Seasons of life...

Thursday, June 7, 2012

"kick the bucket"

I
am
going
to be
making
a bucket
list........

{things i want to accomplish before i "kick the bucket"}

also known as GOALS

In Mark Betterson's book, The Circle Maker, he talks about having goals for your life. He lists some of his goals that are ever growing. Some have been marked off and some are awaiting accomplishment.

One thing I've realized about myself lately is that...

I
NEED
goals.

Goals and DEADLINES.

I'm a perfectionist.

I ignore things in my life that need to get done if i can't get it done perfectly and completely.
I dislike this because when i have things that need to get done like say, the dishes, I have a horrible time getting started. But once i am started the whole house tends to get clean. {usually}

So for the greater good of me and my family and anyone who dares to come into my life ever, i will make goals.

starting
with
small
goals.

Goals to organize my house.
Goals to prioritize my life.

To prepare my life for the blessings that I KNOW are heading my way.

so...as i get my thoughts together...be looking for

my
very
own
bucket list.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

{NOT} all about me

Luke 9:23

And HE said to all, "If any person wills to come after ME, Let him DENY himself, DISOWN himself, FORGET, LOSE SIGHT of himself AND his own INTERESTS, TAKE up his cross DAILY and FOLLOW ME, cleave STEADFASTLY to ME, conform WHOLLY to MY example in LIVING and, if need be, in DYING also.

fact about me:

i usually can be found reading in the epistles in the Bible rather than the gospels.

I like the practical applications in the epistles.

i felt ashamed {as a good Christian girl} that i didn't necessarily LOVE to read about Jesus.

But the Lord has been POURING Himself out to me lately in LUKE.

the DOCTOR

the FACT giver

AKA~ the boring one.

But JESUS is not BORING!

the world says:

"Find out who you are and do it on purpose"

{what movie is that from?}

JESUS says:

"Lose sight of yourself"

I used to {and sometimes still do} think that i JUST need to know myself better ~ then I'll be better at life.

find out what I'M good at

figure out what MY favorite things are

BUT JESUS calls me to DENY myself.

"Lose sight of yourself and and your own interests"

Lose sight of my own interests......HUH......

There is an ENTIRE app on my phone dedicated to MY interests!

{my FAV~ Pinterest}

Jesus says:

give UP yourself

most of my life is all about TAKING

taking time for me

taking money for me

taking care of MY body

{don't get me wrong- these are all good and necessary things}

but i'm consumed with me

"Give up himself"

give GIVE give

"But you'll burn out!"

Giving myself WHOLLY to Jesus will make me BURN UP not OUT.

My flesh will burn until i'm useful for nothing else but MORE burning,

BURNING for HIM.

"take up his cross DAILY"
take up your cross, pick it up.
the cross: a cruel, torturous weapon of death.
where Jesus died to make all things NEW.
where the sins of the world were forgiven.

pick it up
DIE to self~DAILY

Denying myself- leaning WHOLLY on Him makes all things NEW!
my outlook is NEW
my faith is reNEWed
my purpose is NEW
*its not about me-its about what Jesus wants me to do: Be a blessing:PRAY for others: show HIS love.

{I am made NEW, taking UP my cross and following You}

"Cleave STEADFASTLY, Conform WHOLLY"
Cleave = stick; cling; to remain faithful to
Conform = to become similar in form, NATURE, or CHARACTER
Conform to HIS character!
that means i need to know HIS character! NOT mine. His likes and dislikes! NOT mine.

Knowing God: Reading his WORD.

Jesus IS:
the DOORWAY to DELIVERANCE
the PATHWAY to PEACE
the ROADWAY to RIGHTEOUSNESS
the HIGHWAY to HOLINESS
the GATEWAY to GLORY

JESUS is the WAY!

And He calls us to live by HIS example.
"In LIVING and, if need be, DYING also."

This is talking of a physical death but we are called to DIE DAILY.
Dying to self.

to be like Jesus,
a PATHway ~ a DOORway ~ a GATEway
to JESUS.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

The meaning of {MY} life...

Awake at 3 in the morning is not usually how I spend my nights. Feeling sick is keeping me awake. Why wouldn't something more noble be keeping me awake?

