Thankfulness Challenge: Fall

Thankfulness

It’s no secret, I am a spring/ summer girl. I love the warmth/ heat and the beauty it brings. I have been this way for as long as I can remember. But there is just something about fall. Matter of fact I love almost all things fall. There’s only one thing I can think of that makes me really REALLY not like fall as much as spring and summer- THE COLD!

But as I dit here staring at the beautiful upstate New York mountainside I can’ help but feel a sense of coziness. It’s my favirite kind of fall day. it’s GRAY which mean the fall colors just seem to POP even more than normal. I love rainy days to begin with but rainy fall days where ist is still warm enough to go jacketless and the leaves are in full color and still on the trees is one of my all time favorite things.

I really am thankful for fall and the reminder that there is a season for everything. and fall reminds me that sometimes there is a season to give things up JUST like the trees give up their leaves..  And yet there is no garuntee that those leaves will come back over the last few years we have had some trees die over the winter months for whateverreason.

Sometimes we have to say goodbye or set aside something that we once loved for whatever reason. I am ina season of letting go of somethings. i have no idea of I will ever pick them back up again and that’s ok. Somethings are just in the “stuff” catergory. and somethings I should havenever picked up to begin with. Like helping with something I don’t really enjoy or something that is seemingly changing directions and purpose. Somethings are distractions and somethings could be a way of life. All things that require much prayer.

Now don’t go wigging out on me because We aren’t moving and we aren’t changing ministries! AND I am not stopping blogging though as you all know this was something that I have laid aside for a season.

And just like Spring is a season for new growth fall is a time for pruning back. it’s when we weed out the dead plants in the garden and we prepare for next spring. we plant bulbs that will pop up after the winter’s deadness.

Here are a few other things that I really enjoy and am thankful for

  • pretty leaves
  • apples with caramel
  • hot apple cider
  • baked goods
  • pumpkin spice EVERYTHING
  • hayrides
  • bonfires
  • cute boots
  • cozy scarves
  • ALL the smells of fall

And that is just to name a few. It’s the simple things we need to practice in thankfulness.

So it’s your turn:

What are you thankful for in this Fall season oR whatever season you happen to be in right now?

For more of my Thankfulness Challenge posts click here.

Fall
BLESSINGS,
Mary

Am I Distracted? The Lost Notebook

“Lord, Please help me!  I am feeling so distracted.”

If you were to look I my journal over the last few months that simple prayer is exactly what is repeated dozens of times! But Monday night I was left holding a lot of wasted time and nothing else.  I spent an entire afternoon looking for something that I didn’t really need. and what hit me right square in the face was that I had let this simple thing distract me…from a good deal, Let me Explain…

Eyes Wide open to Distraction: My Play Notebook

Back in April or May, I began to frantically write- write like I haven’t done in over a year.  I was working on our churches Christmas play  I had decided to write. That book never left my side for nearly 3 months and then I took my infamous writing trip. You know the one that I got pneumonia and hubby had to come and get me early because I was sooooo stinking sick!!!  Well I know I had it with me there BUT when I came home, I’m not the one who emptied the truck and I honestly don’t remember putting my stuff away (I’m the only one who would in the case of my personal writing stuff).   So it has been unaccounted for since the end of July.

I didn’t take it back with us in August because I knew that I would have no time because a large chunk of that time was spent hanging out with friends and family.    We came back home and two of our kiddos jumped right into school the next day.  Then the other two and we won’t even go into the drama that ensued with that experience.

We have finally set into a routine and I have a plan to accomplish the play and some other things.  I could have sworn I put it in my craft room- but it is  GONE.   Thankfully as I have written the play I have sent pictures of the written play to my stage manager by text.  So Monday I printed them out.   Monday afternoon I put them in my writing notebook and I was all ready to sit down and blog HOWEVER about 1 o’clock something in my brain switched and I went on a massive hunt throughout our whole house seeking out this notebook…..THAT I ALREADY HAD ALL THE INFO OUT OF!  I had to stop searching to make dinner and I was grumpy.  After dinner I sat down here and my desk and I flipped through my devotional book I have been working on  (I was behind in) and my fingers HIT the lone page flag sticking out of the side and I knew  exactly what the page flag said “DISTRACTED”. and I knew EXACTLY what verse was on that page

Deuteronomy 6:5

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your Soul, and with all your might.

BAM!! I prayed right then and there and asked God to help me yet again to fight the distraction I was getting caught up in.  BUT don’t think for a moment that some silly notebook has been all that has been distracting me.

