Journey to a thankful heart...I need sleep!!!!!!!!!!

Day 20... I am thankful my God loves me and made a way for my hubby to get home!

Burning the candle at both ends...We have all heard this term. We rise early and stay up late. Who do we think we are? Some super hero...or mom? Yes, that's me! Super mom...I'm able to get up early to cook a big breakfast before my kiddos are off to school (My kids are rolling in the floor on this one!). I am able to do 3 loads of dishes with my hands behind my back. Wash, Fold and put away 20 loads of laundry before 10am. All while wiping noses and mending broken hearts. Now they are hyperventilating! Seriously...I am far from super and who in their right mind would get up early to cook breakfast before 7am? They're blessed if I give them pop tarts! I really do feed my kids.

I have always been one to burn the candle into the wee hours of the morning. Throw a holiday in there and my list of  "I have to make this or I have to make that"...sends me into that ever dreaded coffee coma. Oh the expectations I put on myself...someone really needs to stop me! My list is so long that I will never succeed in my own little world. I can finally admit to myself...I CAN"T DO IT ALL!

The past few weeks I have been burning boxes of candles due to my husbands absence. I think he may have been home no more than a few days in three weeks. I am thankful for his great job...but hate when he's out of town. When he's gone I stay up way to late trying to figure out that to do list and how I can cut it way down and even add to it if need be.

Today I am thankful my hubby made it home last night. After a few flight cancellations and then no flights available until Saturday late afternoon...God did a great thing just for me! While standing in line at the ticket counter in D.C. being told they had been trying to book flights for the last 10 people... a miraculous thing happened...An open seat became available! You go God! This flight put him home at midnight...but he would be home! Home to his family... home to his wife! Home to share that list! Now maybe I can sleep...not!

This morning bright and early we were up at 6am to get out the door by 7am for a 9:30 soccer game 1 1/2 hours away. I love my daughter and I love to watch her play...but a soccer game this early is for the insane! Guess what? We have to do it all over again in the morning! And this is really going to make you roll...I cooked breakfast before we left! It wasn't a pop tart either. I saved those for tomorrow morning!

Psalm 127 (New International Version)

Psalm 127

A song of ascents. Of Solomon.  ¹ Unless the LORD builds the house,
   the builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
   the guards stand watch in vain.
² In vain you rise early
   and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
   for he grants sleep to^[a] those he loves.
 ³ Children are a heritage from the LORD,
   offspring a reward from him.
⁴ Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
   are children born in one’s youth.
⁵ Blessed is the man
   whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
   when they contend with their opponents in court.

Bible verse credit

Convictions...sometimes that means standing alone

As a child we were never allowed to participate in anything that had to do with magic. At the time I never understood why...except that God felt it was important to address it in Deuteronomy 18. There's no arguing with the word of God when you have chosen to follow Him. All my friends played and pretended with all the Hocus Pocus things that go along with what some would call innocent play. How many other things do we find ourselves involved in that first started out in innocent play? Me...at an early age I learned to stand alone. This is something my mom and youth pastor worked so hard to instill in me. Something I never really made a choice to do until I made the choice to follow Jesus.

As Christians we will have strong convictions when we are truly surrendered to our saviour. Some of the convictions that I have you don't and vise versa. But where the word of God is concerned there is no arguing where we are to walk. We as Christians have gotten to the point where we are afraid to ruffle any feathers so to speak. Aren't we suppose to hold each other accountable? I'm not talking about judging...I'm talking about loving our brothers and sisters in Christ with the word of God. God's word brings the conviction and healing.

Hebrews 4:12-14 (New King James Version)
Bible verse credit

¹² For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ¹³ And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
   ¹⁴ Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

I will be the first to tell you I am human...I make mistakes...I don't always listen...I don't always stand alone when needed....I am a sinner saved by God's grace.