Like praying, cleaning my house, or finishing a book that couldn't be put down.

Nope.

I'm up at 3:47 this morning not feeling well enough to sleep.

It's in these times I tend to contemplate the meaning of life.
Maybe not life in general but the meaning of my own insignificant life.

I used to not know myself at all...
I would read/hear/see others and they knew themselves. They knew what they liked, what their favorite things were, what they were going to go to collage for, when they would get married, when they wanted to have kids, and so on and so forth.

Me?
I could hardly tell you my favorite color or decide what to order at Starbucks {still have trouble with that one}, how could I know what I wanted to do for the rest of my life?

I used to always think that's what made me insecure- not knowing myself. At least that's what the world told me.

"Follow your heart" -- they say.

I didn't know my heart.

{The bible says, "the heart is deceitful above all else"}

Looking back I realize less of me was a good thing. I didn't know it then but not knowing me was the best situation for my prideful self. It gave room for God to show me who He thought I was!
In my selfishness- always wanting to know what MY plans were- God was right there- drawing me closer- giving me hope- letting me know what HE thinks of me.
It honestly took years! {and He isn't finished with me yet}

He says I am His child! I am His beloved! He is jealous for me! He knows the plans HE has for me! He tells me I'm beautiful and unique! That HE created me in my mother's womb!
He has called me to a life of intercession and a life of worship.
He continues to draw me closer to Himself as He shows me his plan for me- one step at a time!

But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.
Psalm 73:28

Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. (James 4:8 NLT)

Thursday, January 19, 2012

30 days...

Thirty days: one month.

My wonderful friend Leslie had a spectacular idea to help get our butts in gear to loose unwanted bumps and bulges!

{While getting healthy and loosing weight one should not reward one-self with food...}

Leslie's idea is to have a party at the end of a 30 day period to show off what we have accomplished and to have great fun with wonderful friends!

Now- this 30 day period (our first of what I hope to be many) starts the 25th of January!

I am still figuring out the specifics but one goal I do have is to loose ten pounds! It may seem like a lot in 1month but I am convinced that if I actually try I will succeed!

Things to help me STAY on track:

I will be purchasing a treadmill (from my mother!! So excited!)

I will be purchasing a new set of workout clothes! (super inspiring if I do say so myself!)

I will be keeping track of my progress in my fitness journal! (If I can locate it!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We still have to decide the theme and the details of our goal-achieving-healthy-lifestyle-praise-the-Lord party.... And maybe the title of the party! But I am expectant and ready to put in the work!

A Lot can happen in 30 days.......let's see what God has in store for this next 30 days!

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Hoops I did it again...

Do you remember the days of Relient K, John Reuben, T-Bone, white eyeliner, butterfly clips and Leonardo DiCaprio?

Yes I must confess I was a part of Leo mania from age 11 to.....how old am I again?

So I was thinking back to my adolescent days, of how everything was so dramatic and how when I felt a feeling it was felt in all extremity of the feeling! I was always hoping for the future days- days of when I would be able to drive and have a boyfriend (which of course would be Leo!). Days when I would get to have a job and pay my own bills and own my own checkbook!

Little did I know that gets old quick!

Thinking back on my life has made me realize that I have always longed for a different day than the one I was given. Always reaching for a new season.

To be content...

What a concept! Being JOYFUL in the day God has given me! Being THANKFUL for the season God has placed me in!

Still learning... Still seeking... Still longing for the hope of the future- the future the God has for me!

Thank you Lord for your plans!

Monday, July 5, 2010

We have WAY to many clothes!

Saturday I spent probably spent three hours doing laundry, organizing clothes, putting them away and hanging them up in our walk in closet.

There were so many clothes! I was CRAMMING them into the drawers and SQUASHING them into the closet. This morning I go to put away a pair of shoes into the hanging shoe drawers.

I walk away.

BANG! CRASH! CLUNK!

Shawn BOLTS up from his sleep and yells, "WHAT WAS THAT?!"

My heart is POUNDING!

"I don't know!"

We go to the closet. Our entire rack to hang the clothes on fell OFF the WALL!

Withe the clothes still on it we attempt to hook it back to the wall....

backs straining we manage to fix it.