A Million and One Distractions

NO, I am NOT going to list them all here.   But for each one of us, distractions can look completely different.  From one moment to the next it can look different for me.

Let’s start with defining what it actually means to be distracted!

DISTRACTED

adjective

BUT I’m not you and You Aren’t Me (not the same distractions)

I mean seriously, like I had to say that (Sorry I am the master of the obvious sometimes). But in all seriousness, we often think well, that worked for her so I am going to adapt it for myself.  Then we get frustrated when it doesn’t work.  the problem with that is your struggles with distraction might be different than mine, or they might appear the same on the outside but the reality is the root of the distraction is VERY different.  So then what? 

Well, we need to begin somewhere and that somewhere happens to be at the feet of Jesus.  We need to be willing to do the hard heart work with Him. We need to let him show us where to start and how to change our focus.

Are you willing to start there?  

So about that  Missing play notebook?

It was serving as a distraction.  I was distracted by a silly notebook that I had ALL the info out of.

The long and the short of it is this: It didn’t matter.  Most things that distract us, don’t matter.    There are big things that keep us distracted too.  But at this point, I had to let the notebook go. And I have.  And ya know what- it was freeing and I have been far more focused on the things I am supposed to be focused on.   I still get twinges of angst over not knowing where it is.  and I just keep giving it to God.  I have all the important stuff out of it.

I have let it go.  I’m not holding onto it.

What are you holding onto?   It’s time to let it go.

NOW it’s your turn

What is your biggest distraction? Let me know in the comments!

Have a blessed day

distracted

Haooy​ Homemaker Monday – 9/23/2019

Happy

The Weather::: I am so happy that we are still in the 70s and 80s. Today is supposed to be 73 but rainy and THAT’s ok. I really enjoy rainy days

Monday – 73
Tuesday – 62
Wednesday – 73
Thursday – 63
Friday – 69
Saturday – 76
Sunday -68

On my reading pile:: Boundaries, Enough, and Choose Joy

On my tv::: nothing really

On the menu for this week::: I haven’t done the menu planning for the week yet- I will come in later and fill in the blanks- But I do know the dinners for tonight and tomorrow

Monday –  Taco Pizzas (Pinterest)
Tuesday –  Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Bake
Wednesday – Pulled Pork and Fries
Thursday -Meatball Subs
Friday – BLT’s and Chips
Saturday – Leftovers
Sunday  – Tater tot Casserole

On my to do list:: Blogging

Phone calls

Craft room needs cleaned up

write play

weekly planning

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating::: I have a few Paintings I have finished recent;y but now I need to be finish the play mode

Looking around the house::: The kitchen is CLEAN!!! The living room needs a tiny bit of work and our bedroom does as well. I have a mountain of laundry but the dryer is in the repair shop (AGAIN). and it won’t be done today because with the rain for today can’t hang it out. But I will say that having a clean kitchen makes me happy!

From the Camera::

On my prayer list:::♥ My mother in law Pat and her battle with cancer

Bible verse, Devotional:::

happy

For More, Happy Homemaker Monday posts Check out Diary of a Stay at Home Mom by clicking here!

Have a HAPPY MONDAY!!

Happy

Thankfulness Challenge 9-19-19

Thankfulness

Thankfulness takes our minds off of ourselves and places it where it belongs…..Jesus!

So Many times we get wrapped up in our own problems we fail to see what God is doing around us! Each week we will strive to take our minds off of ourselves and look to see the blessings around us in the god, the bad and the ugly.

Lost Perspective

I must confess that over the last few years respective has been lacking here on my blog. Maybe even purpose or passion But over the last few weeks I have dealt with this heavily in prayer and I must tell you at this point my writing momentum has picked up and I cannot even keep up with the ideas rushing through my head. I can’t seem to get the blog ideas in my planner fast enough!

But sometimes we must experience the loss of perspective in order to get refreshed and gain a NEW perspective. I’m not gonna lie it’s been a few years of wrestling with God. Wrestling over fear mostly. Fear of doing THIS thing…..BLOGGING. yep. At some point, we need to come face to face with the fact that others may not like what I’m saying. People I know and Love. Sometimes I might step on toes. Trust me mine hurt long before I ever write a blog post. So tonight I am thankful for my lost perspective. It’s been a long road but now sitting here writing this I know that the lost perspective was one of the greatest things that could have happened, Sometimes wrestling with God over something helps us to understand more of who God is and who I am in Him. Now that is something to be thankful for!

