what are you aiming for?

Back in January I decided to document the boys individually each day.  I started taking a photograph of Crews and Tate separately and putting them on Instagram using a specific hashtag for them.  You may have seen others doing this as well.  I actually got the idea from one of my favorite photographers.  I didn't do so well with documenting their firsts.  Or keeping their baby books updated.  And a lot of the pictures I have of them from their first year are of them together. So, I wanted to switch things up for this year.  And, looking back, I am so thankful I chose to do it!  It is so sweet to glance back through their pictures and see a snapshot of our year.  I absolutely love it.  I'm not sure that it will continue next year, in fact it probably won't, but I'm grateful for this year that has been documented daily.

Well, do you know what number today is?  

265.  

That's right.  We have one hundred days until 2013 is complete.  As this number has been approaching, I've been mulling over what I want the last one hundred days of this year to look like.  I want my life to be intentional.  I want to live each day with meaning.  I don't want to look back and think that I wasted one second.  That doesn't mean that my life has to be busy.  It means that there are healthy margins, that there are lazy days, that there is plenty of time to read books and swing and go for walks on top of working hard.  I know that life always gets crazy with the holidays coming.  And now, with the new website launching, it's going to be even crazier.  

But, instead of succumbing to the chaos, I was to embrace it intentionally.

And, I always find it funny the way God reiterates His point to me.  Last week in BSF my lecture leader made the statement, "If you call yourself a woman of God you must be intentional about asking what you're doing with your days and why you're doing it".  That has come to mind over and over during the past two weeks.  What AM I doing with my days?  And WHY am I doing it?

And, then, God reiterated it again on Sunday.  During part of the sermon, our pastor asked us what makes for a successful life.  He asked the question, "if you don't know what you think a successful life is, how can you aim for it?".  He encouraged us to take the time to make our list of what would make a successful life.  Then, he proceeded to give his list.  And honestly, his list seems right on point.  I can't imagine a better list.  So, I thought I would share it with you.

1.  A personal relationship with Jesus that is real

2.  An enjoyable marriage

3.  A great relationship with my kids

4.  The work of my hards being blessed

5.  Enjoying all the God's created for us to enjoy

This was just a portion of his sermon in which he talked about "The Secret Place".  He referenced Matthew 6 and the three things Jesus tells us should be done privately (or without trying to be noticed).  Giving to the needy, praying and fasting (or sacrificing things to draw closer to Him).  Then, he continued to tell us that outward success is dictated by what goes on in our secret life.  My favorite point of the sermon was this:  "When we see someone's life is successful we can be assured that they are spending time in The Secret Place".  When they are successful, as well as their home and their marriage, the relationship they have with their kids and the work of their hands, it is all because they are spending time in The Secret Place.  

Okay, I've gotten a little off track.  Sorry.  Once I got started, I couldn't stop telling you about the sermon!

Back to what I'm aiming for.  If I want to have a life that is successful, I have to figure out what I'm aiming for and then I have to intentionally pursue that with my days.

And now, I have one hundred days.  To finish out this year.  And I don't know about you, but I want to finish strong.  

Step one, I'm ordering this book.  

What are you aiming for?
And what steps are you taking to make it happen?

A Parent's Checklist

I attend a bible study every week called Bible Study Fellowship (BSF).  It's a phenomenal program that is worldwide.  One of the coolest things about it being a worldwide program is that people all over the world are studying the same chapter of the same book of the bible each week.  They operate under a 4-fold approach.  There are notes that you take home to read, a lesson you complete each week, a small group that you meet with and then a lecture that you hear as one big group.  The lectures are so, so good.  They also have an unbelievable children's program.  Even as young as Crews and Tate.  It's not just babysitting for the hour and a half.  It's structured time of singing hymns, telling a bible story, and interacting with the kids.  I can't speak enough about how awesome the children's portion of BSF is.  If you are looking for a bible study to get involved in, you should really check this out.  You can go to their website to learn more about the study as well as finding a class near you.  Most classes meet at local churches who are gracious enough to offer their facilities for hundreds of women and children to come each week and study the bible.

