My Plate Is Full!

Have you ever felt like you took on more than you could handle?

Well, can I just tell you that this sister's eyes were way bigger than her stomach!

In May I left my full time job and now I am staying home full time, working part time from my house. Well, we all know that the staying home part is more than a full time job. And when you add to that all the volunteer things I am doing now...well it makes me tired just thinking about it.

Do you know what we have to be careful of?

We have to be careful that we don't let our busyness distract us from the things that are most important.

I know I can sometimes get carried away doing. Can you relate?

I was reminded tonight of the story of Mary and Martha. If you remember Martha was busy doing and Mary was just sitting at Jesus' feet listening. Martha complained to Jesus and wanted Him to tell Mary to get up and help her.

I want to be Mary, but here lately I see a lot of Martha in me.

I love how Jesus answers Martha in Luke 10:41-42 "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Basically, Jesus was telling her that all the good stuff she was running herself ragged doing wasn't the best things she should be doing. And on top of that, all the "doing" was making her worried and upset.

Boy if I didn't know better, I would think my name was Martha. What a lesson I can learn from these sisters.

Heavenly Father, please keep me mindful of the things that are most important. Help me to set aside time to just sit at your feet. And Lord please help me to not over do it with my doing. Amen.

I have been redesigned!

I am excited to welcome you to my newly redesigned site. Look around and as you will soon discover I have not completely filled out all the links. But I am working on them. So please come back and visit with me often. I'd love to hear from you!

To Do List...

I am not a To Do List-er. On the rare occasion that I did create a list, I would usually loose it or not get anything on it done, which made me feel bad. So, I decided a while ago that I was not going to write out any more lists.

I do however, create lists in my brain. Oh, and they are grand and full of hope. I still don't always get the things on my list done, but it helps keep me focused without adding the guilt of others seeing that I didn't get anything checked off.

Well, this week I read an article about Indianapolis Colts punter Hunter Smith and his family. He loves football, but loves God more. In the article his wife, Jennifer, said something that really made me think. This is what she said on the subject of church and quiet time with God.

"I don't really feel like I have to make Him a priority; I feel like He's a desire. He's not on a checklist of things to do, He's just who we want to be with. It just has to be that way in order for life to make sense."

Wow!

Does that challenge you like it challenges me?

Since I read the article, I have been thinking if I could say the same thing. Do I sometimes make God and spending time with Him a line on my imaginary To Do List? Oh, I hope not but the reality of it is that sometimes I do.

This morning in my prayer time I asked God to forgive me for treating Him like an obligation. He is so much more than that to me. I told Him that I wanted to desire Him above all other things. I want Him to be my passion.

What about you...Is He your passion or just another obligation?

Last Dance

Well, turns out that dance I did with Hoover is not going to be my last one after all. I am sad to tell you that I did not win the Oreck vacuum.

You see I have this problem and I was really hoping that the Oreck would solve it for me. My problem is that I really do not like to clean my house. To just be blunt about it, I pretty much hate it. Somehow I think if I buy the latest cleaning product then I will somehow love the results it gives and fall madly in love with cleaning. It has not happened yet!

I have bought some wonderful looking sponges with handles that fit just so in the palm of your hand. Oh, they promised that with just one wipe soap scum would vanish but believe me it took more than one wipe or even two.

So, my hopes of dancing with a new vacuum cleaner will just have to wait. And I will wake up tomorrow still hating to clean my house.

I'm A Winner!

Oh yes it is true...I'm a winner! I am a winner of Travis Cottrell's Christmas CD. YEAH!!! I can not even begin to tell you what this does to my Monday! I entered for the giveaway on BigMama's blog along with 1074 other Travis lovers. I was in total shock as I read the winners. I had to read them several times before it sunk it that I was a member of their elusive group.

I entered the other week at BooMama's blog for the same giveaway, but I did not get invited in to the winner's circle. I was a little bummed, but I held out hope when BigMama did her giveaway.

