’m having a heck of a time.  God is so good.  More on that later.  But, I won’t waste time making you jealous–though you really should be if you are bored and have nothing else to do.  Rest is a good thing which I highly recommend.  All kinds of rest.  Every kind of rest.  All at one time.  Do it!),

If I gave you blog assignments to do before I could meet your blog requests, let me know when you are ready for me.  I’m not keeping lists for the next few weeks…on purpose. 

Thanks! 

Ode to Summer-ness

It’s June and I’m just entering summer…what it needs to be, for me.

What it is not, for many people.

Some keep working, keep going, dip a few times in the pool, and they’ve had summer.

I need to sit on the beach, in the sun, in my chair, think some reflective and deep thoughts, read some profound ones, think my thoughts from a bit of a different slant, not think at all, get too hot, get my feet in the water, get too hot again, get my legs in the water, get very hot and wish my head was wet, but not really want to get my hair all wet for fear I will look gross, it will smell like water, and I will need a shower, which would have cooled me off cleanly, inside, much more effeciently, but eventually decide that the water is warm enough and I am desperate enough to dive in, and not really care about my hair anymore, before or after.

Yesterday, my daughter had a little friend over, and I was supervising them VERY closely on the pool slide (not stitches on Red last Sunday).  I got REALLY sleepy before the slide was inflated, had napped some, off and on, laid out, without sunscreen, not because I don’t fear cancer very much, but just because I was too tired and feeling too risky to apply it with my usual diligence.  And it was HOT.

But, I needed to be near Red, so I rested outside in the sun rather than in the cool, artificial air conditioning of the inside.

And after four trial “dips” cooling various bodily regions of marginal effectiveness, I decided that the water was warm enough that I needed to dive in and get cool…and if it was too cold, I’d just hop back out until it was too hot and I’d be okay.

I dove in, three times, yesterday.  And to find that the water was not shockingly cold anymore, and that it was refreshing, and that I could get too hot and too cold and be okay and refreshed was…somehow refreshing.

I napped probably four times off and on yesterday…Father’s Day turned out to be busy and filled with plans for everyone…without me…thankfully.  And I rested.  I slept, and slept and slept.  Thought a bit about rest and only got confused and napped some more.

Went to sleep at 10 with my lonely girl and slept on a mattress, on the floor, my head hanging off it at an unusual angle with blood falling to my head, and just kept sleeping everytime this became an rather odd acknowledgement.

And I slept until 8:30.  I got up, unusually, before everyone else…a new child in the mix now…all still sleeping, praise God. 

It was raining, unforecast.  I pulled the kids bikes into the garage, in my PJs and I got wet, only I didn’t want to be early morning wet.  But, I grabbed my super soft fluffy red robe from winter, and sat on the porch in the summer rain with a cup of OJ, a casual read book, and I read.  And I napped again.

Red got up and tried to talk to me while I was reading and I really didn’t hear much of what he was rambling in that early morning, nonsensical, kid ramble about odd things that happens in the AM.  Eventually, he came up to me and said, “Blah, Boo, Ha, Gug”, and I knew he needed something.  He looked at me.  He needed me now, now that his nonsense made more sense to me than anything he tried to describe in his deep morning thoughts all morning.  I moved my book as he snuggled in close on the short little wicker love seat.  It screaked and popped, but we were comfie.

No sooner had I thought, “This is bliss”, than he held out his arms straight out, toward the rain, spreading them wider and wider.   Then, he curdled, and his little albino back popped. 

He commentated the obvious to me, “I was just stretching”, in sort of a sleepy voice.  He laid there two more seconds, and got up.  I said, “Where are you going?”  He said, “I forgot to pee this morning.” 

Something about a verbose morning, and a hug, and a stretch, and a back pop, helped him remember what he really needed to do.

I can identify.  