Just a note of warning though: when you chose to wrestle with God and hash things out you need to understand that God WILL win. He ALWAYS DOES!

So now it’s your turn! to practice thankfulness! Is there something hard in your life that God has been showing you that has far greater worth and purpose than you ever imagined? if so share it in the comments!

Also tell me something you are thankful for this week.

Blessings, Mary

For more Thankfulness Challenge Posts click HERE.

What Have You Been Settling For?

Settling

A LONG TIME COMING!

Settling- it’s what we do as Christians.  We hide it under the blanket of being content.  Being Satisfied.  I hear it all the time.   “That’s how God made me”.   “That’s what I have been given so I need to just deal with it.”   “That’s not what I’m good at.”   and the list of excuses goes on and on and on.

We settle for mistreatment by others under the disguise of love.

We can settle for our attitudes towards other people because we have a justifiable reason for anger or vengeance.

We live in anger bitterness and malice.

We say “Oh that part of the Bible is outdated.  We can live however we want to these days.”

We justify addictions and idolatry.

For almost 2 years this blog post has been rolling around my heart and mind.   I have addressed this topic in both our Ladies Bible Study at church AND through last year’s influence blog posts.   And for two years I have suffered from an uneasy heart and a major case of writer’s block I have prayed, I have journaled. I have read and I have avoided blogging because of this nagging sense of not knowing what to write.  I have deep burdens in this area.   So today HERE is my heart.

IDENTITY

For the last 3 or 4 years, God and I have been on a back and forth mission about what real Identity in Christ looks like.   It’s something we are not often taught about.    For me, it began with my review book “I Am” by Michele   Cushatt.   You can find the review here.  Through this book, God impressed upon my hear that before I can figure out who I am I must first understand who God is.  Then the same year I read that book I also read a book by Renee Swope called A Confident Heart.   In the very beginning of the book, she talks about how as we go through various changes and traumas in. our lives we need to re-learn who God created us to be AND sometimes (my addition we need to re-learn who God is !) Not that God changes but through these moments we learn new things about God and ourselves.

Once we have a firm grip on who God is, and who we are in Christ we gain confidence (HMMMMM pretty sure that was my word for 2017!).  AND as we gain confidence in who we are in Christ our influence shifts (HMMMM can you say the word for 2018).  AND when we live within those parameters we are filled with abundant JOY! (YEP THAT”S 2019_. I really didn’t plan it that way.

However, over time our identity can get skewed by little things that we let creep into our lives.  Matt Little, President of New Brunswick Bible Institute (NBBI for short)  in reference to Psalm 73- A Psalm of Asaph “when our faith loses its own reality.”   We need to spend time with God so He can realign our sight.

How I got here. A Little backtracking.

For months now God has been stirring in my heart to get back to this but I have all sorts of excuses.  Busyness being at the forefront. But at the beginning of the summer, I was really praying that God would give me his words to say.  I knew bits and pieces but the words just didn’t come.  Oftentimes I would just sit and stare at a blank screen praying…and yet nothing.   Then we came to our camper at the end of June and within 3 days of being here God released me of the busyness and by that I mean I got hurt.  Sometimes God has to take drastic measure to get our attention I sat in a chair for 3 days with my food up. I was on crutches.  I was stuck…or was I.  See there is this book that has been calling my name since the beginning of the year.  It’s a skinny little thing and despite the nagging feeling to read the book I put it off till camp.  and I read it in just a few days.  I thought it was gonna be an easy read, but the heart work  God did showed me that I really need to take this message to people.    The one thing I didn’t do as I read through the book is the study questions. By the end of the three weeks away, God was convicting me that I needed to head back into the book and do the questions.  I have been taking my time really soaking it all in and then last night I came to Chapter 3 entitled CHILD: LOVED BY THE FATHER written by Courtney Doctor.  I glanced through the chapter refreshing my memory of the topic and settled into the questions. and then I finished question three.   I was then prompted to go read 1 John 3:1-10

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not lovetheir brother and sister.

Pay specific attention to a couple of verses:

verse 4-6  Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

When we are linked to Christ we have this desire not to sin.  We are broken by it.  Yes, we slip up and make mistakes but we have the ability to choose not to sin.    When our lives are gripped by sin we have to start asking ourselves some super hard questions.

Am I really a Christ emulator is top on the list because as Matt Little Said in his message you cannot have one foot on the land and one in the water.  You cannot live as the world lives and be a Christ-follower.

