How To Do The Tough Stuff

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The sun was out, birds tweeted, the blue sky sparkled. Saturday mornings are for getting stuff done. But, on this one particular Saturday, our house was on the brink of chaos. I wish I could say it was controlled chaos or even fun chaos. Nope. Plain chaos described our dwelling and even the condition of my heart that day.

Rewind two weeks prior to the point where my husband accepted a new job across country. We hit the ground running toward preparations for listing our house on the market. Let me tell you, I’ve learned more about “the market” than I ever wanted to know. I’ve learned about inspections, appraisals, listing agreements and how much our house needed a deep clean to be fit to sell.

I thought I would share with you what I personally learned during this tough, overwhelming season. Please know that I am sensitive to the fact that you might be dealing with more serious situations than cleaning closets and deciphering paint chips. Maybe my minimal drama example might give you a bit of a boost during your more trying season.

Here are 2 steps to conquer overwhelm and take back your peace.

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***I’m excited to share this article on iBelieve.com. CLICK HERE read more!

**What do you think about my two steps? Have you ever felt like this? I would love to chat more. Leave a comment!

How To Start The Day Well

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**This is a re-post from last year. Here’s the deal…I feel like this today. So honestly, I just thought maybe someone else does too and we can kick each other in the patootie, get out from under the covers and LIVE! Ok? Sounds good!

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How To Start The Day Well

My smart phone tweeted a wake up tune. The house was quiet but my mind loudly swirled with all that the upcoming day would serve me. An ache droned in the pit of my stomach. Nerves and anxiety took their place. The warm soft covers soothed just a bit. But, at 6am in the morning I have duties, I have responsibilities that propel me out of the covers and toward the things that moms do to get everyone out the door in one piece. I combed his wet little head and listened to silly jokes that 5 year olds find hysterical. I then trekked back to my room to comb my own hair and throw on my tennis shoes. My routine told me that I have a work out today. So I continued on.

The un-made bed called my name. That sense of tidy-ness that doesn’t necessarily define my nature but gives me a sense of accomplishment in the morning again propelled me. I pulled the sheets tight and straighten the crisp white quilt. Leaning down to add the pretty decorative pillows my mom sewed for me years ago I almost stopped in mid task. Remembering all the pressures of the upcoming day I stood there tempted.

Why make the bed? Why tidy up if you are just going to jump back in there later this morning? A day in the bed is just what you need.

The idea of throwing the covers over my head and hiding out with a quiet house and a busy mind seemed like the perfect way to escape. I like to escape. I like to allow my self-made bed cave to envelope and lure me back to a sleep in a place where deadlines exist not. A dream land where pressure and well…life…is just quiet and peaceful.

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But I know how this plays out. After hours of hiding and denying the part of me that knows that I’m hiding and denying shouts, “STOP! Get yourself together. Just do it. Just tackle it. Quite hiding and LIVE!”

That part of me is the Holy Spirit drawing me out of my denial and avoidance and into His abundance waiting for those who resist the temptation of self-focus. Yes, that is self focus I’m dealing with. For when I’m turned inward to such a degree where I think I can’t handle the pressure, I can’t measure up, I have nothing of value to add, I’m pushing out the absolute reality that it is not about what I can’t do. It is not about what I can’t handle or what I can’t bring to the table.

No…it is about what God does in me and through me. 

My act of crawling back in the bed keeps me from stepping into my purpose for the day: seeking out Jesus, living in worship, serving out of love.

So, I begrudgingly add the pretty pillows to the bed and move on knowing this simple task of making the bed serves to cut off the temptation of hiding and denying. Though I begrudge the idea that I must get over myself, my past experience of LIVING and seeking and worshipping Him outweighs.

I add the pretty pillows and get on with the day.

***I would love to know what keeps you in a place of self focus? Do you have your own “cave” you hide in?

***Do you see value in intentionally stopping yourself for hiding and denying so you can LIVE?

Leave a comment…let’s chat!