I’ve needed a lot of things to “get my stretch out”, and my back pop, and my rest this week.  I’ve gone from thinking I had a lot to say to feeling like I had nothing but the “blah, ugh. eck. la, bleck” left.  And I’ve had what I’ve entered into summer rest where there are just a couple days where there was a “pause, selah”, and no new huge weights to carry.

And it feels good. 

My hair is messy, my kids friends note it. 

They say, “Your hair… is messt!”  And…I am proud of this state.

Time to shed the fuzzy red robe and the wild hair and get cleaned up to make the pancakes. 

Thank you, Lord…for a raining, wet morning when I didn’t want to get wet, but needed to.  And for the oasis of a really slow and precious morning.

Maggie

Report on “A Day”

Yesterday was “a day to rest”.   I soaked in beauty, took many pictures, did some odd projects I thought I’d enjoy having done.   I got out the ladder and drill and hung brackets for a couple heavy nice hanging baskets I’d bought a few years ago (second down on the left in the picture).  I hung a birdfeeder I’d bought for myself over the weekend right outside my kitchen window.  As long as the birds don’t poop all over the house and walk area, we might leave it there!

I transplanted several flowers who were not happy enough in their first environment:  too wet, too light, not light enough.  

Checked out the garden:  see the little zucchini, growing corn, and the 3-4″ green pepper?  They sprung up overnight, it seems!  We’re so proud.  We finally got a few rain showers, so the watering will be less.

Last night, my husband did some odd jobs without my asking for help, sorting socks, weighing down my topiaries, shopping for Red’s birthday at Wal*Mart 9PM, fertilizing the garden.  Such a joy his loving service was to me!  Might as well just anoint me with the oil of gladness with that kind of suff.  Praising God for many helping hands!

And finally, you can’t read my writing on that pot picture on the left up there, but I was putting dirt into a pot last night and though to myself, “My!  Those are some big ‘ole slugs!  Good grief!”  Then one started crawling and I realized it was tiny, baby mice!  I squealed in surprise!  The, I squealed as reality set in.  Then, I screamed in disgust, realizing my hands had touched those little critters in the dark.  Whew!  My SuperMan had come running after the first squeal and just laughed thereafter.  He called them “adorable” to try to make me look foolish in front of my daughter, I’m sure.  He loves to act like it doesn’t bother him.  Right.  MICE BOTHER EVERYONE!  So, daughter starts calling them adorable and calls little girlfriend to invite her to come see her new ”pets”.  Only shortly thereafter did hubby drown “adorables”,  all four of them, as mother mouse could not be found, and was apparently living in the barn anyway…which mice just can’t do.  Daughter was very upset at murdersome Dad after that point, and cried in my bedroom for ten solid minutes.  That’s what he gets for making me feel silly…all I have to say! 

Thanks for your sweet emails yesterday.  I think the harder we work and give, the more we hit overload and have to rest.  Surely I’ll get on a better cycle in good time.

