Jesus Calling

Today is a VERY different morning.  The early morning sun is peeking through the blinds.  I can hear the birds chirping outside.  My house is QUIET!  Pure Bliss!  It's past 7:30 & no little demands that I get up early, I want breakfast...I want milk...I want a show...I want my blankie!  Nope not today friends!  The kids spent the night at Gea's (grandma) house!  I get to sit here and actually complete a thought before getting interrupted and actually drink my coffee hot-fresh-from-the-pot & not reheated!  It's the small things in life that you grow to enjoy as a parent.  :)

A few months ago my husband picked up this little devotional for me at our church bookstore.  Go get it!

This little book kicks my butt every single time I read it.  Seriously!  I would love to say that I get up every morning & get in the word but unfortunately I don't!  I have great - even the best of intentions most days but then those little demands start rolling in as soon as they wake me up in the morning.  So does the laundry that I've neglected for days, the dishwasher, the floors, that stack of mail that I can NEVER seem to get rid of & the orders that keep rolling in.

Today was the day that I FINALLY got into the word.  After feeling like this....

yep, a dried up sponge!  Full of nothing!  Just a bunch of dirty holes-my flaws-my insecurities-my fears-my failures-my negativity-my selfishness-they had nothing to cling to.  They were just there-dry & empty.

Soap-Box-Side-Note

Part of which causes some of my negativity...

{Can I be honest for a minute here...I've always LOVED living in Midland.  This summer has sucked!  The desert in which we live in-is literally sucking the life out of me!  It is D-E-A-D here!  The grass-BROWN!  Flowers?  What the heck are they?  We can only water our lawns ONCE a week!  We can only use our hoses once-a-week.  So when it's 100 degrees out every single day our lawns turn brown!  We can't have water days-no sprinkler fun-no slip 'n' slides-no kiddie pools!  Not to mention we don't have a whole lot of fun activities to do-it's like we eat, shop or go to the movies!  People come to Midland for the oil industry-so our economy here is great!  Lots of jobs, lots of money, lots of people and it is a growing city.  But with all of that said our town can't keep up with the demand-we have a shortage on homes (we've been looking for months-nothing!), apartments, employees (b/c everyone goes to work in the oil field).  It's so hard sometimes to maintain a positive-God centered-attitude through all of this.}

When I went to church on Sunday after not being there for 2 weeks due to traveling and not spending as much time in the word and feeling the dryness within me-just after worshipping I literally could feel the holy spirit filling my holes.  I went from being the dry, cracked sponge to this...

A little color was added back into my soul!  All the "bad" things were hanging onto little beads of truth and filled me up!  God has been teaching me how weak & impatient I am in trusting His plan-that He has GREAT and MIGHTY things for me!  That I need to shut-up & quit complaining & do exactly what Patrick (our pastor) told us to do-Be Salt & Light! Quit looking at all the things around us & just be Jesus to people.   Just like my devotional said this morning...

"Glorifying and enjoying Me is a higher priority than maintaining a tidy, structured life.  Give up your striving to keep everything under control--an impossible task and a waste of precious energy...let me prepare you for the day that awaits you...point you in the right direction...I am with you...don't be intimidated by fear...though it stalks you, it cannot harm you, as long as you cling to My hand.  Keep your eyes on me-enjoy the Peace in my Presence..."

Seriously?  Could this not be any more perfect?!?!  So, today I am striving to maintain a positive out look on our situation.  I'm going to bite my tongue when I want to be negative & I'm going to try & be a peace-maker.  Even though I've failed lately at being in the word-the good thing is that every day is a new day!  God's not keeping score!  I need to get my priorities straight & do what I KNOW I need to be doing!

When I am in the word I feel like this....

God's word & truths are seeping out of me & into the lives of those around me!  I encourage you today to stop what you are doing-get off Facebook & Pinterest & invest that time in the Word!