Convictions are a tough thing we all battle. Whether it be about media,life styles, finances etc. I was part of a conversation today about the new Harry Potter movie. In that conversation the anger was about a brief  moment of nudity. You say ...No big deal ! For a Christian with convictions....it is a big deal! But as I read all the comments about details about the movie I never heard anyone say...What about the witchcraft? Often I think we never really look at the whole picture of God's promptings towards our hearts. We pick and choose what things are right and wrong in one situation. If we are involved in something where parts of it are convicting....shouldn't we stop and look at the whole picture?
 If your a  Harry Potter fan...that is your choice. If your a Christian you really should read this article.
Here is the article on the subject...click here  Please understand I posted this today and hesitated. I hesitated because I didn't want to ruffle any feathers...until God said "Are you going to stand alone?"  If I truly believe God's word is true...then yes I will ruffle feathers and stand alone!

It wasn't about the innocent child's play. It was about my character and who would I become when faced with convictions. It was about God's word and becoming His. As a child my mom did look at the whole picture when she chose to instill in us the character of standing alone. Even when it wasn't the most popular road to walk she too stood there, not alone, but with Christ ! I love you mom...Thank you!

Journey to a thankful heart..The laundry made me do it!

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Day 18 and 19....The laundry made me do it! I thought a daily post of thankfulness would be easy but some days I just have to lay down the keyboard and clean.

Today I am thankful that God is slowly chipping away at my perfectionism. Some days it gets the best of me when the laundry is piled high and the sink if full.

One thing about being a mom of many is I just simply can't do it all. Throw my husband being out of town in the mix and you have one worn out lady. You single and military moms...you rock!  We are women and the name of the game is "Survive". Maybe they should do a show with moms on a deserted island....VACATION!

Yesterday I spent most of my day catching up on laundry. After folding about six loads I can see the laundry room floor! I even managed to clean out my closet. Yes, I can now see that floor too! My how times have changed. It's true what they say...Perfection is my enemy! Many days I look at the task ahead  and feel defeated before I even get started. Knowing full well that to complete the task with perfection just isn't going to happen. Time,energy and the bazillion interruptions keep that perfectionism at bay.

 Before kids I did have my OCD routines...cleaning to perfection. I even carried this into motherhood...but that didn't last long. It is totally impossible to keep anything free of clutter in a house with many children! The laundry is never done. The sink is never empty. The trash can is always full.  As hard as I try I will never succeed to complete these task for more than 15 minutes...before I have to start over again. But you know...this is a sign that life is being lived and my heart is being filled with the blessings my God has bestowed upon me.

 Don't get me wrong...I love a clean and organized house! I am a happier mom when the house is clean and organized. I joke and say all the time we have to invite someone over just to get the house clean. My kids even ask "Who's coming over?" when I ask them to clean their rooms. I think it's time for an invite! Anyone want to come over?

One day I will have a spotless home ...but for now I will play and enjoy my children and my lived in home!
Unless, I get a maid... then I will  really enjoy both!

Today I am thankful for the many loads of laundry and that I did complete my journey to see the laundry room floor...that is until this afternoon! Got to love being a mom of many!

Thankful for the change of seasons

 Day 17...The seasons of life

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Winter...Spring...Summer...Fall...all are seasons we experience. Depending on where you live the climate of the seasons may be different. We all experience different seasons in our lives too. Childhood, teen years, college years, young married life, raising kids and many other changes we experience as we walk this road of life. Some of these seasons we wish away for one reason or another. Some we want to hang onto for fear of growing old or fear of the unknown. Wishing away seasons in our lives can leave us with regrets and unlearned lessons. Potty training is my one season where I would like for it to end. Or maybe the teenage years or just the ... What am I doing wishing away my life? God has blessed me with life and many experiences good and bad! Sometimes I'm so focused on getting something finished that I miss an opportunity to be blessed. Doesn't God say in EVERYTHING give thanks?