Love,
Maggie 

30 Things in the midst of “A Day”

1. Getting Back In Touch When It’s All Driving You A Bit Crazy 
2. Discovering God’s Plan for Your Life:  Discovering God’s Plan for Your Life:  See a greater purpose in struggles of thought and conversation and process.  Comments, struggles, around the word.  Praise. 
3. Holy Experience:  Read.  Identify.  Break.  Rest.  Read.  Misty eyes as sympathy pains.  Break.  Read.  Rest.  Want to Write Again…Capture. 
4. Porch Swing
5. Cotton long sleeve shirt, loose knickers with a tie string, flip flops, and no shower
6. Fresh Chips out of a bag
7. Fresh meat for supper
8. Children all out of the house for one precious hour of reading
9. Returning home to children’s cartoons still in the background after rescuing Grandmas and WonderBoy when their truck failed.  Leaving the TV on because I liked the sound, though I enjoyed the children being gone for a while.
10. Rotteserie chicken sandwich for lunch, at 10AM…to eat in peace and quiet with no surprise interruptions
11. Finding a compass in reading the above blogs…some of them, again.
12. Sensing tears in understanding and sympathy and failure and needed exercises
13. Wind on the chimes outside
14. A nap on the hard rungs of the porch swing with pillow and pads
15. Seeing work that needs doing…later.  Not now.  Having time for “not now”.
16. Anticipating more much needed rain, and feeling it in the breeze, though skies are bright
17. Fresh mulch on flower beds
18. Letting myself off the hook. 
19. Honoring confidentiality, though it hurts
20. Being real:  “How are things?”   Answer:  “I’m very tired.”  and the observant, “I can tell”.  And my not caring…just being, and not reciprocating…because I’m tired.  Knowing it’s okay.  No expectations.
21. The humor of stress. 
22. The call to new center…again.  And life almost too busy for it.  The oddity of parodox.
23. Sabbath on Monday…as is often the case.  Praise God for time for it.
24. The pain of not meeting expectations.
25. The joy of seeing people try, and the hard work of needing them to, even when it’s forced and guided.
26. The joy and struggle of relationships, the most rewarding and hardest work there is.
27. Long, growing legs on my daughter…need for new clothes.
28. Packing for Boy Wonder’s first camp…time grows near.  I’m afraid, and thrilled for him.
29. My nephew, the other one, coming to visit us…his auntie and cousings tomorrow.  Joy.  Anticipation. 
30. Head down, countless times a day, awaiting/reaching out for  infusionn of #1. 

Maggie

Monday…Ya-Hoo!

Man!  No wonder I’ve been feeling run down and tired.  I didn’t realize how full weekends had gotten  until school was out and a couple big obligations were wrapped up.   I feel like I RESTED this weekend.  Truly.  A break, and not having to get going again this Monday AM.  SCHOOL IS OUT!  Ya-hoo!  The last kindergarten graduation of my three tomorrow night!  Wow.  Pressing the gown today.

Let’s see, Friday night late, we cooked a “made for two” Mexican feast after strawberry picking.   Watched a movie (I fell asleep and missed the end).  We slept in Saturday morning, first time in a while.

Saturday, I napped, rested, sat with the kids, watched tons of Jimmy Neutron and Kim Possible, had a huge allergy headache several hours I nursed away.  In the meantime, hubby got my porch spruced up, fixing the screen doors and spot painting. That night, we ate pizza (hand tossed, Pizza Hut…very good!) 

Today and tomorrow AM, my adorable nephew is here from Mississippi.  The boys playing are SO entertaining.  We aren’t used to a little one around.  They are so sweet with him! 

Hopefully, I can get some strawberry freezer jam rolling (my first) and run out of town PM to pick up some materials for staging our worship set for the Summer.  We’ll get that put up tomorrow to test, God willing. 

Back to work!  But, I feel great!  Times of personal sabbatical God provides are The BEST! 

(No, my laundry room is still no spic and span, but I’m on it…and my mom tells me to “Please, just trust me, and forget about it!”  I think I just might take her advice!)

When It’s Hard to Work a Smile

Whew.  I hate hormones sometimes.  Let’s just be honest.  They can take a day with sunshine and make us flat, unresponsive, tired, and angry with the world.  Some women say they never notice anything or struggle with them at all.  I have thoughts regarding that, but for reasons of good judgment, I will not share at this time.  {silly smile}

The good thing is…moods and hormones pass.  Perhaps they are to teach us to respond in love rather than following gut reactions.  

Do you think it is as difficult as I do to balance ”living according to truth, not feelings” with “staying real and authentic, who you really are”?   

Living according to truth says I smile anyway because of who Jesus is.  Living “authentically”, for me, today, means I cannot smile because I am just in a rotten mood, and even though I love Jesus!  I’m still feeling quite “blah”. 

Perhaps there is a time when it makes a difference to go the extra mile when we need to on these days.  Yet, there is a time and place to relax with those we know,  not stress, and just be ourselves?  

