Today I did something I have never done before. I bought flowers for myself. Yep, a dozen red tulips. Now, I've bought flowers before just because I like fresh flowers when we are having friends over for dinner. But today's purchase was different. Today's purchase was about celebrating me. I don't mean "me" in a selfish, conceited way. You see, I have been reflecting lately on all the ways God has been good to me. How He has guided me, protected me, saved me, but most of all how He made me. He MADE me....like a potter shaping clay, He has molded me and continues to mold me. But I am at a place now where I can see so much of His hand in my life. Where there were hard times and difficult times, but He made them good. I may not have seen the good at the time but I can sure see it now.
When I was little, I sang a song at church and the lyrics were, "He's still workin' on me, To make me what I ought to be. It took Him just a week to make the moon and the stars, the sun and the Earth and Jupiter and Mars. How loving and caring He must be. Cause He's still workin' on me." Thirty years later, I can say, He's still workin' on me. But the work He has done is starting to shine through more and more. The more He shines through your life, the more life becomes less about you. I find myself less concerned about what I should be, who I should be, or wish I was.
As a wife, and mom, this is something that doesn't come easily. We tend to measure ourselves against other wives and moms that appear to be doing a better job of being wives and mom. I'm not June Cleaver! Never have been, at one time I wished I was. Now, I just focus on being me. I am the mom who forgets at least two things every morning and has to run back into the house to get them. I'm the wife who has burned water a few times and hangs a towel over the smoke alarm to keep it from going off when I'm cooking. He's still working on me! But I am being me and not worried about being more than me. I'm moving, slowly but surely, towards becoming everything He made me to be.
When I was hurrying through the grocery store today and came to the floral section, I saw how beautiful all the flowers were and how some were just starting to bloom. Just starting to become everything God made them to be.
We are all wonderfully made by God to do great things and to bloom where we are planted. Let Him continue to mold and make you. At times the molding process isn't easy but hang in there! When you need to be reminded that you are wonderfully made by God, abundantly blessed, loved beyond measure, granted amazing grace daily, and made to bloom where you are planted....buy yourself flowers. When you want to celebrate who you are because of Him, and that He is still workin' on you....buy yourself flowers. Celebrate YOU!
Philipians 2:13
for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Thursday, January 10, 2013
MOVE! 2013
It is 2013...has been for 10 days. It doesn't feel any different than 2012 and if it goes like 2012 went I would have no complaints. But I suppose the idea is to improve on the year before and that is why so many make resolutions for the new year. The last several years I haven't made new year resolutions but rather made a theme for the year. "More than Me" was the theme when I started writing this blog. That year I realized that amazing things happen when you put feet to your faith and are aware of more than your own little world. Last year my theme was,"Make It Count." I was focused more on making every decision, every day, every word, every minute of every day count. Some days this was the furthest idea from my mind because I was just focused on making it through the day! I remember one day in July when I had three large assignments due and two boys wanting and needing my attention. I was stressing just a bit and I remember quietly repeating, Make It Count, to myself. I was refocusing my mind and it helped guide me through this moment where I was being pulled in so many directions. I had to make it count in order to give my best.
Now, I am ten days into a new year with no theme. But tonight it hit me. Have you thought about just how patient God is with you? Where I am at in my life at this very moment is due to taking some steps though doors that took me awhile to recognize as the door that was open. I'm sure we all have had times when it takes us awhile to recognize what God is providing, nudging us towards, and preparing for us. It's like we sit at the door waiting for God to open it without even realizing He has ripped the door off the hinges, and hung a huge, flashing neon arrow over the doorway with a sign saying, "MOVE! ENTER!" Wow! Was this a powerful thought for me! So this year I will be "Moving." Not in the literal sense necessarily. It's more about being aware of where the big neon sign is point to. It's acting on those thoughts of, "Oh, I wonder how so and so is?" Instead of just wondering and thinking about them, call them, text them, email, send a smoke signal...just DO something that shows them they were thought of. Maybe in your job you have been feeling like there is a change needed but the thought of walking through that door is just to much to wrap your head around. These are the times when you have to trust in the One who hung the neon sign for you. I can think of a way to MOVE in every aspect of my life and I haven't been moving like I should.
I have faith in a God that can MOVE mountains but yet I struggle to MOVE for Him....Move 2013.
Mark 11:23-24
Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Now, I am ten days into a new year with no theme. But tonight it hit me. Have you thought about just how patient God is with you? Where I am at in my life at this very moment is due to taking some steps though doors that took me awhile to recognize as the door that was open. I'm sure we all have had times when it takes us awhile to recognize what God is providing, nudging us towards, and preparing for us. It's like we sit at the door waiting for God to open it without even realizing He has ripped the door off the hinges, and hung a huge, flashing neon arrow over the doorway with a sign saying, "MOVE! ENTER!" Wow! Was this a powerful thought for me! So this year I will be "Moving." Not in the literal sense necessarily. It's more about being aware of where the big neon sign is point to. It's acting on those thoughts of, "Oh, I wonder how so and so is?" Instead of just wondering and thinking about them, call them, text them, email, send a smoke signal...just DO something that shows them they were thought of. Maybe in your job you have been feeling like there is a change needed but the thought of walking through that door is just to much to wrap your head around. These are the times when you have to trust in the One who hung the neon sign for you. I can think of a way to MOVE in every aspect of my life and I haven't been moving like I should.
I have faith in a God that can MOVE mountains but yet I struggle to MOVE for Him....Move 2013.
Mark 11:23-24
Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
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