Sorry for the long intro.  This was not my purpose in coming here this morning.  But, I just felt like I should give you a little background info.  

So, one of the things that you can pick up each week in addition to your lesson is a Home Training Lesson (the yellow sheets that they offer out in the lobby).  There are typically some great ideas of how to parent you kids.  Offering thoughts on how to interact, discipline, encourage them, etc.  I don't always make the time to read mine because, let's be honest, some weeks I'm doing good to get the lesson done and the notes read.  But, this week someone in our small group mentioned it.  She picked if up before classes started and happened to skim over it.  There was a checklist on the back that she said was fabulous.  So, I grabbed one after lecture and quickly realized that she was right!  The list is so good.  It's a checklist of things parents should be doing every day.  

Now, before I post it I want to say something.  As soon as I skimmed it, I started picking out all the things that I am not doing consistently enough or well enough.  But I quickly realized, this should be an encouragement to me!  Not something to beat me up about what I'm not doing well.  I should be spurred on to add to the things that I'm already doing.  And I should find comfort and encouragement knowing that God is honoring the things I am doing because he specifically tells us to do these things (there are verses that support each item on the checklist).  How awesome!  Some days when the days are long and I don't have enough patience or energy left, I am encouraged to know that the work I am doing is not in vain.  I am training up young men of God.  Providing them with the tools to live a life worthy of their calling.  So, I am encouraged!  Knowing that there are additional things that I can do to impact their lives and wanting to stretch and grow in order to bless them and honor God in this thing called motherhood.

So, wow.  Enough talking.  Here's the list:

A Parent’s Checklist

o  Hugged my child and told him, “I love you” (Luke 15:20)

o  Prayed specifically for my child (1 Chronicles 29:19a)

o  Listened carefully when my child wanted to talk (Mathew 18:5)

o  Read to my child (Proverbs 4:1-4)

o  Discussed God with my child (Deuteronomy 4:9-10)

o  Expected obedience from my child (1 Timothy 3:4)

o  Exhibited patience with my child (1 Corinthians 13:4)

o  Sang or listened to music with my child (Psalm 8:2)

o  Spoke about his father/mother with loving respect (Colossians 3:18-19)

o  Did not expect behavior beyond his or her age capabilities (1 Corinthians 13:11)

o  Trained him or her with appropriate boundaries and consequences (Genesis 2:16-17)

o  Punished disobedience with appropriate measures (Jeremiah 17:10)

o  Helped my child learn something new (Luke 2:52)

o  Encouraged my child to do something for someone else (Galatians 6:10)

o  Took action to shield my child from evil and harmful influences (1 Corinthians 13:6-7)

o  Challenged and helped my child to do something he though he could no do (1 Thessalonians 5:14)

o  Avoided punishing my child when I was angry (Psalm 103:8-14)

o  Exhibited good manners for my child to model (Matthew 7:9-12)

o  Commended my child for a valuable character quality (Galatians 5:22-23)

o  Read the Bible to my child (2 Timothy 3:15)

o  Prayed with my child (Matthew 18:19-20)

o  Modeled only those attributes I want my child to emulate (1 Corinthians 4:16)

o  Laughed with, not at, my child (Romans 12:15)

o  Thanked my child for something he did (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

o  Gave my child some responsibility (Titus 3:14)

o  Did not talk negatively about my child in his presence (Proverbs 12:18)

o  Praised and thanked my child more than I criticized him (Proverbs 16:24)

o  Asked my child’s forgiveness when I was wrong (James 4:6)

o  Forgave my child immediately (2 Corinthians 2:7-8)

o  Made time to be alone with my child (Deuteronomy 6:7)

o  Did not make a promise to my child that I cannot keep (Ecclesiastes 5:5)

Now, I know that it's a lot.  But, there are probably many on this list that you already do.  Intentionally or maybe even unintentionally (which, how cool is that, that God can use even things that we unintentionally do to impact our kids! - encouraging and convicting :))

So, here's my plan.  I printed a few of these on a smaller piece of paper (to fit inside my planner) and have I plan to use them for the next week or so.  For the first few days I plan to check off these items at the end of the day.  Not referring to the list constantly to see what I still need to do for the day (I'm afraid that would end up looking a little something like this:  "Okay, Crews and Tate - now we're going to sing...ready?  This little light of mine...laalaalaa until the song is finished - and by the way, I was supposed to give you some responsibility - so how about you put this book away.  Oh and let's have a tickle fight right quick so I can check off the laughter one. -- All within five minutes...I'm thinking that's not the point of this list :)) .  

