~My Sweet Life~

God Crashed My Pity Party

Well I must confess that I have spent the last several days throwing myself a MAJOR pity party. I was really enjoying myself at first--you know, making it all about ME--but after awhile I wanted some company, so I invited a few "friends"...maybe you know them too? Their names are Discontent, Ungrateful and Envy. At first they were a lot of fun to hang out with--you know, they understood me and sympathized with me. They had no problem joining ME in making the party all about ME. But it didn't take long for them to get on my nerves and frankly, wear out their welcome. In fact, they had made themselves so comfortable at my party,  it was very hard to make them leave. I finally got so desperate to be rid of them, I called out to God and asked Him to help me.  This morning He crashed my party. Let me explain.

You see, last night I attended a women's event at my church. I was having a great time because they were showing a Beth Moore video, I got to see some sweet friends that I have not seen in awhile, AND there was chocolate! (That's always a good thing!) So I was having a blast until the end of the evening, when a woman from my church was asked to share her testimony.

 As I sat and listened to her story, I began to throw my little pity party. Right there in my seat, surrounded by hundreds of other women. The more details I heard her share, the more bitter I became.  It seemed that so many things she shared about her personal journey were very similar to my own journey! In fact, my (ugly) prideful self sat there and thought "Why is she the one up there sharing? Why not ME?"

It was ugly and it was a pity party to end all pity parties and I was the not-so-proud guest of honor.  I was seriously repulsed by the negative and self-centered thoughts I was having. Instead of praising God for her journey, I questioned why I was not her. (yuck)

On the way home, I turned off the radio and decided against calling a friend for sympathy. Instead, I--as Joyce Meyer says--"went to the Throne and not the phone". I cried out to God. I confessed my ugly thoughts and attitude. And I felt so horrible about the way I was feeling, I begged Him not to be silent, but to please directly address this issue with me.

This morning, I logged onto the computer and decided to check out Lysa TerKeurst's blog (of Proverbs 31 Ministries). Lately her posts have been very relevant to me, so I was hoping for some encouragement. Well, not only did I find encouragement, I found an answer to my prayer!  Would you believe me that her blog's entry for TODAY is titled "Competing and Comparing" ? I'm still in shock! Is God amazing or what? I read it and it reminded me that God has laid on my heart many times that it is much more important for me to focus on blessing others than to focus on ME. (I hope you'll click that link above and read the article for yourself. If you ever struggle with competing or comparing, you'll find encouragement in her words).

Today I embrace a fresh perspective on my rotten attitude--and also notice that my pity party "friends" are finally gone.  And I am reminded of this verse that Beth Moore discussed in her video last night:

"In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and He answered by setting me free." ~Psalm 118:5 NIV

**tomorrow I will share my thoughts on Lysa's post!

Happy 4th of July!

"God of our Fathers, whose Almighty hand hath made and preserved our Nation, grant that our people may understand what it is they celebrate {today}.

May they remember how bitterly our freedom was won, the down payment that was made for it, the installments that have been made since this Republic was born, and the price that must yet be paid for our Liberty.

May freedom be seen not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to please to do what is right.

May it ever be understood that our liberty is under God and can be found nowhere else.

May our faith be something that is not merely stamped upon our coins, but expressed in our lives.

Let us, as a nation, not be afraid of standing alone for the rights of men, since we were born that way, as the only nation on earth that came into being "for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith."

We know that we shall be true to the Pilgrim dream when we are true to the God they worshiped.

To the extent that America honors Thee, wilt Thou bless America, and keep her true as Thou has kept her free, and make her good as Thou hast made her rich. Amen.

~by Peter Marshall, Chaplain of the US Senate on July 3, 1947

Contentment

The following excerpt from today's Revive Our Hearts broadcast spoke VOLUMES to me. It was not that long ago that I often felt very restless...always looking for something "bigger" and "more important" to do for God. He has taught me and continues to teach me every day that there is much to be done right where I am.  So when those feelings of discontent and dissatisfaction sneak up on me, I need to examine my heart and ask myself "How faithful am I being to the Lord IN THIS PLACE where God has me? Am I serving Him to the best of my ability here and now?" 

