I'm just not feeling it anymore

Sorry.  I'm just not into it anymore.  I can't.  Writer's block?  Maybe.  But not likely since most of my favorite moment devotionals are already written since I've been working on that for a few years now.  Winter blues?  Probably.  It's been raining and cloudy.  I haven't seen sunshine in days.  I need warm, humid Alabama breezes, not this cold, winter-y precipitation.   Discouraged?  A little.  With so many things going on right now and so many mixed emotions, I can't seem to focus.  I'm upset and disappointed in myself for imposing this challenge and not wanting to finish just a month into it.

My mind is so full of things that I just don't think I can continue.  It's not fun anymore.  Now, it feels more like an assignment given to me by an overbearing professor.  Only the overbearing professor is me, and the student is also me.

Maybe tomorrow the urge will be back to continue what I've begun.  I don't know.  I think I miss writing the cute, sentimental stories and poems about motherhood and the silly things my children do and say.

I know one thing.  I'm going to pray about it tonight and let God direct my path.

Warming our souls

 God's beautiful creation that surrounds me daily.

Favorite moment of the day: dinner with my family at Pizza the Hut and then seeing the gorgeous sunset over the lake while crossing the river bridge. Breathtaking.

                  “In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth.”  Genesis 1:1

                  The beautiful sunsets and sunrises, a full moon and sky full of stars, flowers blooming in every color imaginable – these are all creations of our God.  How can someone look at these things and not know that there is a God?  Nature amazes me and actually calms me when I am stressed out.  Just taking the time to walk around and look at the creation that surrounds me is so nurturing and calming to my spirit and soul.  I love that He can bring so much warmth and radiance in the middle of winter with a beautiful orange, red and yellow sunset.   But He can also bring warmth and radiance to our souls when we take the time to listen to Him, talk to Him through prayer, and live according to His word.

Gorgeous sunset over Notre Dame in Paris.  I was blessed to be able to see this magnificent showing of God's wonder in this beautifully painted sky.

Pants on the ground

I was really tired yesterday and have a bit of the winter blues and just didn't write the devotional.  I've got to find a way to snap myself out of this winter depression I'm in.  I'm supposed to be motivating others but I can't even motivate myself.

Favorite moment of the day (1-13-2010): Pants on tha ground, pants on tha ground, you lookin' like a fool wit yo pants on the ground!

This favorite moment was from one of my favorite television shows, American Idol.  An older gentlemen had written a song about young men wearing their pants down around their knees instead of up on their hips and waist like you should.  He was proudly auditioning his song for the judges.  I loved it!  Such courage, not only to audition on national television, but to stand up for what he believed in.  We should all have the courage to stand up for humanity, for Jesus, for Christianity.  When we are weak and easily persuaded by worldly things, the devil can take a stronghold and pull us away from God.   We must have courage, have faith, have hope in the truth of Bible and be ready to defend it at times.  The devil comes disguised as the things we covet.  He'll do anything to pull us away from the Kingdom of God.  We have to pull our pants up, have courage, and be ready to fight those worldly desires that can distract us from our relationship with the One who is not of this world, the One who gives eternal life.

Let's Rock!

 

 

Favorite moment of the day (2010): so many but I'm going to pick...the great day I had at school today! My Spanish students RoCk!!!!

 

As a teacher, I have good days and bad days.  Days when the students don't seem interested, won't participate, or just fall asleep in class.  But then there are awesome days.  Days when my hard work to prepare an engaging lesson really pays off.  The same is true when I taught children at church.  The days they really grasped the lesson and took ownership of the Word of God were really great.  I imagine Jesus had this same feeling when He was teaching others.  It's all in the Bible.  Some days he had to work harder than others to get his followers to believe and understand the lesson.  But some days were much easier and his students rocked.  We are all God's students here on this Earth.  Some days we struggle and just don't get it.  Then, some days we rock!  The goal is to have more rockin' days than not and to spread that enthusiasm to others.

Reaching out with your talents

Favorite moment of the day (2010): watching Jessalyn at baton practice! Too cute!

I love watching my children participate in activities that interest them.  It makes me very proud to see them working so hard to achieve something.  I hope that my Heavenly Father is proud of me.  I strive to live each day to make Him proud.  I also try to use the talents He gave me to tell others about him.  I hope my children will do the same.  They each have very different interests and talents that they could use to build the kingdom.  It is very interesting and amazing to watch them grow physically and spiritually.  I imagine it is amazing for God, too, to watch us grow as we take our spiritual journey.  And I'm sure it makes Him proud when He sees us reaching out with our talents to bring others along on the journey as well.

Be a living Bible

  This is actually the favorite moment from Jan. 10.  I forgot to post yesterday.

Favorite moment of the day (2010):  helping Archer finish his book for school.

I'm a teacher.  I'm a mother.  So that means I have lots of children - 3 biological ones, one Canadian exchange daughter, and lots of students that I have taught over the years.  I have helped lots of children learn many things and accomplish goals.   Is that enough?  Have I been a good example of how a Christian woman and mother should be?  Have I lived in a way that I am someone's Bible?  It's a good question to ponder.  I feel like I do a pretty good job at being kind, serving others, and teaching young people but I know I can do better.  I am limited, as a teacher, at what I can and cannot say about my personal beliefs and I have to be careful not to "push" my beliefs on my students.  But I usually say what I want and most of my students know where I stand as far as my belief in God and Heaven.  My children are extensions of me in the way they act, treat others, and function as responsible, caring citizens.  My students know where I stand when they watch my own children.  That's how Jesus did it.  He gathered 12 disciples and they followed in His footsteps - acting the way He did, serving others in the same capacity, even after He ascended into Heaven.  Others learned from them because of the way He taught them.  When we follow His word and live in His image, or when we don't, others notice.  We might be the only Bible someone ever reads.

Loads of laundry

January 9, 2010 – observation – I noticed today that one of my friends posted her favorite moment of the day on her status.  This is the first I’ve seen so far but hopefully it will catch on.  It’s so easy to do and has really made me look at my actions, my choices, my everyday life in a different way.   After a little over a month of this little experiment, I have noticed that most of my favorite moments are with my children and family.  And most of these moments did not cost any money.  So why do I worry about money so much and why do I want more of it when I obviously don’t need it to be happy?

Favorite moment of the day:  getting laundry done!

Laundry is a never-ending cycle at my house.  With two adults and three children living here, we have piles of it everywhere.  Sometimes I wonder why we have so many articles of clothing.  I know we need undergarments, pants and sweaters for cold weather, shorts and tee shirts for warm weather, a jacket and a heavy coat, but at what point does it become excessive?  Did Jesus and the disciples have multiple outfits?  Did they always match their shoes/sandals to their robes? 

Sometimes I think of scaling down all of our wardrobes.  Selfishly, I think of all the money I could save by not purchasing laundry detergents and stain removers as often, lowering my water and electric bills by not running the appliances as often, and all the time I would have to do something more enjoyable than washing clothes.  But I also think of all the people who could benefit from our excess.  It seems we acquire more articles of clothing faster than anything else.  Every time we turn around, one of the children has been given a new tee shirt.  The kids get new shoes but the old ones are not worn out yet.  I want to give back more and acquire less.  Even Jesus told the rich, young ruler to give away all his possessions and follow Him.  That's essentially what we are called to do.