After the first few days I'm hoping to choose a couple that consistently haven't been checked off and be intentional to add that into my day.  Over time I am hoping to make a habit of the majority of these.  They are really phenomenal ideas.  And really?  This motherhood thing is a priority.  A top priority.  So I should some time figuring out how to be best at this job.  

I guess we can consider this "professional development"  :)

good words.

morning y'all.

the boys are down for a nap.  the washing machine is just finishing up on the sheets that have been overdue for a wash.  i'm enjoying my second cup of coffee.  the windows are raised and i'm wearing my favorite outfit of all time - shorts with a long sleeved shirt.  it's going to be a good day.  i just know it.  

before i get started on editing another newborn session [yay!  have i mentioned, these are my faves?] i just wanted to tell you about a sermon that i heard a few weeks ago.  it has been on my to-do list to blog about it since halfway through hearing it for the first time.  it was just that good.  the words have stayed on my heart and on my bathroom mirror in a dry erase marker since i heard it.  i can't not pass it along.

we go to a church that is phenomenal.  it has been such an answer to prayer.  every sunday, brian gets up there and speaks truth.  that is all i can ask for.  but, not only does he speak truth straight from the bible, it is also totally apparent that his first value after his relationship with Jesus is his family.  no ifs, ands or buts.  he loves his family.  in such an intentional and passionate way.  when you hear him talk about them you just know.  

this sermon was right up his alley.  and his words could come right out of a making things happen intensive.  it was called the 7 habits for highly effective parents.  here are a few things he had to say:

• our job is to believe Him and pray.it.down!
• forget childhood psychologists - the Bible is your only instruction manual (no offense to childhood psychologists :))
• build habits (weave them in) that make things great

Here were his "rules":

1. Seek God daily
• highly effective parents LIVE to SEEK HIM
• not just believing but CHASING after Him 
• your children need the love of God in you more than anything else
• the cry of our hearts should be "He is real!"
2. They are leaders not followers
• we must buck this culture - it is grabbing our kids and mashing them into it's mold
• don't float down the river like an old, dead fish (he's a country boy, that's fer sure :))
3. They are in touch
• open hearts and build relationships
• you can live with less stuff - it's worth a smaller home, used car and less belongings to be present with your kids
4. They understand the power of words
• your kids lives are in the power of the tongue
• your lips shape your child's life ("set a guard over my lips" - psalms 141:3)
• words speak life - use your window of opportunity to speak life
5. Make Life Happen
• In three places:
• At the dinner table
• this is the make-it-or-break-it place
• At church
• find a church where God is moving with leaders who love Jesus and a great children's program - it is worth everything (your job, house, etc)
• At the beach, campsite, fire pit in the backyard - wherever you can make memories!
6. Train and teach life
• answer situations with truth
• with your words
• and, with your actions (Philippians 3:17)
7. Aim high
• the goal is not to just cook food, pay bills and make it through life - God is the light of the world and we are made in his image!
• set your goals high and let God reach them through you

And some final notes:

• Dad + Mom:  
• we can be great models through Christ 
• we can have great marriages (it will be a blessing if you can get there)
• decide - "we are going to have the greatest family on Earth", "we are going to see great things happen"
• "I don't care if my kids make minimum wage and live in my truck - they are going to shine for Jesus!"

y'all.  just typing this gets me fired up!   but, i know that i can't do it justice.  you need to HEAR IT!  so, if this sparks even the slightest bit of interest, let me know!  i would love to mail you a cd of his sermon.  seriously.  please comment or email me (jenny.s.conklin (at) gmail (dot) com) and i will mail you one.  

i so desire for my home to be the greatest place on earth.  i want jordan and i to build that for our kids.  i want people to walk into our home and feel Jesus.  i know that somedays we have a long way to go.  but, the good news is that God can reach this goal through us.  we are imperfect and always will be.  but God can work through us to make our home just that.  a place where Jesus is near, people feel loved, our kids are nurtured and the good news is shared.  this is my heart's cry.  and i will work towards this with everything i've got.  join me?  let's do this together.

happy tuesday, friends!  

let's do this!

