how i'm taking one of my summer goals, and running with it NOW

This is a list of goals and things I wrote down on my pantry door this summer, that I wanted to try/accomplish.  As I am trying to de-clutter our house and have a fresh start with things, it was time to erase this list, but I quickly took a picture just in case I decided to rewrite the list some where else for my own sake later on.

As you can see I accomplished a few things on my list including making my own cold brew, purchasing essential oils and learning about those, and participating in yoga.

Excuse the fact I didn't know how to spell embroidery when I was writing this list.  My mom quickly pointed this mistake out for me.  I've never been the best speller.

Hand written notes--this is something I did pretty well at.  I made a list of people I wanted to send a "just because" note to in my phone and I just went down the list until I had sent something to everyone.  This is something I would like to see myself continue to do.

This post seems to be about New Years Resolutions, and it kinda is, and it kinda isn't.

Moving on down the list.

Memory verses.  Wow.  This was something I did not tackle AT ALL.  I spent time in The Word, and doing different devotionals and Bible Studies to learn more from and about Him, but memorizing the things He has left for us in His Word so that I can hold it near and dear to my heart?  Nope.  Not something I've taken seriously at all, but I want to.

So many times I'm in a conversation or in the middle of a lesson with people in my small group or Sunday School class and I know there is verse that relates to the topic, but I don't remember where the verse is found, or exactly what the verse says--because I haven't memorized it.  Because of that, I don't say anything at all.  I don't want that to be the case any more!! 

I didn't quite know how I was going go about tackling this goal, or even where I was going to get started.  

Until yesterday.

My Ladies Bible Study leader at church posted on FB that Beth Moore had blogged about her Seista Scripture Memory Team for 2015.  I had never even heard of it before to be honest, but it caught my attention and so I checked into it.  

Learning/memorizing 24 verses in 12 months.  Seems do-able right?  And...the best part, you get to pick the verses you memorize!  I love this--because if she was just assigning verses to us to memorize, they may not have as much meaning to each one of us at that time, as it would if we all picked our own verses from what we needed to learn at that point on our lives.

It's amazing how God puts things in front of us at just the right time!  This was the push and the structure I needed to meet this goal of mine.

Will it be easy?  No.  Will it be time consuming?  Yes.  Will it be worth it?  Yes!  Will I be proud of myself at the end of those 12 months?--I sure hope so!  

There are more details to the SSMT2015 if you are interested in learning more about how it works, HERE.  I don't think anyone who takes on this task will regret it at the end of the year.  

It would be easy to not change anything, and make the decision to remain the same.  But I don't want to remain the same.  I want to change.  So these are the steps I am taking in front of me to make and be a better me.

I'll share more about the rest of my list including compassion and "drop in ready" soon!  :)

last weekend in september

Last weekend in September--how can that be?!  & now we've had our first weekend in October?!  It just doesn't seem right!

I was CRAVIN' a dirty pumpkin chai after school and had to drive thru to get one on our way home--R was needing a drink too, so I handed him the left overs of my Sonic drink from the am!  So...no, I don't really get my kid size large drinks from Sonic! ;)

I needed a night at home catching up on the season premiers of Grey's, Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder!!!  Fabulous as always!!  R was busy creating wonderful Lego structures.  I feel so bad for keep Legos from him for so long, but he truly is talented at it!! :0

Saturday...I spent my day at UCA learning from Core Connection Instructions class.  I really did enjoy it, but it was a long day!  I look forward to learning more in the coming months!  

I was happy to get back home to my baby boy...and off to Chick and the bike trail we went!!  

Sunday selfie! ;)  jk...I'm finally getting used to my short hair!  YAY!

I try to make my Sundays pretty chill.  It's hard with everything I have to get done...but going to the coffee shop requires me to not do laundry, not lay on the couch and fall asleep, etc. etc. and actually stop, sit down and get stuff done!!  Whether it be reading, doing my Bible Study, or getting papers graded.  So, I am very thankful for a few hours at Blue Sail with some of my favorites! =)

So tuned for what we did on our FIRST weekend of October tomorrow! 

Self Absorption

Sometimes I feel so inadequate & unequipped to write out what the Lord is teaching me, but it also helps me to learn even more by writing it all out.    And...maybe (just MAYBE) the Lord will be able to show you something as well!  I also enjoy looking back at what the Lord has taught me over the years.  I apologize in advance for maybe not always getting all the facts straight either...but...let's dig in shall we?!

Last night I started Beth Moore's study on Daniel.  I had no idea what to expect going into it, it was just what our church was offering this semester & I wanted to get involved!

