Daily Devotions - Do Them!

Each week day I usually read a devotion at www.proverbs31.org and then get online to pray with a co-worker over our office, our coworkers, and each other. Let me tell you, God can speak to you in a powerful way through devotions, especially when you are truly seeking Him out and opening your heart and mind to His promptings.

This week I have had a couple of devotions that have hit me right square between my eyes. Today's was particularly eye opening. I think my last post I discussed my goals for the year. I feel these goals are all things God wants me to pursue and to succeed at. Almost daily I read over the goals and pray for God's direction, encouragement, and guidance. So far, so good, right? Well by the end of the day, sometimes as early as by the middle of the day I have taken control of my day back over. I know I am on a path that God wants me to be on but then I take over. I should be listening to Him throughout the day. My struggles get harder the more I take back control. My patience decreases. My stress/anxiety increases. Until I read today's devotions I was trying to analyze the reason for this afternoon/evening failure theme. I was thinking it could be because I am not organized enough, that I am trying to do too much, my expectations are too high. There might actually be a bit of truth in some of that thinking but bottom line is that I took over and stopped talking to God by this time of the day. It seems so clear now, but before I read that devotion it was not. The devotion is eye opening. While I am making progress on my goals it is certainly not the kind of progress that I feel I should be making. Now it makes sense.

My habits of having control have to be broken. I have to replace those habits with praying to God and giving Him control. This may take many many many times a day. God showed me that this will not be an overnight process - that it's not intended to take overnight. I am to LEARN along the way - there are lessons to be learned along the way. At this point I don't think I have fully grasped what God is trying to show me. But I know - beyond a shadow of a doubt that I have to surrender control to Him, I have to seek him more through the day - a lot more - than what I am. I must admit this is frustrating because it is so hard to break habits and it's even harder to let go of control. But keeping my eyes focused on God - knowing God does things so much better than me, knowing that He has more in store for me than I could ever achieve or give myself - well that should be enough to keep me focusing.

That's my post for this week! Hope it speaks to you!

Lots of Love,

D. J.

New Year - New Focuses

I absolutely love a new year! This year I decided to make a list of 10 objectives to complete for this year. Call them resolutions, goals, focuses, whatever. I am going to share that list with you and then share a bit with you about what has been happening since I have started working on these focuses. So, while it may be a bit lengthy, read through the end!


1) To hit my healthy weight goal - 157
This is 75 pounds from where I am. BUT based on an average weekly loss of
1.5 I think this is doable. I am excited about this because it is my most difficult
resolution this year.
2) To create and perfect the household budget
Right now the budget is in my head - lol! I am actually going to get it into a
spreadsheet and perfect it through the upcoming months. I want to be able to
start saving a considerable amount each month rather than blowing it.
Just a side note - if I don't emotionally eat - I emotionally spend!
3) Cook more at home and to cook healthier at home.
I love to cook - it actually calms me. I want my family to eat healthier and I can
control that when I am in charge in the kitchen. This plugs into resolution 1 and
2 as well. Cooking more and healthier will help my weight loss and our budget.
4) Try a new food or a new recipe each week.
If I am going to cook more at home - I need to add to my menu!
5) Get back into going to church on Wednesday night and increase my time with
God. This plugs into the success of every one of my resolutions!
6) Start doing my nightly skincare.
I have the morning wash, anti-aging, and moisturizing down. I totally skip it at
night. Why? I just got out of the habit. I am only giving myself half the anti-aging
benefits of my Mary Kay skincare. I want the other half!!
7) Regularly get 8 hours of sleep.
I have read a lot about the benefits of getting your full 8 hours of sleep. I am tired
of being tired! I have read that it can help with weight loss. It will make me a
nicer person. I bet I just plain feel better!
8) Clean my kitchen every night.
I don't have a dishwasher other than me and my girls. So this is hard. But, when
my house gets out of control it seems to start in the kitchen. When my house
gets out of control so do my other areas that require discipline - eating and
spending. Let's just nip it!
9) Read 12 Books this year - godly books!
I am finishing up Norman Vincent Peale's The Power of Positive Thinking book
this week and this morning ordered Made to Crave by Lysa Terkhurst. I love to
read. It relaxes me and helps me to get to sleep quicker and get a better sleep!
10) Complete a 1/2 marathon.
I think it's in May! I am so so so excited!

Whew! I know it seems like a lot but the really all just plug into the over all desire to become a healthier, better person, wife and mom.