Perhaps that is what “staying real” is about.  Grace when you have it.  Rest when you don’t. 

I hope so. ‘Cause this chick still has a ways to go!

~Maggie

God Grants Sleep to Those He Loves

My Son, Sleeping–  

Psalm 127

A song of ascents. Of Solomon.

 1 Unless the LORD builds the house,
       its builders labor in vain.
       Unless the LORD watches over the city,
       the watchmen stand guard in vain.

 2 In vain you rise early
       and stay up late,
       toiling for food to eat—
       for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Or, the Amplified says: 

2It is vain for you to rise up early, to take rest late, to eat the bread of [anxious] toil–for He gives [blessings] to His beloved in sleep.

There can be physical reasons that prevent good sleep.  But, as a principle, Lord Jesus Christ promises His people rest, and is grieved when they don’t ”find it” (see also (Hebrews 4) . 

There is a “balance” being ”being” and “doing”.  I read the other day on someone’s blog that they were reminded that the English language calls us human “be-ings”, not a human “do”ings.   

Do you know how to find rest when you’re weary?  I pray for your rest and refreshment in God’s energizing presence:   

“I labor with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me”.  (book of Colossians, I believe, BibleGateway isn’t bringing it up for me…I’ll have to dig.)

Daily “Manna”

My husband whisked me away for a good meal and some R&R at a worship service tonight where God unleashed all the praise I had in me…and the weeping and thanksgiving and reverberation of a room fool of people WILD about my Lord.  It just strengthened my bones and filled my shaky frame right back up like a zestful woman. 

Oh, how I love daily Manna!  I love it. 

Will tomorrow bring more?  I’m already feeling a bit “hungry”.

Why, of course it will, silly woman!

Did God Make Anything On the Seventh Day?

Today, our Sunday School class was on creation. I was trying to think of a few “new things” to add to the general material.  I think it’s a shame with all the jewels in God’s word, for kids to get bored hearing the same ‘ole, same ‘ole.  There are riches to be gained every time we “dig” in God’s word.

So, we talked about the seven days and all God made.

Then, we talked about how God planned his work…a bit at a time, not “leaving it all to the last minute.”

God is a God of order.  I was convicted myself.

Next, we talked about God’s response to His work, “And God saw what He had made and it was good.”  I explained why we don’t need to look at our own “best” and be critical.  We need to enjoy our own work, even if it isn’t as “perfect” as God’s was.  I’m sure he had room to think, “I could have done that differently”.  Yet, he took pride in His work.  We can, too! 

Finally, we talked about the seventh Day, when God rested.  In a bolt of inspiration, I was reminded of  yesterday when my little red head needed a nap before a family gathering.  His Dad needed a nap, too, so it was a perfect combo…only I couldn’t get his Dad to go “in the window of opportunity”.  I didn’t need a nap.  But, I took one.  Why?  I needed the little guy to take one that badly.

I remembered a verse I had read earlier this week, “The Sabbath was made for man…” (Mark 2:27).

So, did God make anything on the Seventh Day?  What many of us call, the Sabbath?  The day of rest?  I think so after today.  He made a day of rest for US.  He made an example for US.  He laid down, and rested so that we could get to sleep.

 For we know that  

 He will not let your foot slip—
       he who watches over you will not slumber;

 4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
       will neither slumber nor sleep.

Psalm 121:3-4

and

Isaiah 40:28
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

Isn’t that something to praise God for on this Sabbath today?  In my “rest” today God is already speaking to me about the activities that are to be priority for me this week.  I thank God for my second grade Sunday School class!

Some strictly observe Sunday as the Sabbath, some observe Saturday.  What is important in it all is to remember is that we are not bound to the letter of the law, but are to obey the spirit of the law…God’s heart for us.  Hebrews 4 talks about us finding God’s rest through obedience.  It says that the children of Israel never entered God’s rest, but that it’s still available to us.  Following God in work and rest…not pushing ahead of Him in our own strength.  This is the provision of Sabbath rest he offers us.