And then there is verses 7-9-Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are

Pay very close attention to what 8 and 9 days

*those who do what is sinful is of the devil (yes we all sin but this is a life defined by sin

And  “no one who is born of God will continue to sin.  meaning they will not actively pursue it- they will not continue it, they will turn away from it.    They won’t justify it and they will no be ok with it.

They will actively seek help and truly repent. and change.  It takes an insane amount of work BUT they are willing to do because of two things.

  • they were to be like Jesus
  • And they want to glorify God in all they say and do

Matt Little said in his message when of the most important things we can do as a Christian is to say NO.  Now, this isn’t about The Best Yes- This is about sin. So let’s define what the Bible says sin is.

SIN

Mark 7:21-22-For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.

Matthew 15:19 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

But you say Mary: that was then and this is now.   The culture is in a  different place.  And remember I’m not speaking to unbelievers here THIS IS WHAT YOU SIGNED ON FOR WHEN YOU ACCEPTED Christis.  You gave your life to him.  You denied yourself and your desires: It’s not about your rights, what you think, how you feel about something.  You became a Christ emulator.

And Hebrews 13: 8 says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

AND WHO IS THE WORD? John 1:1 says it’s JESUS

This morning’s Eyeopener

So that was last night’s, then I woke up this morning and hit Chapter 4 SAINT: REDEEMED BY THE SON.

YIKES, it was hitting me where we sometimes wallow…in our struggles. I had to read Romans 7:15-8:11. But for the purpose of the blog post, I am going to camp in Romans 8:1-11 which is what struck the deepest chord for me.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sinand death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[b]God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.[c] And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[d] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[e] his Spirit who lives in you.

Let’s hone in on a couple of verses:
verse 2 The law of the  Spirit has freed you from the law of sin
Verses 5-8
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
The flesh is our sinful desires- what we want.  It’s selfish. IT IS SETTLING FOR SECOND. not even best.
It says here that if your mind is controlled by the flesh it is death….you are destined to die but the mind governed by the spirit is life and peace.  It’s not rooted in anger and bitterness and hatred.    It doesn’t hold grudges.
Moses wasn’t settling for his best
Sometimes we have a choice that looks great for us.   AND yet that very decision is detrimental to our faith.  The message this morning was all about a decision Moses had to make.
He could stay in Egypt and very likely could be next in line for Pharoah. That’s great for him.  He would live a life of wealth, comfort and prestige.  AND  yet He made the unpopular decision and refused to be called the Son of Pharoah’s daughter. HMMMM Then Matt said something that I hope sticks with me FOREVER.
“we makes our choices and then our choices make us”. 
It also makes me think of another old saying “we make our bed to we must lie in it”
It means that there are consequences for every sin.  You Lie so know people don’t trust you.  You cheat on your spouse- so you get a divorce.  You do the crime you do the time.   In short, we are a product of the choices we make and who we hang out with,  The glorious thing is at any point we can change
Another thing Matt discussed was how it’s ok to own things But it’s not ok when those things own us.    WHO or WHAT is it that we can’t live without?
Here are somethings I’ve heard in my lifetime that people can’t live without.
MY phone
the internet
my computer
my spouse
my children
chocolate
my dog
my home
my friends
my boyfriend/girlfriend
my cause (this is a big one BECAUSE you can tell what owns you by asking a simple question: When people meet you  which do they know first That you are a Christian or whatever you are currently fighting for?)
That’s just to name a few.
Moses was saying he was refusing to have Egypt own him.
You cannot serve two Masters.  It’s either God or something else. and if you pick something else-it’s idolatry. (Matthew 6:24)
And the last two things that Matt said that really hit home for me was this
“When you say NO to the things that are wrong (AKA sinful)  you clear the way for  God’s amazing blessings- but you can’t have those until you say no.”
AND
 ” God can teach us but we are responsible to learn it”.
This one really struck a chord with me because as a parent I teach my kids all the time.   BUT if they don’t embrace the teaching and learn it for themselves we will have a recurring problem.
So are you settling for a package Satan has set before you?   One that seems like it’s the best? One that you think is the best? OR are you choosing  God’s best?   If you are settling for the first one are you prepared to deal with that choice for the rest of your life?  Are you prepared to have that choice be detrimental to your faith?  What is really most important to you?
Remember we are told in Romans 12: 2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.
(All verses and Passages are taken from the NIV)