I remember as a child anticipating the Christmas season. As with any child I was probably only thinking of the gifts and playing with our cousins. It's funny how a season in your life can play such a major role in the traditions we carry on to our children. My favorite thing is to buy a Mistletoe Candle from Yankee Candle company. It's not because of the expense...it's the smell. I can stand and smell this candle and suddenly I'm back in our house in Loganville Georgia. Oh the smell of  the fresh cut Christmas tree and I'm a child again drowning in Christmas paper, decorations and lights feeling the heat from that huge fireplace. We always had a baking day with our mom. Sugar cookies and colored icing everywhere.This was something we always did and looked forward to every year. Maybe I should find a candle to transport me back there. I wish it were that easy! Christmas will always be my favorite season no matter how hectic it can be. Someone please remind me of this statement in a few weeks when I'm drowning in packages and receipts collapsed with exhaustion!

There are many seasons I have experienced. Some I would love to redo. Some I would like to go back to and just stay. Some I would like to totally forget. But if I did that I would miss out on many more seasons ahead.

As I walk this road of life I will slow down and just enjoy and relish the season God has layed before me. I will cherish the good and the bad while learning to be thankful. Just like the Christmas season...I will anticipate the future seasons as God draws me with the aromas of His guiding hand.

Change is good and that makes me thankful!


Scripture Credit

Ecclesiastes 3

Everything Has Its Time

 ¹ To everything there is a season,

      A time for every purpose under heaven:
       ² A time to be born,
And a time to die;
      A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
       ³ A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
      A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
       ⁴ A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
      A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
       ⁵ A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
      A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
       ⁶ A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
      A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
       ⁷ A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
      A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
       ⁸ A time to love,
And a time to hate;
      A time of war,
And a time of peace.



Scripture credit

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (New King James Version)¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  

Journey to a thankful heart ...

Day 16...Time to start pulling those thankful post out of a hat.

As a mom of many my patience runs thin most days. Usually lack of sleep and no me time or God time which plays a huge role in my attitude and the way my day plays out. Finding joy in the mundane things in this life can be a challenge and often I walk away feeling defeated. That refiners fire is getting pretty hot!

Children can be a challenge. Try throwing 7 girls in one house and see how well you survive handle the hormone chaos! God are you sure you know what your doing to me? Yes, I ask this question continually! He's so patient and kind even when my attitude is at it's worst. I guess it's time to tune my ears again, I think they may be off a tad bit.

So, today I haven't had much of a thankful heart. But that's Ok! My God loves me...He knows me...He is so very patient with me and He will never give up trying to polish me so that His reflection shines through!

Tomorrow is a new day and for that I am very thankful!

Thankful for my God who sees it all...Hiding behind the things of this world?

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Days 13, 14 and 15  Journey to a thankful heart...

Ok ...so I missed a few days. Would hubby out of town,late soccer game over an hour away, craft fair, ladies cookie swap, difficult week...3 year old who needs a firm hand be a good excuse? That was just my weekend! We can always find excuses for why we haven't really been effective in our endeavors or responsibilities and commitments.  Sometimes justifying our reasons for falling short. Yet...God still loves and excepts us even when we don't measure up.

My God knows me so well...He knows my limits...He knows my pain...He knows what makes me happy....He knows what makes me sad.  He knows when I'm way over committed or even under committed.

Sometimes I think we choose to be over committed so that we can hide behind the business of this life. We immerse ourselves in handheld devices,sports,volunteer work and even our jobs...leaving no room for our families or our God. Are we afraid to let others get close enough to see the true us? Afraid to let them see that we fall short of their expectations of us? What about God's expectations? A good example is what I call the Mary and Martha syndrome. How can we find a balance  to be both? There are days when I am so into the Martha role and inside I'm crying to be the Mary sitting at Jesus feet...listening and soaking in His love for me.

I am thankful that my God knows my limits!

I am thankful that His grace is sufficient for me!

I am thankful that my God knows me so well and nothing is hidden from Him...not even the number of hairs on my head!

Hebrews 4:12-14 (New King James Version)
Bible verse credit

¹² For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ¹³ And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
   ¹⁴ Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

Bible verse credit

Matthew 10:26-30 (New King James Version)

²⁶ Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. ²⁷ “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. ²⁸ And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. ³⁰ But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
 
 
and I am thankful that I am back on this jouney!