It's Monday morning and I'm already exhausted. I'm usually a "fan" of Mondays. I love that it's the start of a new week. I love that it feels fresh and full of new opportunities. I love that I've usually come off of a relaxing weekend where I have re-charged my batteries and I feel rested and ready to take on whatever the week ahead has got waiting for me. But today... THIS Monday.... it isn't my typical Monday. I didn't get my "rest" this weekend. This past weekend was filled with up with work, errands, and chores, which I typically do during the week. I'm grateful for the extra "busy-ness", but man, I'm TIRED.
"Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." -- Matthew 11:28
I read this today during my bible/prayer time this morning:
Physical exhaustion is God's way of telling us to slow down. God expects us to work hard, of course, but He also intends for us to rest. When we fail to take the rest that we need, we do a disservice to ourselves and to our families.
We live in a world that tempts us to stay up late -- very late. But too much late-night tv, combined with too little sleep, is a prescription for exhaustion.
Jesus promises us that when we come to Him, He will give us rest -- but we, too, must do our part. We must take the necessary steps to insure that we have sufficient rest and that we take care of our bodies in other ways, too.
As adults, each of us bears a personal responsibility for the general state of our own physical health. Certainly, various aspects of health are beyond our control: illness sometimes strikes even the healthiest men and women. But for most of us, physical health is a choice: it is the result of hundreds of small decisions that we make every day of our lives. If we make decisions that promote good health, our bodies respond. But if we fall into bad habits and undisciplined lifestyles, we suffer tragic consequences.
Are your physical or spiritual batteries running low? Is your energy on the wane? Are your emotions frayed? If so, it's time to turn your thoughts and prayers to God's Son. And when you're finished, it's probably time to turn off the lights and go to bed!
God wants you to get enough rest. The world wants you to burn the candle at both ends. Trust God.
So my questions for you this morning are:
What do YOU do to "re-charge" your batteries? What steps do you take to make sure you aren't pushing yourself too much?
and
How do you keep from feeling guilty when you have to say "no" to something or someone, rather than stretch ourselves so thin that we walk around exhausted all the time???
Do tell....
Monday, September 26, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Saturday morning scriptures and stuff.... "Burdens"
Yes, yes, I know....I'm late again. So it's a special "evening" edition of Saturday Morning Scriptures and Stuff.... it's been an extra hectic week for me. Lots of good things happening, and some not-so-good things too. :-( I was thinking today about how it seems almost uncanny how when I have one burden lifted, a different one is right there ready to take it's place. I'm always waiting for the day when I find myself with no burdens, but I think I may be waiting for something that's just not meant to be. And maybe that's a good thing. I think there are a few good reasons to have burdens.
Let's face it. Most of the time when we turn to God, it's because we have a burden and we want God to do something about it. We ask Him to take the burden from us. We ask Him for a sign to know what to do about it. We ask Him to intervene and handle this problem for us.... What if we didn't have any burdens? Would we start feeling a little too confident that we didn't need God? Would we lose our desire to turn to Him for guidance? "Hey Lord... guess what? I don't have any burdens right now, so I'm good! Catch up with you later!" As much as I hate to admit this, I'm afraid some of my prayers may be along those lines if I didn't have burdens to share with Him.
Another thing about burdens.... it bonds us to other human beings. When I see a friend carrying a burden, I want to try and help them with it. Whether it's something that I can physically do to help relieve them, or maybe it's just to lend an ear to let them talk, it brings us closer. We share that experience and we bond. Don't get me wrong, I'd much rather bond over a good football game, a concert, or a funny movie with a friend, rather than a painful problem that needs to be addressed, but sometimes it's someone's burden, either theirs or mine that makes us stop what we are doing for a minute and focus on each other.
The last thing I'll say about burdens is that they give God an open platform to show us what He can do when we turn things over to Him.
"Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee..." Psalm 55:22
Isn't it COOL when we DO "Cast our burdens" to God and He comes through to lift that burden in a mighty way?!!? I've seen Him come into many situations that seemed hopeless through my human eyes, but then God swoops in and WOW. God is cool like that. He has ways to take care of problems that only He can come up with! I just love it when I get to watch in amazement while He comes to my rescue time and time again.
So... yeah, it might seem weird to say this, but tonight, I'm thankful for burdens. I'm thankful for my friends who help me through my burdens. And I'm thankful to God for His promises to always be by my side while I deal with whatever problem I'm struggling with that day. God doesn't promise life will be easy, but He does promise that He will be right beside us all along the way and that gives me hope. And what would life be without hope??? :-)
"Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."