I also entered in the giveaway for the Oreck vacuum cleaner at BooMama's and not to be selfish, but I do hope that my winning streck continues. I mean what could be better than listening to Travis while vacuuming with a PINK Oreck vacuum cleaner? I don't think life gets any better than that!

Maybe I will go have one last dance with my Hoover, you know as a fond farewell.

Happy Monday to everyone!

16 Years...But Who's Counting!

Well, the plague visited our house this week. Luckily I was the care giver and not the victim. My daughter has been sick and out of school all week which did not allow me much time to post any of my many thoughts. To be honest, this week I didn't get much sleep so my thoughts were a little lacking.

Today is a very special day for me. You see 16 years ago today I said "I Do" to the man of my dreams. I met him (and fell in love) when I was 13 years old. It wasn't too long after we met that I announced to my best friend that "one day I was going to marry him." And 16 years ago today at 7:30 pm I did just that!

A few years ago we decided that we were not going to do the gift thing for our anniversary but we would try to go somewhere to celebrate. Last year we went to Florida, but it wasn't extremely romantic because our two children accompanied us. We had planned to leave them behind with grandparents, but then my son informed us that he had not seen the ocean all year. Apparently, he has to see the ocean at least once a year. Who knew! I can't really blame him because I really like to see and hear it myself. So we had to take them because we could not have enjoyed ourselves on the beach knowing we had deprived our son from seeing the ocean.

So this year my in-laws gifted us an overnight stay at Chateau Elan. It is a fancy place with a spa. And I actually talked my husband into getting a couples massage instead of playing a round of golf. Had he had a friend to play with, he would have bailed on the spa experience. Lets just say he is not the spa/massage type.

Apparently, it is best to not mention that you have had a crick in your neck and shoulder when asked of any problems. Mr. Magic Touch felt the need to rid me of all my knots and almost crippled me in the process. And while I am pretty much complaining let me just add that I did not really enjoy the greasy, oily hands rubbing my head. I left there looking like I snuck out of Ripley's Believe It or Not. I was the freaky woman with excessive oily hair. So needless to say the whole experience was a little lacking.

Oh and I forgot to add that while we were walking to the spa I stopped because I thought I had a piece of mulch in my shoe. I removed my sandal to find that it was not a piece of mulch but rather a very angry yellow jacket with it's rear end stuck in my foot. "Good Times!"

We later laughed about our experience. Which happens to be my most favorite part of my relationship with my husband. He makes me laugh...usually at least once a day. I love his sense of humor and I truly think he is funny.

Our marriage has not been easy over the last 16 years. We have endured our share of challenges ranging from financial to infertility. But God has been so good to us! He has always provided for us and He has grown us so much.

I can honestly say today that I love my husband more than I did 16 years ago. He is not only the man of my dreams, but he is the man of my every day life. I thank God for him and for our marriage.

For the Glory of His Renown!

Yesterday a group of ladies at my church and I began the Beth Moore Daniel Bible study. After only one day of study, I would highly recommend it.

The book of Daniel opens with the king of Judah and others being taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar. They were then taken to Babylon. Four of "the others" consisted of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. All four were renamed and Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were renamed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

In the first video session, Beth conveys that Babylon is more than just a place on the map. It is a way of thinking. It is a culture/mindset that thinks only of themselves. "I am the greatest, there is none above me." "I can have anything I want because I deserve it."

Boy does that sound familiar to the message that is coming from our televisions and magazines. Our current culture emphasizes beauty, youth and being thin. Just like King Nebuchadnezzar valued it in his day. Take a look at the first chapter of Daniel.

But can I just tell you it is not all about us. Believe it or not our purpose here on earth was not so we could gain popularity and wealth all while staying young and beautiful. We were put here for the Glory of His Renown! It is all about Him and not about us!

Do we live that way?

Do we order our days by our agenda or by His?

Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has a plan and a purpose for our lives. That plan and purpose entails making a mark on this world for Him. You and I were created with the purpose of advancing the Kingdom.

Are we living a life of purpose?

I don't know about you, but this challenges me. May we start today by taking the focus off ourselves and putting it where it belongs...For the Glory of His Renown!