Y'all, I am excited about 2013!

There's something about a fresh start that makes my heart beat a little faster.  Like even faster than it does when I buy a new planner or check all the items off my to do list.  I spent the first few days at my parent's house.  Now I am home and feeling like the new year is just starting! Just a few days late :)

So, to start off the year, I figured I would fill you all in on my goal for the year.  

Love.

When people have asked me about what my resolution is for the year, I feel like there has to be a lengthy explanation.  It is love.  But there is so much behind that word.  So much that I haven't always understood or meant when I said that word.

Over the last 14 months of staying at home I have asked the same question over and over.  "What is the purpose of life?"  Like, the basic reason for life.  Taking away all the extras and all the complicated answers {I know, I know...roll up your pants...we're gettin' deep up in here}.  I think the reason I have asked this question so often over the past year is that wiping highchairs and hineys and cleaning bathrooms and babies sometimes doesn't seem super significant in comparison to what others do with their days.  

But, the more I have asked, the more assured I have become of the answer:

Love God.  Love people.

That is what we are here for.  I want my life to have worth.  True worth.  To live every single day with a purpose.  And that purpose should be love.  

So, what does that look like?

The world has a view of productivity that doesn't seem to offer a lot of room for love.  Sometimes, in fact often, love doesn't look like worldly productivity at all.  To love, you spend time with people.  Not just enough time to check "a visit with grandma" off the list or a quick phone call to make you feel better about not visiting lately.  But real, time consuming love.  Being willing to put a to do list on the back burner to make someone feel loved.  Putting in the time.  Looking for the opportunity.  Putting relationships above time, money, a clean house, perfectly dressed kids.  

I want to know that my days are productive.  So, when someone asks me what I've done that day, I can confidently answer.  Not feeling guilty or like my day is less important because I've not attended four meetings, gained three new customers or presented information to a group of directors.  But instead, knowing that my main goal in this life is love.  And that if I have loved and taken care of my kids well, found opportunities to serve my friends and family, and worked hard to love...then I have been productive.

Love is messy.  Not to-do list oriented.  Not punctual and pulled together.  

But required.  

It's what we are here for. 

So I'm starting with 2013.  

let's do this!

real is beautiful.

being real is the most freeing thing i have ever experienced.

i am a mess.

my house is dirty 90% of the time.

my kids sometimes have crusty noses.

i don't always speak with love to my husband. 

we eat take-out way more often than we should.

some weeks i cram all my bsf questions into two days.

but i've learned that real is beautiful.

it allows me to sit on the floor in the midst of my house being a disaster and read books with my babies.

it leads to awesome relationships.

it means being vulnerable in a world that pretends to have it all together.

which can be terrifying. 

but it is also leads to the sweetest life i've known.

being real means admitting that i don't have it all together. 

being real means giving up the "good girl" mentality.

being real means that i need Jesus.

and it is a beautiful thing.

bsf and super glue.

This year I have decided to attend BSF.  We go on Thursday mornings and so far, it has been great!

(Hi Krista! (spelling?) - met a blog reader at BSF last week - so exciting :))

 Crews and Tate will be coming for the first time this week.  So, we'll see if I still say it's great after I attempt to get everyone fed and dressed and to Greensboro by 9 a.m.  Leaving the house before 10:30 is unheard of around here these days. 

Anyway, at lecture last week, Suzie mentioned Galatians 5:22.  The fruits of the Spirit. She said that if we don't already have this verse posted in our home, we should get on it (I'm thinking those weren't her exact words...but close enough :)).  It's that important.  So, I made a fun little picture and decided I should hang it in my laundry room.  I spend enough time in there, I should have something fun and meaningful on the wall!  