I Thessalonians 5:18
Let's face it. Most of the time when we turn to God, it's because we have a burden and we want God to do something about it. We ask Him to take the burden from us. We ask Him for a sign to know what to do about it. We ask Him to intervene and handle this problem for us.... What if we didn't have any burdens? Would we start feeling a little too confident that we didn't need God? Would we lose our desire to turn to Him for guidance? "Hey Lord... guess what? I don't have any burdens right now, so I'm good! Catch up with you later!" As much as I hate to admit this, I'm afraid some of my prayers may be along those lines if I didn't have burdens to share with Him.
Another thing about burdens.... it bonds us to other human beings. When I see a friend carrying a burden, I want to try and help them with it. Whether it's something that I can physically do to help relieve them, or maybe it's just to lend an ear to let them talk, it brings us closer. We share that experience and we bond. Don't get me wrong, I'd much rather bond over a good football game, a concert, or a funny movie with a friend, rather than a painful problem that needs to be addressed, but sometimes it's someone's burden, either theirs or mine that makes us stop what we are doing for a minute and focus on each other.
The last thing I'll say about burdens is that they give God an open platform to show us what He can do when we turn things over to Him.
"Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee..." Psalm 55:22
Isn't it COOL when we DO "Cast our burdens" to God and He comes through to lift that burden in a mighty way?!!? I've seen Him come into many situations that seemed hopeless through my human eyes, but then God swoops in and WOW. God is cool like that. He has ways to take care of problems that only He can come up with! I just love it when I get to watch in amazement while He comes to my rescue time and time again.
So... yeah, it might seem weird to say this, but tonight, I'm thankful for burdens. I'm thankful for my friends who help me through my burdens. And I'm thankful to God for His promises to always be by my side while I deal with whatever problem I'm struggling with that day. God doesn't promise life will be easy, but He does promise that He will be right beside us all along the way and that gives me hope. And what would life be without hope??? :-)
"Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."
I Thessalonians 5:18
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Saturday morning scriptures and stuff.... "What Women Fear"
Good morning friends.... I'm LOVIN' this beautiful fall weather we are having here in TN. The air is cool, the leaves are starting to have a hint of color to them, football has started, and I'm in heaven. I can't tell you how much this time of year makes me energized after the long hot summer has taken it's toll on me. Thank you Lord for autumn!!
Another thing that I'm excited about this fall is my new women's bible study group that has just started. After a little discussion, we decided that our first "study" would be to read the new book by Angie Smith, "What Women Fear".
I showed this to my ex-husband, Jeff the other day as he was dropping off Sam. He laughed and said, "There's probably just a big picture of ME in there." I have scanned through the book, and so far, no Jeff sightings in there. You're safe Jeff..... for now. LOL
I would love to invite anyone else out there to pick up a copy of this book and join us while we read through it over the next 5 weeks. I ordered our books right here and got them in 2 days. Some of the chapters ahead are:
1. The fear of "What if..."
2. The fear of "Rejection, Abandonment, and Betrayal"
3. The fear of "Being Found Out"
4. The fear of "Failure"
5. The fear of "Death"
6. The fear of "My Past Catching Up to Me'
7. The fear of "Not being significant"
8. The fear of "God's plan for my life"
9. The fear that "God isn't Real"
10.The fear of "God"
I think we can all relate to most of those fears. I know I can. This morning I read through the "Introduction" of the book and she uses an analogy of us trying to balance ourselves in the light of the truth of God, as if we are holding on to a balancing pole, walking across a tightrope.
Angie writes:
"I have heard it said that God is like the net in this example; that He will catch us if we fall, that He is our safe place, that we need not fear because we always have that waiting if things get bad enough. I don't disagree, but I think that many of us have put our emphasis on the net rather than the pole in our hands. We have access to Him here, in the moment, in every situation that arises. The more we tap into a life balanced by Christ, grounded in knowing Him and His Word, the less we have to worry about falling off. It's still scary up here, no question, but if we can get a firm grip on that which steadies us, it will look different.
Have you been living life with Jesus as the net? I know for many seasons of life, I have. He's there if I really need Him, but at the moment I just need to figure out how to get myself straightened and keep moving."