We all have a time in our lives that we aren't proud of.  I know I do...I look back & think about how sinful I was being & honestly, I didn't even care at the time.  I am so glad that God brought me through that & has guided me back to the path that He wants me on.  I am much happier & able to enjoy life to it's fullest when I am living for Him.

So....now that I seem to be in a "happy place" there is still this lil ole guy called Satan who is constantly trying to get us back to that "old place" of sinful living that we have since left.  {...we are always sinning, but some parts of life may be filled with more willingness sin than others}  Satan wants us back in that time of "captivity" where we are sinful & living without Him.

When I think about that...it makes me want to stay where I am {& progress forward} even more than before because I do NOT want Satan to win!  & he's not going to!

God tell us that with his help, there isn't an enemy that we will come across that we can't beat!!  How awesome is that to think about?!

Even during the time of our "captivities", God has still been sovereign to us & we can't forget that!  As far away from Him as we might have been...He was still watching out for us & taking care of us, we just didn't realize that.  Looking back, I hate that I wasted so much time without Him in my life that I'll never be able to get back.

Sadly, the world that we live in can often be our "captivity" if we let it.

Isaiah 47: 8 & 10 stood out to me last night like never before!  "'I am, and there is none besides me.'"  Wow.  How many times have I sang the words to a song pertaining to this verse, and it's never really hit me before what it really means...until last night...but His timing is always perfect! ;)  We get so caught up in this world & this "captivity" that we live in, & we let it take away from Him.  We must lose our lives of this world, and grasp onto the lives that we have of HIM--& that should truly be all that matters!

Our world is so caught up in self-absorption, as were the Babylonians in Genesis 11:1-4 who wanted to build a magnificent city, so that they could make a name for themselves and not be scattered around the world (paraphrase).  But that is NOT what God had planned for them!  It was there that the Lord scattered them all over the world & confused their languages so that they didn't have a choice of separating.  They just thought they were going to get away with living in one area & only taking care of themselves, but that's not what we are here for!

In Daniel 1:3-4 the King called in some Israelites from the royal family & nobility.  He wanted young men who didn't have any physical problems or disabilities, handsome & willingness to learn.  Those were the things that were important to Babylonians...as it is to us to look young, wear great clothes, drive nice cars, have the perfect social status, and be most successful person in your neighborhood...

But can those things really make us completely happy?

When the four men were brought in from Judah, they were given the top of the line food--anything they wanted & how ever much they wanted--right off of the King's table.  Who wouldn't want that?!  They were given so many choices & in this crazy world we live in...we are given so many choices as well!  There are so many different choices for us in the world & indulgences are what our world offers to us...but is it really beneficial?  Does more "stuff" & more choices really make us that much happier?  Just because it's a choice & you think you can afford it--does it really mean you need it?

Just as Daniel turned down the richest foods he was being offered by the King--we should turn those things down every once & a while here on earth too.  Just because it's there doesn't mean we need it & need it all!  

Our satisfaction does not (& should not) come from worldly things!  Satan is opening his arms out wide to us showing us all he has to offer & saying "Isn't all this wonderful?"  "Get anything & everything you want...& the more you have the happier you will be!"

I am guilty myself of taking his bait & thing "Oh, if I just had those cute new booties I would be so much better & feel so much better about myself because I'll look 'cute'."  THAT IS THE WORLD SPEAKING!!  It is so easy for us to get it all wrong...& I am constantly reminding myself to not live of this world & that is is our temporary home.  

We shouldn't let ourselves be influenced by this world, but we should be the ones out there influencing it!  

That's a lot to think about...& may not always seem like the easiest thing to do!   But the world is constantly telling us that is is ALL ABOUT US...& it's NOT!  We can't get caught up in the self absorption that this world has to offer.

To Daniel...eating the King's food, in his eyes, was as if he was giving himself to that Babylonian world.  He wasn't willing to do that, so he asked for something else--more simple foods such as fruits & vegetables.

In the 21st century...we can still relate!  We don't need to be eating off the table of this world, as easy as it may be & as appealing as it may look & sound and look!  We all could...for sure, no big deal, but it's our responsibility & job to say that we WON'T!

One last thing...everything we do, say, buy, eat & watch shouldn't be about what is pleasurable to US!  Just because it's there doesn't mean we should partake in it!  We need to learn to say NO! 

Lots of little random tid-bits, but maybe you got something out of what I was trying to say!  ;)  Thank you Beth Moore for being such a wonderful teacher of God's word.  

Thank you for letting me share what God is currently teaching me throughout this study!  I can't wait for what is to come in the coming weeks!