Getting myself straighted up!!

I look around and my eyes automatically head straight for the "undone" things... the basket of laundry needing folded, the games at the bottom of the stairs, the boots sitting out..... My ears prick to the whining, to the disrespectful tones.   My fleshly nature is to see and hear the negative, the undone, the frustrations.... the total opposite of how I want to be!!  It takes a deliberate effort to focus on the positive, the good, the fun, the right.   However, I know I am not alone and I know that she has also found the wonderful antidote to this heart matter.... gratitude.

CHOOSING simplicity = CHOOSING to focus on the GOOD!!  This is not automatic in my life... yet.. but as I CHOOSE this way of life it is getting easier and easier!!

This morning as I was getting myself and the kids (plus the 2 children that come for before school childcare) ready for the day my mind was at battle within my.  My silent litany on all the things I should have gotten done over the weekend, the things I need to do, the ways I'm not 'good enough', etc.  I was working myself up in a tither... why????  Why do I this to myself.  Finally, I had enough and deliberately CHOSE to change the direction in my mind and start telling myself all the good!!  There is a TON of GREAT things about the last several days and as I focused on them my heart began to relax, my mind began to have peace and my Spirit thanked me for following the way of gratitude.  Ahhh... so much better!!

So what kind of GOOD things do I have to focus on??

Thursday mornings I spend with a fantastic group of ladies as we are working our way through Elizabeth George's book A Woman's High Calling.   You all know how much I value real life friendship and this new group of ladies is a HUGE blessing in my life!!  I have been a part of a Women's Bible study for the past 4 years.... it is vital to me.  However, I felt God calling me to start a new group at my house with local ladies from my own rural area and small town.  (the group I was in before was in the "big town" about 30 minutes away)  It was hard to pull away from my previous group... such a fabulous group of women after God's own heart!  In fact it took me nearly 6 months to follow God's leading.  God's growth sometimes requires us to step out of our comfort zone!!

On Friday I spent the morning with a friend teaching her how to make bread.  We laughed, we talked, we kneaded dough!  We had a blast and we enjoyed a big cinnamon role fresh from the oven.  Another day of friendship and fun time in the kitchen... two of my favorite things!!

Friday evening my husband and our only daughter, Robyn(age 11),  joined other Dads and daughters from Robyn's Bible study group for a Daddy Daughter date night at a nice restaurant followed by a movie.  They both got all dressed up and had a great time together.  Robyn enjoyed it so much and she felt so special.  It means so much to a girl to hear her Dad tell her she is loved and beautiful and to be treated like a lady.  It fills her heart so that she doesn't need to be out looking for other guys to tell her these things!!  I am so thankful that my husband does a good job of telling her she is pretty, loved and valuable.

While Chris and Robyn were out Friday evening the boys and I ate FUN food (corn dogs and french fries), played rounds and rounds of UNO and then watched two movies.

When I start to feel the pressure of so much to do (there is always a ton to do) I CHOOSE to focus on all that I did get accomplished over the weekend:

• Planted seeds inside by our south window in preparations for the GARDEN!!  Yippee!!  I planted peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, sage, chives, leeks and a flat of aster flowers
• Planned menus for the next two weeks and wrote out the shopping list
• Went shopping with my daughter... fun time... haven't been shopping with her in a few months since I normally shop while they are at school.
• Unloaded and put away all the groceries with a bunch of help from my family.... :)
• Finished up our new black board wall (I will write a post about that soon) and filled it with a BIRTHDAY drawing in celebration of our Ethan's 8th birthday this week.
• Made a big batch of "Better Butter"
• Packaged up individual baggies of things for packing school and work lunches (this makes the moring rush so much easier).
• Made a batch of cookie bars (didn't turn out as good as I hoped, but we are not having any trouble eating them)
• READ for several relaxing hours!!!!

I do have SO very many wonderful accomplishments to focus on and I also need to remind myself that my VALUE does not come from what I DO... It comes from WHO I am in CHRIST!!

Well... I need to get OFF the computer and start my day strong.  I have an extra special task today: baking cupcakes for our Ethan to take to school tomorrow in celebration of his birthday!  I'm also going to brown up 10 pounds of ground meat to freeze for later use (Efficient Cooking) and have a mountain of laundry to tackle.  I am CHOOSING to have a GREAT day and a day full of living out the plan and purpose God has for me.  Doing laundry, cooking and baking cupcakes are all MINISTRY work that God has given to me as wife and mother!!  Praise the Lord!!



Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather

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