So, it was one thing to make the list. My first weigh in my weight went up! Okay so I can deal with it. I have committed to reading my list every day and to working on it in various ways each week. Well little things that would kinda try to set me off track started happening. My 3 year old decided she didn't want to go to sleep at her designated time which kept me from going to bed on time. I finished my book and it was a whole day until my other one arrived, so I had to go a day without reading a book. You know little things. As I persevered the little things became bigger. My 3 year old got a stomach virus and her first "upheaval" was at 11;30pm with her last being at about 3:30 in the morning. As I focus on my eating - I come home one night to find my daughter had been in the baking mood, brownies, m&m cookies, and chocolate chip muffins. A couple of nights later my daughter and husband found out braums was having a sale on their tubs of ice cream. So - little areas of temptation and frustration keep popping up. I start reading, "Made to Crave" by Lysa Terkhurst and the next day its like WHAMMO! Due to a chapter I read in the book I committed that I would begin praying through the day as food things popped into my head. Armed with this as I begin my day my husband and I have a tiff! UGH! I want to emotionally eat, instead I pray. The tiff is on my mind a better part of the day so I think about food often and persistently pray through those thoughts. Funny thing started happening. I started to feel calm and relaxed. At 6:00 pm I leave work to find I have a flatter than flat tire on my car. Had to call hubby for help - he was so sweet and kind. Tire is ruined! Will need 4 new tires as replacing just one I guess is not a good thing.

It dawned on me last night - really dawned on me - I am being attacked by Satan. I am drawing closer to God and this list of focuses will cause me to rely on God more. Doing so makes me a stronger witness. Guess that ticks Satan off. God knew what was going on the whole time - He was and still is with me through these little battles. I am bettering myself, little did I know this process would take me on a new spiritual journey!

I am really excited as I move forward!

So - until next week!

Lots of love,

D. J.

Tis the Season!

Tis the season to run around like a chicken with your head cut off. Tis the season to not have a blank day on your calendar. Tis the season to stress about when you will get all your shopping done and how in the world you will get Christmas dinner prepare! HOLD ON - Slow down! Tis the season to remember that God sent us His Son! Is this how God wants us to honor that wonderful day? I would have to say - NOPE! But, it is hard. There are simply a lot of things to do this time of year. BUT perhaps its our attitude and thoughts that we could work on in the midst of the chaos. I don't have all my Christmas gifts bought yet, on top of that we are doing "little" Christmas gifts this year. I get worked up thinking about what the receiver of my present might think and of course I worse case scenario it. I am choosing to change that thinking. I am going to give my receivers the benefit of the doubt and believe they are more into the fact that we get to gather together and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ rather than being more into the gift they will receive. Let's face it, I can not out do the birth of our Savior as a gift. My character, my countenance, my attitude should all point towards my appreciation, my awe, and my acceptance of the gift of salvation and eternity in heaven! So much so, that it points others in the same direction.

I must admit I am not very good about not getting stressed out. But I am choosing to make an improvement in that area. Yesterday I chose to take my girls shopping at a large mall in a large city. We got lost twice trying to find it, then drove around and insane parking lot to find a spot. My stress got the better of me. I got a bit on the snippy side of things. I didn't want to be snippy, I wanted to enjoy the experience. So I chose to shake it off. We went into the mall and I actually had fun. When we got back into the car I had to apologize to my girls for being snippy. So progress was made as far as my personal growth goes.

Today, I still don't have all my shopping done and my cards have not been mailed. LOL! Really LOL! So, I am going to mail what I have addressed and the others may get theirs after Christmas - no big deal! Tonight I could kill myself and try to go shopping after work. BUT I need some breathing time. I need a plan. Tonight, I am going to go home and cook spaghetti for dinner and sit back with my hubby. I am going to make a master list that will cover all that needs to be done before the big day. I am ALWAYS more productive and less stressed with a list. I am going to thank God through out the day for all that I do get to do for Christmas. My girls are all still home - blessing! I am married to the same man that I have been married to for almost 21 years - blessing. My nephew who recently joined the Army will be at my house for Christmas - blessing. My mom and one of my sisters will be at my house - blessing. My sister in law and her kids will be at my house for Christmas - blessing. All these people WANT to be at my house for Christmas - blessing! I have a house for people to gather in - blessing! I love to cook and bake, especially for family - blessing. Do I need to go on?