Let these words from Nancy Leigh DeMoss sink in a bit as you examine your own heart attitude about where God has you right now:

"We tend to live in every circumstance except our own. And we always think there’s something about our own circumstance that is impossible, that’s too tight a place for us. But if you’re not content with what God has already provided you, you won’t be content with the things you think you want. Do you want more territory? Do you question your lot in life, or some aspect of it?

Let me just exhort you to maximize and make the most of what God has given you right where you are, whatever your situation. The land has to be tilled. The enemies are strong; they have to be defeated. But by God’s grace you can do it. And you can make that place where you are to flourish. God can make it to flourish as you partner with Him.

Don’t expect God to give you more if you haven’t taken possession of what He’s already given you. I hope that word will encourage you, whatever your lot or situation in life, to say, “Lord, what You’ve given me is enough. It’s a good place. Yes, it’s a hard place, but by Your grace we’re going to make it a fruitful, flourishing place.” "

~Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Revive Our Hearts, June 3, 2009

The Grace of an American Idol

I found this article in my email this past week and thought it was worth sharing. Yes Adam is gay. I am a Christian and do not agree with his lifestyle. However, I enjoy his performances and I like that the (Christian) author of this article is pointing out something positive in Adam. I don't know about you, but I can learn something from it.

The Grace of an American Idol (by Eric Elder at www.theranch.org)

Even if you’ve never watched American Idol, you may still have heard of Adam Lambert. He’s competing this week in the grand finale of the nation’s most famous singing contest.

Besides having an astounding voice, there’s another thing that stands out to me about this top contender: his consistent graciousness.

When complimented by the judges for an outstanding performance, Adam readily offers his thanks to those in the band who helped make it possible. When asked by the host how he’ll be adding his own spin to a famous song, Adam compliments the one who wrote the song, saying that it was so well-written there’s little he could add to make it better.

It seems that almost every time a compliment comes his way, Adam steers the praise towards those around him.

While not many of us will ever be able to sing like Adam Lambert, we can all take a lesson from this other facet of his life that has helped to make him so incredibly successful: his graciousness towards others. Does this mean we should follow his example in everything he does? Of course not! We all do some things that are more honoring to God than others. But his graciousness is something we would all do well to emulate.

When your thoughts, words and actions are filled with grace, people are naturally drawn towards you. They’re more likely to listen to what you have to say, to do what you ask them to do, and to become all that they can become. God wants you to be grace-filled, not only because it will enhance your life, but because it will enhance the lives of those around you as well.

God knows what a blessing graciousness can be because He’s been showering people with grace throughout human history. He knows that the best way to express His love to others is to overwhelm them with His grace.

God’s grace has helped transform countless lives, turning some of the most sour, bitter and angry people into people who are the most joy-filled, happy, and delightful people I know. I’ve also seen how those who don’t understand God’s grace, or who find it hard to understand or receive, also find it hard to express grace to others in meaningful or practical ways.

As for me, well, I guess I’m somewhere in between! I’d like to be more consistently gracious, but I’m not there yet. Sometimes I’m just too self-focused. Sometimes I become critical of others, forgetting how much grace God has already showered upon me. Sometimes I’m just not thinking, and ungraciousness slips out when I should have been gracious instead. Whatever the reason, I know that I have a lot to learn and a lot of room to grow.

So in the coming weeks, I’m going to be taking a closer look at the book of Ephesians, and I’d be glad for you to take a look along with me. Even though the book is only six chapters long, Ephesians is one of the most grace-filled books in the whole Bible. The Apostle Paul, who wrote the book originally as a letter to the Christians in the ancient Greek city of Ephesus (now modern-day Turkey), filled his letter with grace both in words and tone.

