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On Days Like This…

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On Days Like This

On days like this, I just want to sit on the couch with a hot cup of tea while reading a great book…

That’s what I want to do, but let me assure you, that is not what’s about to happen.

You know what days I’m talking about…

All night, I heard the sound of rain…and crickets.

When I got up this morning, my house was cold, which delayed my movement from under the blankets…

My children were all snug in their beds, hoping that it was a Saturday…

To our dismay, it’s Tuesday and no matter how much we wanted to sleep in…we had to get up.

So what do you do on a day like this?

What do you do when you look out the window and all you see is the earth looking gloomy, as if it is national drink a cup of tea and read a good book day?

I don’t dare to say that I have all of the answers, but you could try what I did.

I found a beautiful spot on this earth and I looked at it in a different light.

 

A different perspective.

I found a bright area and I focused on the beautiful things…the flowers, the cup, my pjs, and my old pink Bible…

Then I just sat…

I sat and took in the fresh air…

I smelled the rain in all of it’s freshness…

I asked God to bless my day and lead me to accomplish all that He has for me…

Most of all, I wrapped my mind around goals…tasks…all of my required duties…

When I was finished, I felt great…

I felt ready…

I am so happy that I found the beauty in it all…

I am thankful for days like this…

They remind me that we all need to be refreshed…

We all need to slow down and take in our surroundings…

We all need to breathe…

How do you handle days like this? I’d love to hear about it.  Leave a comment below…

Thanks for reading

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What About The TODO List?

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Refreshing Friday

If you are anything like me, when Friday comes around, you are thinking back on all of the things that you accomplished during the week.

You may even be thinking of the things that you didn’t get done.

That’s me…

I’m normally looking at my to-do list.

I start listing the millions of things that I could do today because it’s the end of the week and I had a goal in mind.

Then, I am hit with something…it happens each and every time.

YOU CAN’T DO EVERYTHING, ALL AT ONCE, ALL OF THE TIME!

Suddenly, I am hit with this reality and I’m stuck.

“What?! I had so much to get done.  I can do some of it…”

The truth is that I can’t and neither can you…

“We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.”  Proverbs 16:9

No matter how much we plan on doing, there are just some things that God never intended for us to do.

I don’t know about you, but I find that refreshing.

I can make as many plans as I want, but God has orchestrated my life.  He has already set aside those things that I will accomplish.  Not only has He set those things aside, but He is there with me in that moment to help me accomplish them.  All of the things that I’ve been planning are preparation for, in my mind… It is my participation in the process, but my extreme standard or all work and no play, is not THE standard.

So the to-do list can continue to grow, but I am happy that God has set aside the things that He wants me to accomplish and I’m sure that I will get those things done in the near future…

Until then I will just breathe…

freedom

How To Get Focused

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There are times in life where it feels like the waves of life come crashing in on us…

It can feel like someone has suddenly rained on our parade…

We can even feel stuck…

Do you know the feeling?

I do.

I have been in that place before.  In thinking about those moments, I realize that there are two option that I have.  I can choose to let life have its way and stay down in the dumps or I can choose to be active and do something about life.

In moments like this, I run to God.  I run as fast and as hard as I can because, whether the situation is big or small, I feel like I am suffocating.  Gasping for air, I reach my hands up an pray that He feels me reaching, drawing, pulling near.  Somehow, in the midst of my desiring a sense of relief, feeling overwhelmed, and stressing… I feel his presence.

This was one of those days.

Yesterday was lovely…a day to experience and share love…

Today reality hits…the new week reminds me of educational deadlines, choices, and requirements.

I had one child that didn’t feel well last week and now another woke up not feeling well this morning.

Laundry, dishes, meeting, papers, deadlines…these things and more attempt to weigh me down, but suddenly…I am reminded that although it feels like a lot…there are things that could make my life a lot worse.

I am grateful…

Still I will not minimize my own struggles…we all have them.  We all have our moments and in order to become better we have to identify what they are.

When I said “My foot slips,” Your mercy, O Lord, held me up.  In the multitude of my thoughts within me, Your comforts delight my soul. ~ Psalm 94:18-19

Will I let the fear of failure, the fear of not meeting the standard stifle me…stunt my growth, cause me to stand motionless…stressed…

Dare I say no?