I can SOOOO relate to that. Instead of making a concentrated effort to use Jesus as my steadying "pole", I run into things that make me fall off balance, and then rely on Jesus to be my net. Yes, He's always there as the net, and I think He's glad to BE the net, however, He would MUCH rather be our pole, for our OWN benefits. Our lives will be better. More stable. Not nearly as scary. I want to learn how to stay balanced in Him, and not let my fears run my life, where I make bad, unstable judgements and fall off the rope... over, and over, and over.
What about you guys? Do you use Jesus as your net? Or have you learned how to rely on Him to be your pole? --- and if so, what helps you stay balanced in Him?
Another thing that I'm excited about this fall is my new women's bible study group that has just started. After a little discussion, we decided that our first "study" would be to read the new book by Angie Smith, "What Women Fear".
I would love to invite anyone else out there to pick up a copy of this book and join us while we read through it over the next 5 weeks. I ordered our books right here and got them in 2 days. Some of the chapters ahead are:
1. The fear of "What if..."
2. The fear of "Rejection, Abandonment, and Betrayal"
3. The fear of "Being Found Out"
4. The fear of "Failure"
5. The fear of "Death"
6. The fear of "My Past Catching Up to Me'
7. The fear of "Not being significant"
8. The fear of "God's plan for my life"
9. The fear that "God isn't Real"
10.The fear of "God"
I think we can all relate to most of those fears. I know I can. This morning I read through the "Introduction" of the book and she uses an analogy of us trying to balance ourselves in the light of the truth of God, as if we are holding on to a balancing pole, walking across a tightrope.
Angie writes:
"I have heard it said that God is like the net in this example; that He will catch us if we fall, that He is our safe place, that we need not fear because we always have that waiting if things get bad enough. I don't disagree, but I think that many of us have put our emphasis on the net rather than the pole in our hands. We have access to Him here, in the moment, in every situation that arises. The more we tap into a life balanced by Christ, grounded in knowing Him and His Word, the less we have to worry about falling off. It's still scary up here, no question, but if we can get a firm grip on that which steadies us, it will look different.
Have you been living life with Jesus as the net? I know for many seasons of life, I have. He's there if I really need Him, but at the moment I just need to figure out how to get myself straightened and keep moving."
I can SOOOO relate to that. Instead of making a concentrated effort to use Jesus as my steadying "pole", I run into things that make me fall off balance, and then rely on Jesus to be my net. Yes, He's always there as the net, and I think He's glad to BE the net, however, He would MUCH rather be our pole, for our OWN benefits. Our lives will be better. More stable. Not nearly as scary. I want to learn how to stay balanced in Him, and not let my fears run my life, where I make bad, unstable judgements and fall off the rope... over, and over, and over.
What about you guys? Do you use Jesus as your net? Or have you learned how to rely on Him to be your pole? --- and if so, what helps you stay balanced in Him?
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Saturday morning scriptures and stuff.... The Sunday edition!!
My friend Kim gave me a new devotional book. It's called "Experiencing God Day by Day". She said it's her favorite devotional and I can see why! It's got some great daily readings and I know I'm going to really enjoy having it to dig into. This is one that particularly spoke to me this week:
NOTHING CAN SEPARATE YOU
Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or anguish or persecution or nakedness or danger or sword? -- Romans 8:35
Nothing you could ever experience, no matter how terrible or frightening, could ever separate you from the love of God. No tribulation and distress you might ever suffer could be so intense that God's love for you is not even more fervent. No persecution could be so painful that God's love cannot bring comfort.
If you base your view of God's love on your circumstances, you will become confused. There may be times when you will ask, "How could a loving God allow this to happen to me?" You may begin to question what you find clearly stated in the Word of God. God promised that you would never be separated from His love; He did not say that you would never face hardship, persecution, poverty or danger. If you doubt that God could love you and still allow you to experience difficult experiences, consider the life of Jesus.
If you allow the death of Jesus on the cross to forever settle any questions you might have about God's love, you will approach difficult circumstances with confidence. Knowing that there will never be anything that could separate you from God's perfect love, you will watch to see how God expresses His love in each circumstance. Don't ever judge God's love based on your circumstances. Instead, evaluate your circumstances from the perspective of God's love.
I've got 2 questions for ya this week:
1) When do you find yourself feeling separated from God? -- and How do you re-connect to Him?
2) What's your favorite devotional?
Ok, I know that was actually three questions..... do tell.
NOTHING CAN SEPARATE YOU
Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or anguish or persecution or nakedness or danger or sword? -- Romans 8:35
Nothing you could ever experience, no matter how terrible or frightening, could ever separate you from the love of God. No tribulation and distress you might ever suffer could be so intense that God's love for you is not even more fervent. No persecution could be so painful that God's love cannot bring comfort.