  

I tried to figure out how I was going to hang it.  I knew I didn't want it framed because I wanted a simple look.  So, I decided to use a clothespin to hold it (plus I can switch out the verse easily if there's something else I'd like to put there).  I honestly considered just super-gluing the clothes pin to the wall....but I didn't (you can stop freaking out now, Jordan).  Instead, I found some adhesive putty.  The old school teacher kind.  It works perfectly!

If you'd like a PDF so you can print it out for yourself, just leave me a comment with your email address and I'd be more than happy to email it to you!

sunday.

project 52.22

free.

Freedom is not something I ever want you to take for granted.  

That is hard.  To live in a place where you have always had freedom, it is easy to forget that so many others don't.  Daddies and brothers, sons and best friends are protecting our country every day.  So that we can live the way we want to live.  And worship the way we want to worship.  To have rights. And to be protected.  I want you to be ever grateful for that.

I also want you to come to know the freedom that Christ offers.  It is easy to live a life of bondage.  To sin of all kind.  Sins that pull you away from Jesus.  And sin that ties you to the idea that you must be good enough to be accepted by Jesus. But Christ offers freedom.  For you to come to Him, unashamed.  Just as you are.  

I pray that you accept that freedom, too.

Project 52.16

thankful.

The two of you were dedicated this past Sunday at our church.

It was such a sweet time.  Being supported by family and friends and our church.

We stood before the congregation and our family and friends and vowed to do all that we could to raise you in a home that points you to Jesus.  Our prayer is that you become passionate followers of Jesus and we want to do anything to make that possible.

It made me so thankful that your daddy and I were both raised in Christian homes.  We were pointed to Jesus from the beginning.  It is such a blessing that I do not take lightly.  

 I pray daily that we would not take this job for granted.  That we would impact your lives and that our lives would constantly reflect Jesus.  

project 52.14

intentional.

I've realized just how precious these years are with y'all.  We have a small window of time to pour encouragement and life into your hearts and souls.  

We know we have to be intentional with you.  

From the beginning.  

Intentional about what words we use in our home. Which television shows and what music is okay to be heard inside our home.  

How we speak to each other.  How we love each other.  How we respect each other. 

Some of these decisions we are still working on but there is one that we both agreed was a non-negotiable from before you ever arrived.  Each night we read The Jesus Storybook Bible and say prayers. Our desire is for you to grow up in a home that is filled with Jesus.  I want you to know about Him and understand Him and realize just how much He loves you!

This is such a sweet time for the four of us.  I look forward to it every night.  The house is quiet, we pile into the nursery, your daddy typically rocks both of you and I read a Bible story in crazy voices.   

I grew up doing this with my family and it has always been such a special and important time.  Every night, even now as adults, we gather around and my dad reads a bible story and we each say our prayers.  Our boyfriends were required to stay if they were there when we got ready to do this.  Our friends have all been a part of it if they were spending the night.   It has always been an important time in our day.  Even though life was crazy and we were all going in different directions, we knew we would end the day together reading a bible story and praying.  And we have decided to make it an important time in our home as well.  

Our prayer is that you come to know Jesus at an early age and that you live your lives sold-out for Him.  We want our home, our routine, our lives to reflect that.  And we want to be intentional with the time we have.

joy.

“I want a life that sizzles and pops and makes me laugh out loud. And I don’t want to get to the end, or to tomorrow, even, and realize that my life is a collection of meetings and pop cans and errands and receipts and dirty dishes. I want to eat cold tangerines and sing out loud in the car with the windows open and wear pink shoes and stay up all night laughing and paint my walls the exact color of the sky right now. I want to sleep hard on clean white sheets and throw parties and eat ripe tomatoes and read books so good they make me jump up and down, and I want my everyday to make God belly laugh, glad that he gave life to someone who loves the gift.” ― Shauna Niequist

I saw this on Ruthie Dean's blog. 

Today is the almost Friday.  