From the opening words to the closing line, Paul uses the word “grace” a dozen times, encouraging the Ephesians to understand and receive God’s grace for themselves and then to extend it to others. He prayed for them the same prayer that I’ll be praying for you, and for myself, in the weeks ahead:

“...that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide, and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:18-19).

I’m looking forward to this study of the book of Ephesians. I pray that God will overwhelm you with His grace, and that you’ll find it the most natural thing in the world to pour it out on others as well.

Let’s pray...

Father, thank You for the graciousness that we’ve seen displayed in the lives of others, and thank You for the graciousness that You’ve showered upon us. Help us, Lord, to be filled so much with Your grace that it flows out to those around us as well, blessing them--and ourselves--along the way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

P.S. If you’d like to get a head start on our study, I’d encourage you to sit down sometime this week and read the entire book of Ephesians in one sitting. It only takes about 20-30 minutes, and it will give you an overview of what the Apostle Paul was trying to express to the Ephesians. Then, as we study it together, you’ll get a better idea of what God might want to express to you.

If you’ve never read the book of Ephesians before, I think you’ll find it to be filled with both grand thoughts about God and practical suggestions for your life. For those who have read it before, I think you’ll be amazed at how many of the most famous verses in the Bible are found in this very short book. And if you don’t have a Bible, or if you just want to read it in a different version or language, here’s a link where you can read it for free on the Internet. Just click the link, enter “Ephesians 1” in the search box, and keep reading through all six chapters.
biblegateway.com

To read more from this series, "Ephesians: Lessons In Grace," click here.

Dinner Tonight

Saw Robin Miller prepare this yesterday on Food Network and thought it looked pretty easy and pretty tasty! It's what I am cooking tonight:

Teriyaki Salmon with Mandarin Oranges

Be Courageous

"If we were writing the script for our lives, we would not assign to ourselves the tasks that God assigns us. We would play it safe. We would do something we think we could manage. Some of you have a lot of children and if you were writing the script for your life, you would probably have determined how many children you think you could manage and then that’s how many children or how few you would have had.

But God knows what you can manage and God wants you to live in the realm of faith, so whether it’s children or marriage or work or church or relationships, God takes us past what we think we can handle, past what we can handle apart from Him, and He says, “Now go in and be strong and courageous.”

When we’re doing what God has assigned to us, we can be strong and of good courage. But we need to make sure what we’re doing is what God has assigned us to do."

~Nancy Leigh DeMoss

To Be versus To Do

Recently I shared about a blog I LOVE called Burning Bushes.  Not only do the posts inspire me to daily fix my thoughts more on Christ, but--even better--how to also APPLY God's Word to my every day. I want to share a great xample.

Not long ago, Nicole wrote about making a "to BE" list instead of a "to DO" list.  Since I have always been a big fan of "to do" lists, I was intrigued. And now after having read her article, I have a new and improved perspective. Here's the deal: when we make out our daily list of things we feel we need to do, we can't help but become task-oriented. We may start out the day with a good attitude and optimism about all we hope to accomplish, but would you agree with me that more often than not, by the time we reach the end of the day, we feel a little discouraged because we didn't do many of the things we had planned? And so, not only do we start to feel unproductive, but also overwhelmed when we have to carry those unaccomplished tasks over to the next day's list!

Here's Nicole's point: Instead of making a to DO list and focusing on all your "chores", make a to BE list and turn your focus to the roles you currently have in your life.  You start by prioritizing all of the roles you currently have in your life (Christian, Wife, Mother, and so on).

Next, for each role you list, find a bible verse that directly applies to that role and perhaps relating to something God is trying to teach you in that area.  I have found it beneficial to ask Him to direct me to scripture that would encourage me in each role.