If you base your view of God's love on your circumstances, you will become confused. There may be times when you will ask, "How could a loving God allow this to happen to me?" You may begin to question what you find clearly stated in the Word of God. God promised that you would never be separated from His love; He did not say that you would never face hardship, persecution, poverty or danger. If you doubt that God could love you and still allow you to experience difficult experiences, consider the life of Jesus.
If you allow the death of Jesus on the cross to forever settle any questions you might have about God's love, you will approach difficult circumstances with confidence. Knowing that there will never be anything that could separate you from God's perfect love, you will watch to see how God expresses His love in each circumstance. Don't ever judge God's love based on your circumstances. Instead, evaluate your circumstances from the perspective of God's love.
I've got 2 questions for ya this week:
1) When do you find yourself feeling separated from God? -- and How do you re-connect to Him?
2) What's your favorite devotional?
Ok, I know that was actually three questions..... do tell.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Saturday Morning Scriptures and stuff... Sept. 10th, 2011
Because of an extra busy week, "Sat Morning Scriptures and stuff.." will be "SUNDAY Morning Scriptures" this week! Sorry for the delay, but I hope to see you tomorrow morning right HERE!
Have a great day friends....
Have a great day friends....
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Saturday Morning Scriptures and stuff... Sept. 3rd, 2011
SEASONS
Can you believe it's SEPTEMBER?? Wow, this year has really flown for me. We celebrated my youngest son's 16th birthday on Sept. 1st. The last of my babies is on the verge of manhood and even though he's still stuck at home with us for at least a couple more years, I'm already starting to feel a sense of "empty-nest" syndrome. I'm starting to ask myself "What's next?". What will I do when he flies the coop? I'm grieving already.....
I've been talking alot lately about "Seasons". I have become acutely aware that our lives are really all about seasons.... and there is a reason for that.
“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”
We can take heart in knowing that if we are going through a particularly unpleasant time in our lives, we can be sure it won't last forever. Of course that also means if you are in an unusually happy/productive time if your life, that's not going to stick around indefinitely either. So you better enjoy it for the moment!!
“No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.”
God knows where you are. He knows what you need. The season you are in right now has a reason behind it. Sometimes we need to slow down and rest, so "winter" comes upon us. If we don't take advantage of that slow time, we won't be rejuvenated and ready to plant when "spring" starts coming around. If we don't plant, there won't be anything to "work" in the summer, and certainly nothing to "harvest" come fall.
“In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1 -8
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
I've definitely been struggling with my "season" lately, but I'm learning to be content with where I am, and know that God has me here for only a brief time and for a very good reason. So what season do you find yourself in right now? Are you comfortable in it? Or do you wish you could move on into a different place? What are you learning from your season??
It's supposed to be 101 degrees here today in Nashville... and it's September!! Obviously God's not done with our summer yet. At least He gives us air-conditioning to help get us through it! :-)
Can you believe it's SEPTEMBER?? Wow, this year has really flown for me. We celebrated my youngest son's 16th birthday on Sept. 1st. The last of my babies is on the verge of manhood and even though he's still stuck at home with us for at least a couple more years, I'm already starting to feel a sense of "empty-nest" syndrome. I'm starting to ask myself "What's next?". What will I do when he flies the coop? I'm grieving already.....
I've been talking alot lately about "Seasons". I have become acutely aware that our lives are really all about seasons.... and there is a reason for that.
“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”
We can take heart in knowing that if we are going through a particularly unpleasant time in our lives, we can be sure it won't last forever. Of course that also means if you are in an unusually happy/productive time if your life, that's not going to stick around indefinitely either. So you better enjoy it for the moment!!
“No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.”
God knows where you are. He knows what you need. The season you are in right now has a reason behind it. Sometimes we need to slow down and rest, so "winter" comes upon us. If we don't take advantage of that slow time, we won't be rejuvenated and ready to plant when "spring" starts coming around. If we don't plant, there won't be anything to "work" in the summer, and certainly nothing to "harvest" come fall.
“In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1 -8
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
I've definitely been struggling with my "season" lately, but I'm learning to be content with where I am, and know that God has me here for only a brief time and for a very good reason. So what season do you find yourself in right now? Are you comfortable in it? Or do you wish you could move on into a different place? What are you learning from your season??
It's supposed to be 101 degrees here today in Nashville... and it's September!! Obviously God's not done with our summer yet. At least He gives us air-conditioning to help get us through it! :-)
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