Choose joy today.

And go read Ruthie Dean's blog.

simplicity.

I just started the bible study "Becoming a Woman of Simplicity" by Cynthia Heald.

And I'm so excited.  I have absolutely loved it so far.  

There are just a few excerpts from Chapter One that I have to share with you.

"When we are inwardly simple - at rest, free, willing to trust - then we can step into a chaotic world and be at peace."

"Trusting and resting in God grants us inward simplicity that can then lead to an outward simplicity obtained by making wise choices in a complex world."

"There are so few empty pages in my engagement pad, or empty hours in the day or empty rooms in my life in which to stand alone and find myself.  Too many activities, and people, and things.  Too many worthy activities, valuable things, and interesting people.  For it is not merely the trivial which clutters our lives but the important as well."  And then, later, she goes on to talk about abiding in Christ.  She says, "Abiding is not an activity; it is a lifestyle.  It is reordering my whole perspective on life so that my sole purpose is to live simply and purely in devotion to the Lord...Abiding allows the Lord to bring interesting people, worthy activities, and valuable things into my life in the right way, at the right time, and for His purpose."

"We live in a world where doing, communicating, and possessing so rule our lives that we have allowed even good thins to overtake our time and distract form the best."

"Single-minded devotion to Christ is the fundamental principle of this study...The purpose is to encourage you to live life the way God has planned for you.  I think His way is one of inner peace and rest in the midst of a complex and busy world.  My definition of a woman of simplicity is one who lives a God-paced life.  She waits for God's leading, and she has time to be still and know her Lord...She is a woman of profound simplicity because she has only one focus:  being simply and purely devoted to Christ."

"Noise and words and frenzied, hectic schedules dull our senses, closing our ears to his still, small voice and making us numb to his touch."

This is so different from our normal.  Or at least so different from my normal.  So I have a long way to go - but God calls us to "be still" so I'm dragging you along in my pursuit of that :)

Do you have a hard time being still?  Would you say you live a simple life?

Any advice for a novice in the "simple life" arena?

well hello 2011.

I've been thinking a lot this week about my New Year Resolutions.

Do yall make them?

Do you ever keep them?

I'll be honest, my opinon on them changes every year.  Sometimes I can't wait to make my resolutions and get started on January 1st.  In fact, I get giddy over January 1st.  But then the next year I decide that I don't love them.  And I know that guilt will come in February or March when I fail [if I last that long].  So I'd rather not deal with the guilt.

Well this year I like them :)

But I've been thinking long and hard about what I want them to be.  So often it's a checklist kind of item that I want to do.  One that appeases my Type A, listmaking personality.  Like working out at least three times a week.  Or cutting out all caffiene.  Or doing a quiet time every single day without ever missing a day.

But I've realized this year that even though some of those might end up on my list, I would much rather my 2011 be focused on changes on the inside.  Changes to my heart.  Changes to the way I react and relate to others.  Changes to the way I see things.

And I believe that sometimes it takes deciding.  Deciding to see things more positively or deciding to love people better.  It's all about the decision.  If I don't conciously make the decision, then my flesh gets in the way.  I get selfish, or negative, or envious, or snappy.

Lately I've been chewing on these two things:

Love Well.

Live Simply.

I've been running them around in my mind.  And doing "trial runs".  And seeing the impact these two things have on me.  My heart.  And my attitude.  As well as the impact they have on the people I'm around.  The ones I have a relationship with as well as the barista at Starbucks and the highschool kid bagging my groceries.

And I have to say, I like what I see.

And, more importantly, I think God likes what He sees.


They are not easy.  And I fail often.  In fact, as I just reread what I wrote, I realized that I referred to doing "trial runs" but in reality, that's not what they started out as.  They started by me deciding I wanted to love well and live simply.  But they ended because my flesh got in the way.  I decided to be selfish or envious.  They became "trial runs" because they only lasted through one or two interactions before I returned to my old ways.


They definitely deal with my heart.  And allowing God to work through me.  Because only through Him will I be able to make through more than an interaction or two.


I know these are different than lots of New Year Resolutions.


