"I Don't Wanna" Confessions...Gifts from Blog Friends...and Wanna Name My Band?

WARNING A KEEPIN' IT REAL HODGE PODGE OF A POST IS ABOUT TO ENSUE:

You probably don't remember the I'm Just Gonna post I wrote back when two people read my blog. I was full of the "I Don't Wanna's" and vowed to let them rule my mood no longer when I wrote this post, as summer's end was nearing and a new school year was approaching.

Instead, my new theme was:

"No More I Don't Wanna...
From Now On, I'm Just Gonna!"

Or something catchy like that. Well, I'm looking at another school year. Sigh. And, I've been plaqued once more with "I Don't Wanna's". Time to renew my vows, I think. Time to get organized...stop squandering my time. Get it together. Get going.

In addition to the "I Don't Wanna's" in the organization department, I might as well just confess the other thing I've been slacking on. After all, we're all friends here, right? I haven't been exercising or eating right. The result...an extra twenty pounds and a lack of energy. Twenty pounds comes on fast when you're not looking. Evidence that we really do "reap what we sow"!

I'm hoping in admitting my recent struggles, I will remain accountable as I try to get back on track with healthy eating, exercise, and organization. And, also...I know that you will pray for and encourage me. And, I so appreciate that.

O.K....now that I got that off my chest, guess what?! Last week, I won prizes from two different bloggy-friends!!!! (Or chums, if you will!) I thought I'd share them here...after all, it's not every week that a girl wins... twice!

Sweet Lynnette sent me this adorable bag! Thanks Lynnette! I love this cute bag...love the colors (exactly the one I would have chosen if I was choosing) love your blog...and I love you!


And...what do you know? Another package from a bloggy-friend...


Teresa (a.k.a. Grammy Girlfriend) sent me one of her "surprise" gift boxes full of greeting cards, stationary, Christmas ornaments, and other goodies! See my look of "surprise"! Hee-hee! Thanks so much, Teresa. I love your fun blog, loved my box of goodies, and love you!


And...one final item to round out this "Keepin' it real...Hodge Podge of a Post". Tim and I are doing some music at the Corn City Festival this Saturday. Our friends, Dave and Ryan are joining us. So...we now have a band! =) But, we do not have a name. And, I thought...just for fun...maybe you wonderful, creative blog friends of mine would like to help give us some ideas! We perform Christian music...contemporary and old hymns with a twist (a little more rocker than when I perform at ladies' tea parties. As I like to say..."this ain't no ladies tea party!" You know...if I were all tough and used poor grammar like that, which I don't!) Our bass player joked that we could name the band, Sufficient Bass. I don't think so, Ryan...=) The band will hopefully (eventually) write some music and become an outreach of Sufficient Grace. Proceeds from our (one little)performance will be donated to Sufficient Grace Ministries. So, any ideas???

A Little Love and Encouragement

Welcome to this week's Tuesdays Together in the Word. To join us, please click on the button below:



I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ...
Philippians 1:3-6

I love the body of Christ. Love my church family. Love the ladies (and the gentlemen) who serve with me in ministry. Love the mothers who join me in lifting weekly prayers for our children at Moms in Touch. I love the total strangers I have met in blog land who pray for, encourage, inspire, and walk with me. Truly, from the bottom of my heart, I thank my God upon every remembrance of you. And I do pray for you, joyfully and fervently. What fellowship we have in the gospel, in the good news of Jesus.

And...I love the next part. Love this promise. He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ. He is not finished with us yet. He began the work in us...the process of making us a new creation in Him. And He will not quit until we are complete. That's a promise. He is working in our lives. Weaving a tapestry, using everything that comes into our lives to complete His good work. There are moments of amazing joy and victory...moments of great, heartwrenching sorrow and defeat. There are lessons learned. Sins and repentance. Our tears, our laughter, our will...all part of the tapestry. Our quirks, our strengths, our weaknesses, our dreams, our longings, every thought, every desire of our hearts...woven together. And, oh...what a beautiful tapestry it will be when the master Creator finishes His good work. How beautiful we already are to the One who sees us as we will be...not as we are in our unfinished state.

Can I just say that out in the cold selfish world, we don't often hear such loving sentiments? We don't often hear that we are treasured, that someone is grateful for our part in their lives, and that we are prayed for. This is not so among the body of Christ. After Paul thanks God for his fellow believers, he prays further. We see the love in the body of Christ in Paul's words: And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and in all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. ~ Philippians 1:9-11 What if we prayed this way for one another? What if the world actually operated with such love and respect for one another? Even within the body of Christ, we don't always operate in this way...we don't always encourage and pray. Sometimes, sadly our words are even discouraging. Lord, help us to have a heart that loves this way...a spirit that encourages. May we spur one another on.

There is so much about encouraging and truly loving one another in sweet unity in these verses in Philippians.

Stand fast in unity...worthy conduct...strength in numbers...
Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may heart of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries... Phil. 1:27-28

And specific instructions on how to treat one another...
Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. ~ Phil. 2:1-4

There are so many more nuggets...wisdom exhorting us to do all things without complaining or disputing. (As a mama, I have used these words many times to exhort my little men - and to remind myself when the "I dont' wannas" overtake me!) But I want to leave you with this. Many who read this blog have suffered terrible loss. Many come with broken hearts due to various struggles. The following verse reminded me of the hope we have in Jesus...that He doesn't waste anything in our lives...that He has plans that are good, a future and a hope for us.