What True Prospering Looks Like

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I look at my calendar for the month of May and then for the month of June. Each day is up in the air. I have no true plans nor do I really know what our summer looks like. I lift my eyebrows and quell the flutter in my heart. Being Type A does that to you. Having no real plan, I feel like we are on shaky ground. Even the platform wedges I convinced myself to wear on my last date night feel more sturdy than my life at the moment. I’m thinking it’s not just the Type A’s that would get nervous about a lack of plan or purpose or direction, right?

So after I shared last week (ie. spilled my guts) about the words I use when asked how our move to Texas is going, I’ve honestly evaluated my words…honestly. Not fun to take a hard look.  And then I took to Scripture rather than the swirling negative thoughts surfacing in my mind. What do we usually do in times like this? Yep…google Scripture. Or do we dig into our go- to Bible verses that we used to doodle in Math class in the seventh grade rather than working on excruciating fractions? Wait…maybe that was just me… Probably was. That was me doodling cute words based off of our go-to Scripture that we usually place on cute magnets or posters with fluffy Kittens that say something like this:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

Yes, this is the go-to verse we tell ourselves (or share with others?) that things are going to be ok. We tell ourselves that God has PLANS, God will PROSPER us, He will give us a great FUTURE. But, FRIENDS!!! Let us not stop at Jeremiah 29:11…please keep reading…verse 12…verse 13…verse14…maybe the whole chapter…maybe the whole book or Jeremiah??

Our intentions might be spot on. We mean so well when we encourage those who are hurting, feel rejected, forgotten by God. We mean so well when we pep ourselves up as our bank accounts lay empty or the job market is not in our favor. God will prosper us…God will fill up our account…God will come through for us with a brand spankin’ new house.

But are we seeking after Prosper, Well-being, Hope, Future with our pre-conceived notions about just what true prospering looks like?

Let’s be WOMEN who go to the depths beyond the doodling of just the verses that inspire on those cute Facebook or Instagram graphics. Might we keep reading?

11For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord…(Jeremiah 29:11-14 emphasis mine)

You will seek ME

You will find ME

says the LORD

Seek, find: with all your HEART.

Let’s get bold here, friends! As I look at a house that has not one buyer toward a move where I’m not sure where we will lay our head, Jesus tells me to SEEK HIM for prosper and plans. What if my notion of prospering and future and plans were wrapped up ONLY in who the Bible says God is? A life entangled by the grace of our Lord. It’s a grace that tells us to go on with our day, not fretting or head spinning –– ever CONSUMED with seeking after GOD Himself. GOD. HIMSELF.

 

 

Prosper- A live engangled with the Grace (1)

Prosper: A life rich with knowledge of the Gospel.  LIVING OUT! the Gospel. Loving God first, loving others. Living bold faith coupled with servant love. Doing relationships out of a love for Jesus first.

Laying up treasures in Heaven (Matthew 6) rather than clinging to an ideal of that which distracts us from a fulfilled, ever close relationship with the King of Kings. Those earthly treasures fade shortly after the tags are ripped off and we wear once.

Future: That to look forward to while we do life differently to make Jesus famous right here and right now. Living heaven minded while we serve and love others right where we are. A wild paradox of future verses our life’s purpose at this MOMENT.  Entangled with loving and serving God here on earth and enthralled with the notion of the face to face one day when He returns.

Hope: Completely wrapped in the Gospel. Jesus, {God HIMSELF} lived the sinless life, died to pay the price for our sin, raised to LIFE–victorious over death. We have access to SEEK GOD with all our heart (Jeremiah 29:13). That is our hope daily whether we’ve known Jesus as Lord for 50 years or 5 minutes. Oh that we won’t take the Gospel for granted.

Prosper, Future, Hope: Tied up in the very PERSON of Jesus.

Seek

Find

Seek with a heart desperate for things, plans, future more than a house, money, shopping spree, shiny car, dream job, Pinterest perfect family…seek with a heart flat out desperate for Jesus Himself.

That is how I move forward with the chaotic calendar for the month of May and however long God has us in this transition. Seek. God. HIMSELF.

Whew! What do you think?

Leave a comment…let’s chat!