Monthly Archives: October 2014

“I NEED REST”

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Matthew 11:28-30~Then Jesus said,”Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yolk upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yolk is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.

Jesus calls us to “Come to Him” when we are tired from carrying our burdens.

He promises rest when we do that.

As a strong, working woman, I find myself exhausted sometimes and needing rest. I don’t purposefully leave Jesus out, I just don’t normally bother Him with the little stuff.

Jesus said come to Him when we’re weary, and carrying heavy burdens. Whatever is heavy and burdensome…He wants.

He didn’t say it had to be a world disaster for Him to carry it!

He is the heavyweight champion AND the lightweight champion!

He wants the stuff thats heavy in my heart, AND the stuff thats heavy on my plate!!

He knows the weight of managing a household AND working a full time job!!

IT GETS HEAVY!!

AND I GET TIRED!!!

Sometimes its my schedule….. HE WANTS ME TO COME TO HIM WITH IT so He can teach me how to rest by revealing the areas I’ve overbooked myself.

Sometimes its my housework….. HE WANTS ME TO COME TO HIM WITH IT so He can teach me everything doesn’t always have to be perfect to have my home in order.

Sometimes its my energy to cook dinner. HE WANTS ME TO COME TO HIM WITH IT so He can teach me to rest by letting the pressure off myself and have cereal for dinner once in awhile.

Sometimes its my time with my husband. HE WANTS ME TO COME TO HIM WITH IT so He can teach me to rest in his arms, not saying a word…forgetting about the world for just a little while.

Sometimes its my time with my daughter. HE WANTS ME TO COME TO HIM WITH IT so He can teach me to rest while she plays “beauty shop” on my hair.

He wants me to COME TO HIM so He can teach me TO REST!!

Jesus doesn’t want our life to be burdensome and weighted down with pressure and anxiety!

I’ve found when I COME TO HIM WITH IT, it wasn’t Him that told me to carry “ALL THAT” anyway…. it was my own expectations I’ve set for myself.

When I get overly exhausted, irritable, and just plain tired, I realize I NEED REST and I must take a minute to go find it!

“For His yoke is easy to bear, and the burden He gives is light.”

He wants to carry the weight and give us rest, but we must COME TO HIM to get it.

Father, Thank you for REST that comes only from meeting with you. I am a woman after your heart and I desire to live my life to serve you by example. Sometimes this makes me overwork and I get tired. Remind me Lord to take the time for myself and my family that WE ALL need to just REST IN YOU!! There is a peace that comes with knowing that you carry all my burdens, big and small. Produce in me a teachable mind, heart, and body that can REST assured you want me to rest. Alert me when I become too busy to slow down, that I’m not only missing things, but that I’m wearing myself out.

Amen.

 

Smile A LOT!!

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Job-29:24~When they were discouraged, I smiled at them. My look of approval was precious to them.

Did you know it takes only 17 muscles to smile, but 43 to frown?

In other words, it takes a lot more energy to frown than to smile.

As busy working moms, we need all the energy we have to work inside the home AND outside the home!

I’ve found when I’m in a good mood and I have a smile on my face, my energy levels up.

When I’ve had a hard day and am frowning, I’M EXHAUSTED!!!

So I started smiling.

A LOT!!!

I smiled when I felt like it and when I didn’t .

I smiled through trials, even if it felt like I was forcing my face to cooperate!

This became a habit, and I noticed I actually felt better when I smiled.

It wasn’t that I was faking it, I was choosing it!!!

I was choosing triumph over defeat!

I was choosing to be encouraging, not discouraging!

Not only was my smile encouraging and energizing to me, but it made others around me feel the same.

I noticed when I would greet my husband with a smile, he felt welcomed and loved. This caused him to smile and his attitude toward me became more kind and affectionate.

When I greeted my daughter with a smile, she knew I was happy to see her. She in return, would smile and give me a big hug!

When I would greet my customers with a smile, they felt appreciated and became regular customers.

When I passed by a stranger, especially the ones who had a frown on their face, if I gave them a great big smile, they usually smiled back!

I saw not only my attitude change, but the people who received my smile~smile with me!!

We all have trials were going through that we could allow to control our smiles, but what if we began choosing to smile anyway?

The more trouble we experienced, the more we’d smile.

Sure, everyones entitled to a bad day, just not every day!

If you’ve formed a habit of frowning, your going to have to be purposeful; with changing it.

Even if it hurts.

Lets start today smiling….

When you begin to smile again, it may be an effort. But the more you exercise your smile, the more powerful it will become!

We are called to be a light in a dark world, so lets LET OUR SMILES SHINE!!

The more your smile shines, the bigger it will grow. Before you know it, you will not only smile, YOU WILL SMILE A LOT!!!

Father, thank you for my smile. You made it especially for me, so that I could bring encouragement to myself and others, IF I choose to use it. Help me to focus my mind on becoming a light in the middle of my darkness. I can’t do this without your help, so today I’m relinquishing all rights to my smile. Let others wonder “Why I always smile.” Let them get a glimpse of your encouragement and love. Help me to Smile…. A Lot!!

Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be glad “IN IT!”

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Psalm 118:24~This is the day the Lord has made: we will rejoice and be glad in it.

There are days when the last thing we want to do is rejoice.

We must be honest with God.

I’ve found that when I take my concerns, my problems, my realities to Him, that He starts to work!

When I try to fix my situation, I worry and work. This produces anxiety and exhaustion.

When I take my situation to Him to fix it, I leave His presence feeling peaceful and hopeful.

Does it remove or change my problems immediately?

No.

But it does allow me to be glad IN IT, knowing He is working ALL THINGS together for my good, because I love Him!

IN todays problems and chaos.

IN todays heartaches and pain.

IN todays battles….

The Lord has made this day.

He is IN IT!

You are IN IT!

But most importantly, you are IN IT….TOGETHER!!!

Today, lets make the choice to be glad IN IT, SO THAT our Lord will get the glory when we are THROUGH IT!!

Father, thank you for being in this day with me. Your presence alone offers peace in the storm, and hope for my future! You know the situations we are all IN. Each of our circumstances are different, but we all have the same answer. You. You are the author and finisher of everything, and we know your presence will be with us until “this” is finished. We love you and want to represent you well. “This” is paralyzing and we are incapable of doing it GLADLY without you. We come to you asking for your Spirit to rise up in us so we can do what the world finds impossible…. be glad IN IT!!

Amen.