They are much different than my normal ones.  In fact, they may fall more under Shawni's "motto"  idea like last year.  But regardless, I think I'll start there.


I plan to come up with another "checklist" for my OCD too :)
Maybe I'll post it?


What about you?  Any resolutions?

crazy.

Hi friends!

Happy Monday :)

I hope your weekend was fabulous!

Okay, interesting story.

First off, a little background...Worker Man is addicted to looking at houses.  So we have looked at houses for the last two years without any intention of moving.  Just to look.

Well, over the last few months we have started to feel a little cramped.  We love our little house [not that it's anything to get too excited about - but it's ours :)] but it's just not enough room. Especially when I have to use the second bedroom as an office, guest bedroom, storage space and craft room.  It's a little inconvenient to climb over Worker Man's mountain bike and wedge myself in between the Rubbermaid table and futon anytime I want to sew.  I'm just sayin'....

So, we came across a house that we really liked and thought maybe we should put our house for sale just to see if we could sell it.  Our house was not at all ready to be on the market.  Still lots of little projects that needed to be done.  But Worker Man wanted to just go ahead and "try it".  I figured no one would come see it for awhile so it would be no biggie.

Well, Worker Man put a sign in the yard on July 7th.  No paper with it.  No realtor.  No listing online. Just one sign with a phone number.

And we actually got calls.  From lots of realtors.  But also from people interested.  But no one interested enough to look at it.

Well, fast forward to last Saturday, July 24th.  I had just stepped out of the shower and there was a knock at the door.  Worker Man and I were getting ready to head out of town for a wedding.  And it's a woman with her sister.  Interested in coming to look.  Right then.

So, I threw on my clothes and they came in and looked around.

They talked to us about how quickly we could get out and told us they would call the next day.  We weren't sure if we'd hear from them.  They seemed serious, but we just weren't sure.  So, sure enough, on Sunday her grandson calls and wants to stop by.  Then on Monday, her husband and son stop by along with the grandson and his family.

Grandpa comes in the kitchen and tells Worker Man he wants to

buy.our.house.

Worker Man and I are a little in shock as we talk about and the man offers to pay cash, wants to close on the deal the next morning and wants us out by Saturday morning. 

We move the closing back to that Friday and agree to move out by Sunday afternoon.

And we had a deal.

So...as of yesterday afternoon at 4 pm, we are homeless.

We are living with Worker Man's parents while we look for a new house.  But seriously, we are so excited to see what the Lord has in store for our next step.  We know that this has to be divine.  We sold our house in three weeks, with no appraisal or inspection, with the man offering cash and closing four days after coming to see the house.   We will definitely keep you posted on what is to come.

But for now, just a little reminiscing...

Goodbye sweet, little first house.

busy, busy, busy.

I read this devotion in my Jesus: Day by Day devotional by Beth Moore.
I thought it was great so I wanted to share.

"Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, 'Lord, don't You care that my sister has left me to serve alone?'"
--Luke 10:40

I have a feeling if someone had asked Martha's sister Mary at the end of the day if Christ cared about her, she would have answered affirmatively without hesitiation.  But Martha came to Christ and asked, "Don't You care?"

Christ's love for us never changes, but our sense of His loving care can change dramatically over time.  And I believe the determining factor in whether we sense His love or not is our willingness to abide in Him, to seek to practice a relationship in which we develop a keener awareness of His presence.

Sometimes we are so shocked when a seasoned servant of God confesses that he or she is struggling with belief and awareness of God's loving care.  We might think, "You of all people!  You're such a wonderful servant of God.  How can you doubt for a moment how much He cares for you?"  Could it be that somehow service has distracted them from abundant, life-giving intimacy?

Don't neglect to give Him ample opportunities to lavish you with the love He always feels for you.

"She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord's feet  

and was listening to what He said"

--Luke 10:39

Do you struggle with this? 

Finding the time to just be abundantly loved by Jesus. 

Allowing that intimacy to infiltrate every piece of your heart? 

I encourage you to find that time.

As the weekend approaches, seek out a time to be still. 