After you find a verse for each role, write down your top 3 goals for the week within each role. I hope this doesn't sound too complicated or too time-consuming. I have been doing this on Sunday evenings before bed or in my quiet time on Monday mornings and have found that it is helping me be much more intentional about spending my time on what really matters.

Nicole suggests that at the end of the week you take some time and get alone with God on your list and look at what worked and what didn't...especially before making out the next week's to be list!

My scanner is not working right now, but I wanted to share what my to be list looks like to give you a better idea of what I'm talking about.

Role #1: Follower of Christ ("Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." Philippians 2:5) Goals for the week: 1. Meditate on/memorize scripture; 2. Journal prayers/answers to prayers/lessons God teaches me; 3. Guard my mouth against gossiping and complaining.

Role #2: Wife ("...the wife must respect her husband." Ephesians 5:33b) Goals for the week: 1. Evaluate spending habits and cut back where possible; 2. clean/straighten Stephen's nightstand for him; 3. Stay abreast of job listings and apply where I qualify.

Role #3: Mother ("Therefore encourage one another and build each other up." 1 Thess 5:11) Goals for the week: 1. Make a point to bring attention to things the kids do right and praise them for it; 2. Pray with the kids; 3. Look through closets to see what the kids need in the way of clothing for spring/summer.

Role #4: Homemaker ("Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." Colossians 3:23) Goals for the week: 1. Clean showers thoroughly; 2. Purge toys in Mac's room; 3. Plan good-tasting, budget-friendly meals.

Role #5: Family Member ("Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2) Goals for the week: 1. Be available to others; 2. Call Mom and Daddy regularly; 3. Be a better listener.

Role #6: Hope Church Member ("Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Colossians 4:2) Goals for the week: 1. Pray more for email prayer list I receive from church; 2. Pray for my pastors; 3. Pray for Married SS class to continue to grow and for more married SS classes to be formed.

Role #7: Friend ("Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." James 5:16) Goals for the week: 1. Pray more often for friends; 2. Admit struggles to a close friend and 3. Ask for prayer.

Role #8: Neighbor ("Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:4) Goals for the week: 1. Smile and speak to others; 2. Take regular walks to get out and meet my neighbors; 3. At least one random act of kindness to a stranger.

I realize you still may want or need to make longer lists within these roles--esp for something like homemaker, but you get the idea here. It's really been helpful to me to put the focus more on my roles and to tie a verse to each one to remind me of all God wants me to BE instead of getting hung up on individual tasks. Yes, I still fall short and neglect some things I care about, because I'm human. But I have found that when I focus on my role as a mom or wife--and what God's Word says about those roles--I am much more inclined to be productive in that area and to be a blessing to others in Jesus' name. And I think that's a really good thing.  :) Thanks Nicole, for sharing this with me.

Dinner Tonight

Looking forward to tonight because we watch American Idol together as a family most Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I try to fix a good meal especially on those nights since we're home together. Here is tonight's menu:

Pork Medallions Alfredo with a spinach/mandarin orange/poppyseed dressing salad and

Apple Brown Betty for dessert.

Mmmmmmm.

It's like chocolate butter

I made a pie yesterday that I will definitely be making again soon. I got it from the Pioneer Woman's site and it is goooooood. My Mom picked up the recipe after she ate a piece and she was like "TWO sticks of butter??" :)

If the "two sticks of butter" part doesn't scare you, then here it is:

Pioneer Woman's Delicious Chocolate Pie

Easter Mourning

Not long ago I somehow stumbled across a fantastic blog called Burning Bushes. It is so well written and it truly inspires me to be a better writer--and much more importantly--a better example of Christ to the watching world. Although I can always find something on her blog that is meaningful to me, I especially enjoyed what she wrote about today. Here is just a taste:

"This Easter, I don’t want to skip forward to Sunday without sitting in the reality of:

• my own sin
• Jesus’ incomparable and excruciating death
• the millions of individuals who are still outside of Christ."

Take a few moments to follow one of those links above and you'll see why I check her blog daily for encouragement and inspiration.