Yet if that if that is my answer there is something I must do…

You give power to the faint; and to those who have no might, You increase strength. ~Isaiah 40:29

Father, I need your strength.

That mental struggle…It can drain us…the cares of this life coupled together with the outer circumstances that press in on us.  The relationships…the give and take…the desire to do and not to do…the requirements, both imposed by others and self-imposed…the calm and strife…all of this…becomes a burden…

“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for our souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. ~Matthew 11:28-30

Rest for my soul…a lighter burden…

Today, like so many other days that have come before…I choose His way over mine.  I choose to breath and take in the rest that God has offered.  I choose to listen to the Holy Spirit within me that says I can and I will…the voice that says that there is no need to be afraid…

Today I choose which direction my ship will move in and I pray for the tools, the confidence, the strength, wisdom, discipline, the faith, and courage to do what I have to do…

Let us not minimize where we are in life.  Instead, let us approach each struggle with faith in God knowing that He cares about everything that we care about. (1 Peter 5:7) With the strength that we receive, let us move forward first from within…that is when we will begin to see the results that we desire.

It is my hope that my story encouraged you in some way and that I offered steps to help you overcome your struggle and get focused.

  • Run to God
  • Identify the struggle
  • View the struggle as it is in your life (don’t minimize it or make it bigger than it really is)
  • Make a choice to direct your own ship
  • Pray for direction
  • Plot the course and take action

Do you ever find yourself in this place…telling yourself that your struggles aren’t so bad because of how they compare to the rest of the world’s struggles, but never facing them head on to make the appropriate changes?  How do you deal with life’s struggles? Did you find this helpful?  I’d love to hear from you.

 

Just Breathe

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Checklist We all have things to do.

We have our long lists and our requirements.

We have the expectations of ourselves and of others.

We have the things we want to do for ourselves and the things that others want us todo for them.

We have the nonstop coming and going, the long waiting to get nowhere fast.

Heart

In the midst of all of this our minds and hearts become overwhelmed with the cares of this life.

When will it ever stop?

How are we able to sleep at night?

We can’t…at least not restfully…

The thoughts keep racing. We worry and fret about things that haven’t even happened yet.  We aren’t even sure if they ever will.

So what should we do?

How do we stop ourselves from feeling overwhelmed and tired emotionally?

We have to STOP and take a deep breath.  It will take some focus to do nothing else in that moment, but it is imperative to find a way to just breathe.

Just Breathe

This is what I’m telling myself today.

I have a lot on my plate and to make sure that I don’t get overwhelmed, I have to remove somethings.

Before I do that I am going to take some time to rest and breathe.

I hope that you find encouragement in this as well and that you are able to do the same.

Remember…our hearts can only take so much…

Have fun in life, love what you do, run the race, kill the giants, but don’t forget to breathe…

 

It’s Saturday

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Today is Saturday…I’m sure you gathered that from the title, but here’s what that means.

It means that I don’t really want to do anything.

I wan to relax, rest, and do things at my leisure.

I want to knit and read. I want to search Ravelry, until I find a pattern that I simply cannot resist knitting.

I want to read the books that I have on my reading list until I fall asleep.

Some mayday that this is laziness, but I think it’s rest.

Now, although I want to do these things, I regret to inform you that I must first take care of my responsibilities. (Not necessarily in this order)

1. Take care of my children

2. Do some Landry

3. Clean up my house a bit

4. Work on my Psychology assignment

After I do some of these things, I want to…

1. Read my book for the book club “Chasing the Avatar” by Jovan Jones

2. Pick out a yarn for a knit along I am doing with a friend for thanksgiving

3. Finish knitting my daughters sweater

4. Possibly paint my toenails

Again, not necessarily in this order.

I look forward to having a great day filled with pleasantness and joy.

Enjoying Nature

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Right now, my kids and I are sitting outside in the back yard. Normally our outside times are filled with running, arguing, playing, play fighting, other kids and so much more. It is very nice, peaceful even, to sit outside in the grass while my kids do the same.

It is such a blessing to have green grass, a house, kids, a husband, and peace. These are all things that are easily taken for granted. I am so thankful for these people and things.

I am really enjoying the sound of the wind.

I think I’m going to sit out here and do my school work. I still have a lot of work to do, but sometimes a great atmosphere can make it a bit easier and more comfortable.

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