Today was a hard day for me to be motivated, thus this post is not going out until 5pm.  I have been having a hard time dealing with my infertility and then to top it off I found out that we owe several thousand dollars on our taxes this year.  Bummer! 

In the midst of this blazing fire, I am reminded to STOP, DROP, and PRAY.  God did not put me in this position, but he is my strength to get through it. When I finally took some time to revel in Him, it brought me a complete sense of peace.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

I encourage you to stop what you are doing, fall to your knees, and pray to our great and mighty Lord Jesus.  He wants to hear from you and help you right where you are.

Stop for a moment & remember this: Jesus choose you & called you His.  He has given you everything you need for this life.

“So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 8:15

Solomon reminds us to enjoy the life that God has given us.  True happiness comes from centering our lives on God, not ourselves.  When we criticize our faults and weaknesses, we tend to be too distracted to find much if any joy in the Lord.  So take your eyes off yourself and focus on the author & perfecter of our faith.

Struggling to find joy in your journey? Try these…

• LAUGHTER – It always immediately brings joy to my life no matter if I am by myself or with a group of friends.  Even laughing through the tough times makes can make them a little easier.  Laughter = Joy.

• SERVING – Helping others makes you let go of your self-criticism, because it is no longer about you when you serve.  It also makes you realize how good you have it in many situations.  You always feel good about serving & if Jesus did it, that has to be good right?

• PICTURES – Remember the joyful moments in your life by looking back at old pictures.  Sometimes it can be easy to forget all the good in your life, so remember to take pictures & look back on those joyous occasions.

• GO OUTSIDE – Being in God’s creation always helps me to be joyful, especially on those days when the sky is blue & the sun is shining.

Find joy in the journey!

Taylor Swift’s song “Shake it Off” is a modern day version of what Jesus said in Matthew 10:14-15.

“And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.”

Jesus is telling the disciples to go into towns and preach the gospel.  However, if a person refuses to listen then don’t linger and spend time shouting at deaf ears.  Shake it off and move on.  God will handle those people on the day of judgement.

Keep cruisin, don’t stop moving, it’s gonna be alright, cause the haters gonna hate, hate hate, hate, hate… just shake it off, shake it off…

I want to do it ALL!  I want to go on awesome adventures, and enjoy God’s creation.  I want to be a servant of Christ, and help those in third world countries.  I want to inspire people, and help them not to give up.  I want to be a loving wife, and constantly sweep my husband off his feet.  I want to be a well-known blogger, and have content that goes viral.  I want to be healthy, and cook fabulous meals without using a recipe. I want to be fit, and do 10 pushups without any effort.  I want to be a mother, and teach my kids to be a better version of myself.  I want to do it ALL!

The Bible says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).  While I believe that we can do all things, we just can’t do all of them all in one day.  Even God took 7 days to create the world.  He did it by focusing on one area each day, including a day of rest.

Instead of approaching the day with a huge laundry list of tasks, choose to focus on just one area.  That might be organizing & cleaning the house, or finishing that project that you keep meaning to get to.

We only have 24 hours in a day, so trying to exercise, eat healthy, work late, and be the perfect mom all in one day is not a reality. Instead focus on only 1-2 of those areas each day.  You might not feel like you conquered the whole world in a day, but when you look back after a week or two you will be able to see progress.  You will be on your way to doing it ALL!

Happy Monday!  Chris Brogan really nails this quote in regards to being intentional and not settling for mediocre.  So many times we live a life that we don’t love and we just learn to deal with it.  We tell ourselves that it “could” get better, but deep down we know that it won’t.  It’s time to move on.

Get rid of that crappy book, leave the restaurant if you don’t want to wait 40 minutes for a seat… let go and don’t look back.

As dabblers, we tend to hang onto things that we have not finished.  Don’t do it.  If you truly did not like that project, book, or movie, get rid of it. Make room in your life (and your shelves) for new things.  Why keep that mediocre book on the shelf, when you can replace it with inspiring words.  Be intentional about the choices you make.  Don’t settle for mediocre.

I love November because it is the month of being Thankful!  Writing down what we are thankful for is a great reminder of how blessed & loved we truly are. So here it goes, I am thankful for…

1. The freedom to speak my mind & the ability to write my thoughts.
2. A loving husband who works hard for our family.
3. I’m thankful that I have a warm house to sleep in and a full belly!
4. An extended family that loves me despite rarely seeing them.
5. A blog that provides for my family & the ability to make my own schedule.
6. Being able to openly read my Bible without the fear of being persecuted for it.
7. I’m thankful that the Lord made me a blonde, despite my parents both having dark hair.  (Superficial, but none the less it make me happy.)
8. Having opportunities available to me whether I take them or not.
9. Being healthy.
10. I’m thankful that the Lord has made me white as snow by dying for my sins!

In this moment of reflection, what are you thankful for?

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