No matter what we face. If there is one purpose in our lives, one truth, one goal, one theme, let it be this:
But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel... ~ Philippians 1:12

In all things, may He be glorified...and may He draw us closer still...and may more come to know His saving grace...

Love to you all...

Saturday

It would be a gross understatement to say that returning to work after being home with my children for a few years was an adjustment. It has been a drastic change, and even more so since I joined the ranks of full time employment. I remember my first week of teaching preschool...the getting up early and getting myself and the kids out the door with everything we needed for the day by 7:45a.m.

"Just put your head down and go...this is life for you now...just do what you have to do," I thought.

So..I did. And, when the first Saturday came, I woke up with the newly familiar weight of the urgency to rush and get ready to go. I sat up in bed, thinking we had to hurry or we would be late. Then slowly the realization dawned on me. "Today, there is no need to rush... no place we have to be. No deadline hanging over our heads," I thought. It was Saturday. I was so busy trying to adapt to this new frantic schedule, I forgot that Saturday would come.

Saturday...what an amazing gift of freedom. A day to refresh, to refuel, to stop and smell the roses. Oh...Saturday, my friend. There was a ray of hope that we would survive this upheaval. Every week, no matter what, Saturday would come.

Now, my "day job" is as an educational paraprofessional assisting special needs students the elementary school setting. (A fancy title for teacher's aide.) I work at my youngest son's elementary school. I like the people I work with. Some of them were my teachers when I was in elementary school! And, they are an inspiring group of wonderful people. I love the students I work with...love to see them learn and grow in knowledge...love to see them overcome obstacles and achieve goals. It's good stuff. I'm comfortable there and confident in my abilities to do the job.

As you've noticed, I also have a husband, two sons, and a ministry. If I made a list of priorities (which I think is important to do), it would look like this:

1. Relationship and walk with the Lord
2. Relationship with my husband
3. Mothering my children
4. Serving - in church, in ministry, and fulfilling work roles.

What I'm not good at is juggling it all and keeping the priorities in order. I want to paint a picture that I'm good at it. But the truth is, I have failed often in the areas that are most important. I missed my morning devotion time twice this week. My home is not organized. I am behind on all my home-making duties. Managing time...not my strength. On the mother front, I am in uncharted waters as the parent of a teenager. As far as the ministry, there is a pile of work growing in front of me...work I love...work I want to spend time on.

Put my head down and go. That has been my motto...the way to survive the demands of the day. And, I wake up often with yesterday's to-do list still waiting for today. By the time I arrive home to my family and the list waiting for me, I have given the majority of my daily dose of patience to other people's children, my time is limited, and my energy reserves depleted.

A recent post by Lynette pretty well summed up my heart's cry in this area of my life. Oh, how I long for simplicity...for order...for a mind that is uncluttered and free to be inspired and creative...a spirit that is refreshed...that I may give and serve others out of abundance. I am laying those desires at the feet of the Lord, and focusing on changing what needs to change...what can be changed. I'm asking Him to equip me with the grace to meet the needs of my family, the demands of work, and the blessing of serving Him in ministry. He is able, when I am not. He is faithful, when I am not. He is strong, when I am weak.

And for now...there's still Saturday...

Gifts and Flowers

I'm not the best gift giver. I try, and I want to give good gifts...but apparently, gift-giving is not one of my gifts. (Lame pun intended.) I don't send cards to my friends on their birthdays. I buy wedding gifts an hour before the wedding, or sometimes just put money in a card I purchase on the way to the wedding, or even at the drugstore in between the wedding and reception. Even my "well-thought-out" attempts have not brought glee to my receivers. My husband has disliked almost every gift I've purchased for him in the last 15 years. So, in some cases it's my disorganization and procrastination that's causing the gift-giving deficiency. And, in other cases, it's my cluelessness as to what my loved ones will love. (Example: I brought my brother such lousy gifts every year of his life that the one time I bought a good one, he didn't even try to hide his shock. He held it up and said, "This is awesome! Did you really buy this? This is from you?")I am pathetically gift-giving challenged.

So, you can understand my dismay, when on the first day of school, I looked in my mailbox to see the committee sign-up sheet. All the blanks were full except one. The Gift and Flower Committee. And all the names were crossed off the list of those who were expected to sign up for their duties, except one. Mine.

This put a major wrench in my I'm Just Gonna plans. I really "didn't wanna" have any part of the Gift and Flower Committee, and despite all my promises and determination to not complain and to start the year positive, I whined and protested a little. It's not that I mind doing my part. I don't. I would serve on other committees. It's just that I am so inadequate, so ill-equipped, so out of touch with the social-goings-on at work. I mean, in addition to my gift-giving deficiencies, I am the last person to know when anything happens at work or in the lives of my co-workers. It's really all I can do to get my own family where they need to be each day and to tend to their needs. So, it is a very real possibility that I will inadvertently miss some important event in someone's life. The flowers or card won't be sent...the gift will not be purchased. That would be horrible, and I am living in fear of that very thing.

The Bible says that we are a "new creation in Jesus". And, you know, He chooses some funny ways to work in our lives to make us that new creation. So, I'm sure it's no accident that I'm on the Gift and Flower Committee. It's meant to stretch and grow me into a more organized, conscientious, gift-giver. And, even though I was at the local grocery store choosing a card for Boss's Day (which was yesterday, in case you didn't know...I mean doesn't everyone know that?) at 7:30a.m. yesterday morning...all was well. The gift and card were delivered. And, hopefully our boss was blessed...'cause blessing others really is what giving gifts is about, right?

I'm Just Gonna...I'm Just Gonna...I'm Just Gonna...