Attitude, Balance, Beginnings, Behavior, Habits, The Lord, Time management

Each Day is a New Beginning

Once again it has been awhile since I have visited my blog. I have all the normal excuses: busy with kidlets, hibernating on days off, too tired, too busy and I go to bed each night saying tomorrow will be different and yet it is not. Life is what it is: some days are busy, some days I waste a bucket load of time on Facebook or playing games on my phone and other times I crochet, crochet and crochet some more and all while being a wife, mom and grammy and then losing sight of me…a woman who hungers for so much.

This morning I listened to a podcast on Facebook by Pastor Mike, https://www.facebook.com/preacher325/ and one of the things that struck me was “we need to do the things we ought to do not necessarily what we want.” I hear from our kidlets often “because I wanted too” and we tell that that’s not an okay thing all the time and then this morning I realized I do that very thing with the Lord…I choose not to spend time with Him because I’m busy or I want to crochet or I want to play a game on my phone. And then I questioned why is it okay for me to say “because I want to” but not okay for the kidlets. OUCH…

Am I saying to them “Practice what I preach and not what I do?” And why is it okay for me but not for them…what kind of example is that?

The scripture from this mornings podcast was found in Luke 9:23-27…
23-27 Then he told them what they could expect for themselves: “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat—I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? If any of you is embarrassed with me and the way I’m leading you, know that the Son of Man will be far more embarrassed with you when he arrives in all his splendor in company with the Father and the holy angels. This isn’t, you realize, pie in the sky by and by. Some who have taken their stand right here are going to see it happen, see with their own eyes the kingdom of God.” The Message

As I read it and then reread it I realize the issue comes down to control. CONTROL…one of the biggest issues I have had in my life. Feeling like I have no control or I’m out of control of whatever situation I am dealing with. The reality is I have a lot of control over what I do, over what I say, what my expectations are. But I need to release that control and

do what I ought to do, not just what I want to do!

So this morning I extend grace to myself for once again doing the things I don’t want to do and allow myself to begin a new. A new day…spending time in the Word, feeling God’s love surround me and trusting him in the decisions I need to be making.

I also think back to earlier this year when I did the 5 habits to start my day

  • Start each morning with 2 minutes with God
  • Drink 8 oz of water first thing
  • Get moving ~ for me this is being consistent on walking Joey each morning
  • Eat a healthy breakfast
  • Breathe deep for 2 minutes

and realize somewhere along the line I lost these morning habits and so once again I am stepping up to do these each morning. I know I felt emotionally, spiritually and physically better while I was doing them and it’s time to get back to taking care of me…taking care of me is my responsibility and no one else can do it for me. And since I like to be in control I might as well choose to be in control of what I do each morning and to be intentional in taking care of myself.

*****************
So this leads to my question of the day ~
Do you start a new habit and then have to start it again?

Blogs, Devotions, God, Quiet Time, Spring, Sunrise, The Lord, Yellow

Y is for …

Y is for …

…hubby says

yellow

The morning sunrise!

y sunrise

Yellow roses!
y roses

A yellow kitchen ~ we used to have a bright yellow kitchen, much brighter than this one.  Then we moved to a new home and we painted it yellow and blue – still like yellow and in fact painted the bathroom in our motor home a light yellow.  Guess I have mellowed in the past 25 years 🙂

y kitchen walls

Yellow Fish – this is more the color of our first yellow kitchen 🙂

y fish

Corn on the cob – one of our favorite things to eat.  Am hoping since we are now in Kansas we will find lots of fresh corn this summer.

y corn

When I was thinking of a Y is for ?  The word that came to mind was Yearning…yearning for God.

 y yearning

I have found that in being more intentional about my time with the Lord, studying His word, writing out my prayers and talking about and trying to understand different things from the Bible with others I yearn more for the Lord.

I do another blog, Alice’s Restaurant ~ Dishin’ Up Food for Thought where I write about what is on my heart.

Today’s Post is here where I share about my yearning for understanding the Holy Spirit and being an encourager.

What is your favorite Yellow thing?

Mine would be the sunshine!!!  I love the sunshine and I even love hot summer days.

 

Blogs, Devotions, Habits, Plans, Projects, The Lord

W is for Writing

W is for

writing

I enjoy writing.

I like to make lists.

list

I like to send cards with little notes in them.

I like to write letters to our family and friends that don’t do the internet thing.

letters

Writing helps me sort things out.

I like to write my prayers out,

prayer requests

 sharing praises and requests.

praise

I like to send postcards to our grands.

postcards

And I like to write blog posts.

Alice’s Restaurant is a mixture of writings.  They include prayers to God, thoughts about world happenings, devotional’s and anything else that just pops into my mind that I want to reflect on.

Alice’s Restaurant ~ Dishin’ Up Food for Thought

and the first edition of  The Wandering Workentins can be found here.

The Wandering Workentins ~ First Edition

Highlights include February to September 2010 of when we worked, lived, traveled with a carnival,

Selling Christmas Trees November to December 2011

Our very eventful trip to Texas from Washington January-February 2012

You can check any of these out using the link above and going to the archives.

And of course writing this blog where I am currently doing the

A to Z Challenge for April 2013.

What do you like to write about?

Do you like to get real mail?

Do you have a prayer request you would like me to pray about?

Oh and with writing goes PENS!!

I love me Fine Pt Colored Pens!!!

colored pens

because not all my writing is on the computer you know 🙂

Blessings, The Lord

He is Risen!

Woke this morning to loud thunder/lightening and rain and there was a huge thunder clap and immediately I thought about that Friday afternoon when Jesus said “It is Finished” and the great vale was ripped away.

My mind this morning had thoughts of God ripping the sin from my life and making me new in Him.  I am struggling to find the words to express my thoughts but I am filled with thankfulness and awe about what God must have gone through to watch his son die on the cross for me, for you, for all the world.  And no words can express the magnitude of feelings welling up inside of me.  Feelings of love, abundance love!

I want that love that Jesus has for me to exude out of me to others.

We got up early this morning and headed over to Friendly Baptist Church for their early service and breakfast with Virginia & Bill.  We were welcomed by so many.  What a blessing that we as believers can love on each other even though we are unknown to each other.  God’s love is what binds us together.

By the time we left church the skies had turned a light blue with the sun peaking out from behind the clouds.  Another new beginning!

I want to close with the words to the hymn “Because He Lives” ~ each time I hear or sing this song I am reminded that I am not alone and that it is because of the sacrifice that God made of giving us his son, to die for us that we can live and have a full and everlasting life.

Because He Lives

God sent his son
They called him Jesus
He came to love
Heal and forgive
He lived and died
To buy my pardon
An empty grave
Is there to prove
My Savior lives

(Chorus)
Because he lives
I can face tomorrow
Because he lives
All fear is gone
Because I know
He holds the future
And life is worth the living
Just because he lives

How sweet to hold
A newborn baby
And feel the pride
And joy he gives
But greater still
The calm assurance
This child can face
Uncertain days
Because he lives

And then one day
I’ll cross the river
I’ll fight life’s final war with pain
And then as death
Gives way to victory
I’ll see the lights
Of glory and
I’ll know he lives