All this to say - in the midst of the craziness of the season there is a place for peace, appreciation, and joy in all of it - It's simply a choice.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

D. J.

God is so so so AMAZINGLY GOOD

My efforts to keep my faith have been rewarded today! Two weeks ago we prepared and hand delivered Brandy's application to the Shriner's to a Shriner in Muskogee. Today, in the mail we received the letter approving her application! Her first appointment will be November 10th. I struggled with this GREATLY! I even put a call out to my facebook friends asking for scriptures to use ~ repeat to myself ~ when thoughts of doubt would creep in. When those thoughts came, and did they come!!!, I would read one of those scriptures or I would just pray and thank God that He was at work on this one. I refused to NOT believe this was going to happen. To many indicators pointed to the fact that God was opening doors for us to even get as far as actually preparing the application. But still, I fought thoughts of, "what if I want this so much I am just making it seem like God is opening a door"....oh Satan...you lose again! Victory belongs to Jesus!

At church Sunday our youth pastor spoke about FACTS v. TRUTH. I had pretty much always lumped them together. But as I sat there listening a little thought popped ( I believe God put it there) into my mind. "FACTS say there is not a cure for Brandy's disorder, TRUTH says GOD HEALS!" Praise God! Praise God! Praise God! Believing for healing and doing all I can and should do as this precious childs mom to make her as strong and healthy as she can be from a human perspective. Putting her in Gods hands to do all that I can not do.

I am ashamed at how much I struggle to pray and believe for answers. Humbled when God does answer them despite my lack of full faith. God loves Me. That is so hard for me to accept sometimes. Though I know beyond a shadow of a doubt he loves everyone so much. To allow my self to focus on the fact that HE LOVE ME is enough to bring tears to my eyes and to bring me to my knees.

Lots of love to all!

D. J.

On our knees

So, one of Brandy's exercises is to walk on her knees. So we play games and have her walk on her knees. As I watch her I think about all the strength she is building in her thigh muscles, the muscles that surround the knee, the hip muscles, and her little tummy muscles and lower back. Those muscles are building to provide better support, to make her balance more solid so that when she stands - she can stand safely and strongly. If she gets off balance she is better able to recover and hopefully not fall completely down.

Do you know where I am going with this?

I got to work one morning this week and was kinda being attacked by doom and gloom. So I decided I would spend the day "on my knees" in prayer and praise. That caused me to start thinking about Brandy walking on her knees. I may not be on my physical knees. But I humbled myself before God and worked out my spiritual muscles while on my knees before God. As Satan tried to knock me off balance I stood firm - on my knees. As the day continued I felt spiritually stronger, I felt better able to stand. That was the strength and solid balance I got from spending time on my knees.

Much like Brandy - the more time she spends on her knees, the stronger she becomes so will we become stronger the more time we spend on our knees in prayer and praise.

It's beautiful to watch. Now understand she doesn't like doing this knee walking all the time ( neither do we if we are totally honest) but she does it because we have told her it is building her muscles, making her stronger so she won't break as easily. I praise God as I watch her now, because I KNOW what is happening as she walks on her knees AND it prompts me to get on my knees because God told us what will happen when we submit ourselves to prayer and praising him.

I encourage you today - get on your knees and stay there for a while.

Lots of love,

D. J.

Missing God and Humbled by His Attention

I just have time for a quick note. I am overwhelmingly aware of how out of whack my personal relationship with God is right now. I am further overwhelmed by the fact that I can't seem to figure out how to get my time in His Word and time with Him in prayer back to the top of my priority list. I am failing miserably. Yet, My God, full of compassion and unconditional love is still opening doors of hope and opportunity for me and my family. I am humbled. Please make time for God everyday! He misses you. I know for me personally, the less time I spend with Him, the further I get from Him. With the insanity of this world we all need to draw close to the One who can keep things in control and protect us.

Lots of love to all,

D. J.

Well it's been a while - I am still here and God is still awesome!

I have been incredibly behind at work and at home and it seems that things are just getting more hectic each day. As I dig myself out and through I have to rely on God. I have to know He is helping me catch up, He is helping me plan and organize (prioritize) my days for maximum impact, He give me HOPE in the fact that working with him this state of insaneness is only temporary. I have to rely that if I listen to His promptings, nothing will fall through the cracks. As I trust Him with a little (right now it's just with digging out at work and peace at home) I realize I can trust Him with more. For me (the mild control freak) this is actually hard. I know that I know that I know God is faithful. So why do I still hold on to so much? Why do I pray and then worry? Will I ever arrive at the place where I literally give it all to God each day and live each day based on His guidance and promptings? I don't know. But for right now, I will do what I can and progress a little at a time. I could be frustrated that I am not to my desired point with God or I could be happy with where I am and the determination I have to grow toward my ultimate desire. I believe God honors this. It's called GROWING. As long as we are growing we aren't dieing. My growth may be slow, but it is growth none the less.

Hope you are growing daily in your relationship with God!

Lots of love,

D. J.