Shopping Girls

Today was a super spectacular weather day.  I just ended up with my daughter home, and she needed shoes, so we drove an hour to find her some.  It was a great day to get out and drive.   I tried to cater to her (more than usual), since it was just “us”.  She got all of my attention last night at home as well.

A minute ago, she asked if she could help me with the laundry.

Well worth the investment of time, I say!

What appeared to be a trans-sexual man hit on me in the scrapbooking aisle of Hobby Lobby today.  I was very glad for my cell phone ringing with my son on the line to talk to.  Very odd situation.   He was such a nice looking guy.  Very weird feeling.

I bought a devotional leather bound version of “My Utmost For His Highest” today.  I have like three or four copies, but this one seemed to hit the spot and I thought the journaling in the actual book in the space provided might motivate me to continue on a regular basis.  I read a couple entries while shopping that just seemed to challenge me and enlarge my thinking. 

I tell you, these leather book bindings on books and Bibles just get to me!  I want them all!  While in the store, I held a Bible I didn’t need for 15 minutes today just because I so loved the leather binding! 

Bibles have needed that kind of treatment for years, and I’m just so proud to see all the nice feeling, nice looking developments in Bible binding.  Truly makes me proud.  I used to dream of being able to afford a Bible that felt nice and soft like that, even trendy, or made for rough “play” and travel.  I love it! 

I finally made my own leather cover for mine years ago…will probably use it ’til the day I die.  (An NIV Study Bible…lots of margin room and a great condordance I can’t live without!)

My daughter and I also bought books 3 and 4 of the “Milly” series from Christian family bookstore we are reading at night.  My friend, Carol, suggested them for her, and it’s been a worthy investment. 

Tomorrow is our last day of Upward Basketball!  Quickly moving toward Soccer season.  I made the Soccer video a few posts ago this week for worship Sunday to start our prayer kick-off for Soccer.  I love the new “slideshow” thing.  So fun to learn something new this week.

Things at the school after the robbery are still stressed; prayers appreciated.  

No great words of wisdom or great conclusions today…just really thankful for a day to get out of town and shop with my little girl.  Fazoli’s, ice cream, shopping, Hannah Montana CD, Scrapbook store, HOT bath…all great stuff after a really long week.  Thank you, Lord!  Thank you that we weren’t sick again this week! 

Pressure to Say “No”

Today was a hard day. 

I didn’t get what I prayed for…

“Peace”.

I know that we serve a God of “peace”. 

Yet, I think He used the stress and chaos and “pressing” of my day to help me to say “no” to something that would have ultimately ended up streching me to too many “breaking points” had I not already been stressed enough to have the resolve and clarity to say, “No, I can’t help.” 

I wanted to think I could.

I wanted to be there.

I wanted to be near.

But, God reminded me of all the “no” reasons…”shutting doors”, just as we ask Him to do to keep us on His path when, even in our best thinking…we would “jump ahead of Him”. 

Was I agitated?  Yes.

Was my blood pressure to the moon?  Yes!

Were the situations fun?  No.

Was my pride hurt?  Yes.

But, was God in it?  I really do think so.

And, that’s enough for me.   Hard to imagine God pressing us, and putting us in tough situations for our good, but I think He does. 

It took me several hours and a ”lecture” from a dear friend…but, I think I found that place in the boat where I can rest with Him in the midst of the raging storm, trusting him to calm me…and the storm, in His time.  Especially after I had the courage to say, “No, I’m sorry I can’t.  I just don’t think I’m ready for that.”

Good thing I found the peaceful spot of the boat…’cause I’m sure tired enough to “nap”! 

Good night! 

Just Right

This weekend, so awesome!  See for yourself: 

You may need to click the “play triangle” twice to play.   To view more smoothly:  minimize, turn down the sound, let the whole video run through one time….then come back and view after it’s loaded fully). 

Running time:  3:10 min.