To focus on the love that He lavishes on us.

To sit at His feet.

And worry about nothing else.

hump day highlights: edition -- random.

how about three things that made me happy last night?

every time i walk into my bathroom and see my $3 yard sale purchase, i get so excited!

we started a new bible study in small group last night.

it's on the study of david.

it's by priscilla shirer, beth moore and kay arthur.

so i know it's going to be fabulous.

so far so good :)

glee was on last night.

and it was gaga night.

yes, i know beth moore and lady gaga don't fit in the same blog post.  but the costumes in glee were what got me so excited - not all of her other nonsense.

small group.

last july i went to the deeper still conference with beth moore, kay arthur and priscilla shirer. 

well, priscilla shirer was amazing.

her teaching was so clear and concise.  and over six months later i still remember what she talked about.  the verse that she taught on and the points that she made.  it has stuck with me.

one of our christmas presents each year from my parents is a devotional.  well i happened to be with mom one afternoon at lifeway and she let me pick out what i wanted.  i immediately knew that i wanted a priscilla shirer study. 


so, i picked out this one:

let me just tell you, it did not disappoint.

it has been phenomenal.  so honest and straight forward.  seriously i love when i sit down to do this bible study because i know that i will leave with some awesome food for thought.

so, since i loved it so much, i convinced the ladies of the group we are involved with at church that we had to do this study for our first small group.

tonight's the first night. 

and i can't wait! 

[the guys are using the book, the man code - for my three male readers who might be interested :)]

perspective.

I read this post by Megan last Tuesday and it pretty much took words right out of my mouth.  


[Well, except for the part about sleeping with the lights on for years.] 


I am guilty of putting too much emphasis on earthly things. This was especially true when we first got married.  Being jealous of houses that were bigger than ours, cars that were nicer, couples that could take nicer vacations.  So many things that really weren't/aren't important.  It was easy to get caught up in all the things we don't have.  It still is.  


But, I realized that Satan was just trying to get a foothold.  Anywhere he could.  And I started to fight those thoughts.  Focusing on the amazing life we have.  The blessings we have.  The fact that I am here, on this Earth for one thing.  And one thing alone.  


To serve my Creator.


With my entire being.  Every year, every day, every second.


So with that, my perspective began to shift.  Does this mean that all of the sudden I stopped struggling with comparing our life, our relationship, and our possessions to others?  No.  But slowly that constant comparison has subsided.  There are still times that I wish for earthly things or become jealous of what other people might have.  But I have learned to quickly dismiss any of those thoughts. 




So, after reading Megan's post and realizing how true that was/is for me,  I happened to open the devotional, Jesus: Day by Day, by Beth Moore.  And Day 43 was the next day I was supposed to read.


Here's what it said:

"He turned and told Peter, 'Get behind Me, Satan!  You are an offense to Me because you're not thinking about God's concerns, but man's.'"  

                                           --Matthew 16:23

All Satan needs to have momentary victory over a disciple is for us to have in mind the things of men.  Satan doesn't have to get us thinking blatantly satanic thoughts to have victory over us.  All he needs is to get us looking at life from man's perspective rather than God's.  But if we surrender our minds to the things of God, we are safe!  We don't have to constantly look out for our own best interests, because He's constantly looking out for them.

What Peter didn't understand is that what may have seemed best in the short run would have been disastrous in the long run.  Had Jesus saved His disciples the anxiety of His betrayal, trials, and death, He wouldn't have saved them at all.

On this earth, I don't know that we will ever perpetually have in mind the thing of God rather than the things of man.  But if we don't make the deliberate choice to have in mind the things of God when faced with our biggest challenges, most of us will probably default back to our natural instinct -- the things of man.

"As heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."

                                                        --Isaiah 55:9

How incredible?  That this would be what I would read right when all this was fresh on my mind.  Crazy.


Well, it's definitely something that I've thought about many times since.  And my prayer is that I will make the deliberate choice to have in mind the things of God so I don't default back to my natural instinct, the things of man.


Hopefully it offered your some perspective today.




Happy Tuesday!