Thursday, February 24, 2011

One Thousand Gifts

65. Anticipation of my NG8….our 8th annual sister trip. San Antonio better get ready!
66. New Testament Challenge that has really challenged me to know more about Jesus.
67. The Bible tells us to give thanks in all circumstances so…..thank you for the rain. (Teeth clenched, but I said it.)
68. My children. They have already been on my list but they bring me joy every day as I watch the people they have become and are becoming. All three have wonderfully tender, sweet hearts.
69. Friends who text and call and email to encourage and inspire me almost daily.
70. Brett Cobler’s sweet care and attention to his grandmother.
71. Our church’s praise team and musicians. Sunday’s music was absolutely great for leading us to the throne of God.
72. Upcoming time away with my good friend Lindsay.
73. A church family that provides role models for my teen-age daughter.
74. Tamales

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Boundaries: Where to draw the line

I am going to let someone else speak today. This is an excellent article that so many of us women need to read and take to heart:

Boundaries: Where to draw the line

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Is It Me or Them?

I am starting to think that I am in the minority when it comes to being snowed in. I continue to be amazed at the number of people I am encountering who, upon being asked what they are doing out in this mess, say "I had to get out of the house! I'm going crazy cooped up with the family.".

I have enjoyed every minute of the time I have been "cooped up" with my family. Am I the only one out there that has a family they don't mind being with 24/7? Is it me?

Or, is it them? Have they loaded their lives up with so much activity and so many obligations that they have forgotten how to just sit and be with the people they love? Is their home not a haven? My home is my favorite place to be.

There are countless things to do while home: reading, tv and movie watching, napping, cooking, baking, cleaning (yuck), game playing, talking.......you just won't run out of things to do. So, from where exactly does this boredom and cabin fever come?

I see these times as a chance to reconnect, to just be a family not going in fifty million directions. We stay too busy, do too much and spread ourselves too thin. It's a gift, in my opinion, to have no other choice but to be together. Sometimes we need a "time out".

As far as boredom, my mom used to say that a person isn't bored, they're boring. I think she was on to something. Speaking of my mom reminds me of something else I have realized. To all the kids and young people out there who think one more day with their family is just too excruciating to comprehend: one day they will be gone and, trust me, you will not regret spending TOO much time with them. You will only wish you had spent more.

So, please, enjoy this time. Don't wish it away. Don't whine and complain. Thank God for the gift of family.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

New Testament Challenge

Since January 23rd I have been a part of the New Testament Challenge. By Easter Sunday I will have read the entire New Testament. Here are a few things I have taken from my reading so far:

1. The story NEVER gets old! Reading accounts of the birth, life and ministry of Jesus does not evoke a "been there, heard that" response. I am amazed at how fresh the story seems though it is familiar.

2. I can still learn from the text: I was struck by something while reading in Luke 5. After having quite possibly the most successful day of his professional life, Jesus asks Simon Peter to give it all up and to follow Him. Most of us would view success as God's way of saying "This is what you should be doing. This is your calling." But, Simon Peter's real calling had nothing to do with his job experience.

3. Community is important. I like knowing that there are others out there reading the same passages on the same days, all of us reflecting on them together. I enjoy reading their comments and seeing how the text is impacting their lives.

3. Discipline is my friend. I need structure when it comes to study. I like having a plan to follow and a goal for which to reach.

It's not too late if you want to join the challenge.

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