A Prayer

This morning i am fighting a losing battle with distraction and my thoughts are running amok.

Please help me to gather my thoughts and bring each one to You, Lord!

My days are busy. Things seem so chaotic at times. My appetite is great so i fill it with food when what i am really starved for is more of You.



It's not that You have left me, Your faithfulness to me is never ending. But i have neglected my time with You. You are always there but my mind is in so many places and my hours are jammed with things to do and places to go.



Why is it when we need the most to slow down that we have convinced ourselves we have too much to get done?



I had hoped to end this with all the right answers but now i can see it is just going to take more time. And my time is what You want. For it is where i spend most of my time that my heart is. Right now that is a pretty scary thought.



Father, You have given me all that i have and that includes time. Help me to be a better steward of all You have given me.

Be Still

"Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!" Psalm 46:10

This picture of Rachel and Brogan is one of my absolute favorites. It was taken soon after we moved here and we were exploring the area.

What i love about this photograph is that they are both being still and they are not posing for the camera as they usually do. It is as if they are lost in the moment and just enjoying the beauty that surrounds them.

Every time i see this i am reminded of Psalm 46:10. The words, "Be still", speak boldly to me.

How is it that seems so simple can be so difficult for me to practice? Even when the house is quiet and no one else is around i busy myself with mindless chores that really don't have to be done but the thought of being still and listening gets me thinking of activity i could be doing. Busyness is something i know all too well. Stillness and quietness...not so well.

I am praying God will change this about me.

Two O'clock Saturday Morning

Two o’clock Saturday morning, for some unknown reason, i woke up and could not get back to sleep. For an hour i just laid in the darkness, lost in thought. Nothing profound-just going over my to-do list in my head, rehashing events from the day before and trying to remember the title of the crazy song that keeps playing its annoying self in my mind. Though my mind was busy nothing was getting accomplished. As the minutes ticked away my frustration began to mount. Then it occured to me that i should pray.

Three o’clock Saturday morning, i began to pray. It was as if God was asking me, “Child, what took you so long?”. He knew the answer but i had to hear it for myself, “I was so distracted that i forgot.” Isn’t that true in all our lives and not just at two o’clock in the morning when we can’t sleep? Things happen, problems arise and crises occur but instead of taking it to God we turn to distractions. To numb the discomfort or pain we go to the kitchen for a bag of chips or ice cream. To keep ourselves from looking at our circumstances we busy ourselves with endless activity. To avoid being “exposed” to others we withdraw to the television or the internet. Satan uses many distractions to isolate us and prevent us from experiencing freedom and healing. The longer he can keep us distracted the harder it becomes for us to hear God calling out, “Come to me and I will give you rest.” Please beware of the distractions in your life that isolate and take your focus off the One who gives you peace.

Four o’clock Saturday morning, i thanked God for opening my sleepy eyes to the distractions in my life and asked Him to help me to be more aware of them in the future. I know He is smiling at this time. Then the eyes that know no sleep watched me as i drifted off to sleep.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and i will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

God's Reminders

It has been a month of ups(birthdays and celebration)and downs(sinus infections,sore throats and raspy voices). It has been a month of highs(in the 70's)and lows(in the teens). It has also been a month of lots of running and lots of rain. In all this hustle and bustle we have even managed to strip the kitchen floor of 3 layers of linoleum and finish the living room remodel...for the most part anyway. As much as i hate to admit it we did not get the Christmas tree up until Tuesday of last week.
Just recounting the events of the last four weeks wearies me. No wonder my mood has so often matched the weather that has dominated these days, gray and dark. Anyone reading this can imagine how busy i have been. Unfortunately in my busyness i have neglected my quiet time in the mornings, opting instead to roll back over in the comfort of my nice warm bed. It doesn't take too many mornings of this before anxiety and the feelings of overwhelm set in.
One night, before crawling in bed exhausted, i prayed and asked God to remind me of my need of Him to help me get up in the morning and back into His presence. Suddenly it hit me...that is what He was doing all along! All the anxiety and depression, all the feelings of being overwhelmed-all were reminders of the relationship i was neglecting-my relationship with my Heavenly Father. The two weeks since haven't always been easy but they have been rewarding as my quiet time has resumed and God is preparing me each day for whatever comes my way.
My days are still filled with activity. That may never change. But what has changed is my attitude and the way i face life's challenges. What is making that change is the few moments of quiet before the start of each day when i sit in the Father's presence and He fills me with His peace. I am so grateful for God's little reminders and pray i do not forget.

Monday Reflection

Today is Monday...again. The day i look back on the previous week and ask myself what i need to do differently for the following week. Sometimes my list is brief, sometimes it can be quite exhaustive. Sometimes i follow through, sometimes i have to make the same mistakes again before i finally get my act together. Yes, Monday is my day of reflection. It is good to have this often because my memory can be so short at times, especially when it comes to an honest evaluation of myself. In my time of reflection, i try to look at every area of my life: Am i being the wife and mother i need to be? What kind of teacher have i been(in and out of the classroom)? Have i been a good friend? How much time am i spending with God and in His Word? How i answer those first three questions rely heavily on how i answer the fourth question. If i get a negative answer on that one then all my other answers are going to be negative as well. I wish i could say i am disciplined and faithful when it comes to spending time in His presence and studying the Bible but the truth is i am not. Too often i let the very things that He wants to help me with get in the way of that time. Things like busyness,stress and feelings of unworthiness distract me to the point that they consume every bit of me. I do not like the person i am away from God. I am weak,selfish,easily angered,fearful...the list goes on and it does not get any better. It is in my time with God that i am strengthened,encouraged and filled with peace. This list also continues and inspires me to get up in the morning even though my body is telling me to stay where it is nice and warm and where i might get a few more moments of sleep. My soul is needing rest and nourishment. As long as i am recieving that from my Heavenly Father i can face whatever comes my way throughout the day. Well, that has been my reflection for this Monday morning. Thanks for letting me share with you. Hope we all spend more time with God this week.