Struggling to Do It ALL!

I'm a wife, a mom, & a DeeDee (my g'mommy name). I'm a daughter, a sister & a friend. I'm a volunteer, a blogger & a somewhat-but-hopefully-not-totally-addicted social media person. Putting all of those things together (as is the series title for this month) is a daunting challenge. But, the worst thing of all is... I'm an over-achiever. 

My childhood, youth & adulthood have been riddled with me feeling insecure and struggling

#JoyDare No. 2833. Fading Love... NEVER

I accepted a challenge in January of 2012 which was posed in a book written by Ann Voskamp. The challenge was to make note of THREE things each day in which I saw God... to keep track of 3 blessings each day. I publish a blog post after each month with a listing of the blessings that touched my heart during that previous month. It's made the sweet days sweeter and given purpose & meaning to the roughest of days. I've grown closer to God in doing this practice. I've gotten much better at seeing God in the every day happenings of life - instead of just looking for Him in the miracles or the BIG, flashy things!

Here's the "JoyDare" that will be in the 2014 August ONE THOUSAND GIFTS #JoyDare post:

2833. fading love... NEVER

My #JoyDare No. 2833. (for Saturday August 9, 2014 - day 52 of my Chautauqua adventure) was based upon a text I received that day from the LOML aka my husband :) It began on Thursday, June 19, 2014, when the girls & I were getting ready to head out & drive to Chautauqua, NY for our 54-day adventure at Chautauqua Institution. I thoroughly cleaned the house then left reminders around the house of our love for the LOML.

Here are a few reminders left on 6/19/14:

 

 

The 54 days were great... the 54 days were rough... the 54 days were a gift of love & support to our daughter as she continues to seek out her place in the art world. The 54 days were a constant reminder of the lovingkindness that surrounds me daily.

The LOML came out to visit in early July for three nights. It was great to see him & tough to see him leave for home. As the days grew closer to when he would return to help us move back home, I was filled with thoughts of thankfulness to God for putting us together to share this life. On Saturday morning, August 9th, as the girls & I were getting ready to move into our 3rd & final Chautauqua home, I received a text from him... 

My written reminders of my love for him which I'd left at home might have been fading... but, my love for him certainly was not.

And, if you know me at all, you know that the joy of my unfaded love for my husband reminded me of the unfading & unfailing love of the Lord. He doesn't love us because of what we do or don't do. He loves us because we ARE! There are no strings attached... there are no hoops to jump through... there is no being a slave to laws... there's just receiving His deep, deep love!

Written reminders on the mirror when we left:

 

Written reminders on the mirror when we returned:

#JoyDare No. 2833. Fading Love... NEVER

"The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease." Lamentations 3:22

Stuck in the Mud or Firmly Planted??



Photo by T. Getz

Have you noticed the following in your life, as I have? 

Life has a way of beating us down. 

Yet, God has a way of building us up. 

I was raised by a Church of God minister (and minister's wife/missionary's daughter). The things I learned from them that have made the largest impact on me as an adult were not the "sermons" they presented in words but, the "sermons" they presented with their actions & reactions to life's circumstances.  

My mom & dad went through a lot of challenges & changes in their married life serving God side-by-side. They weathered many storms. Why?  Because their feet were planted firmly! 

"The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock."

Matthew 7:25 

When the storms of life beat us around, we have assurance that we will make it since our feet are firmly planted on "the rock" - Jesus Christ! 

On Christ, the Solid Rock, I stand. All other ground is sinking sand!

Keep your feet firmly planted!

Birthday Eve for My Bear

Today, March 26th, is what I call "Birthday Eve" for my hubby. In the past week, I've been thinking a lot about him & our relationship more than usual. I am SO thankful that God placed him in my life. He's a wonderful friend. He's a fun husband and, I enjoy his sense of humor. I love the way that our kids are crazy about him. I feel comfortable with him, even realizing that he knows how imperfect I am. I love his drive to succeed in his career & yet make time for movie nights on the floor in the great room, eating pizza in front of the fireplace, with the family. I don't love that he can't seem to remember where the dirty laundry basket is -- even though I haven't changed its location for over 12 years. Still... I am crazy about my guy :) I grew up in a home with a father who was gentle & loving & a Godly man. He was the father of 3 daughters & made each of us feel special in our own way. As a young girl, there was never any doubt in my mind that MY parents were partners for life & would never divorce. I think that lots of kids feel that way & are then surprised by their parents growing apart. My parents were separated after 50+ years of marriage... when my father lost a brief, aggressive battle with cancer. I grieve his loss but, thank God that I was blessed to SEE a lifelong example through him & my mom. My parents had their ups & downs but, with God's help, they were committed to each other until death parted them. What was the secret to my parents' success? Was it merely their commitment to God? Can you even use the word, merely, when talking about commitment to God? Did my parents do something that other God-loving people don't do? I don't have those answers - really! I did learn some things from observing my parents for so many years though...

1. They valued time with each other. They had lunches together - often packing a little picnic lunch & sharing it together, sometimes just sitting in the car by a frozen pond in the winter. They sat in the same room together most evenings - even though my dad was often watching a TV show while my mom was sewing or mending or doing something with her hands.
2. They valued each other's personal time doing what they loved... on their own. Dad would go hit the golf ball around a course from time to time. He'd play tennis with a friend. Mom would go to a craft show in a neighboring town with her "art friends" or visit an elderly person in the nursing home. They didn't have to be together 24/7 to feel connected or committed to each other.
3. Yes, they DID place God first. Each of them read the Bible daily & had their personal prayer time. They constantly looked at how God wanted to change & improve them. They were not stagnant in their relationship with God or with each other!
4. They had a life aside from the kids (yep, they did!). They went on dates - usually free ones like a ride in the car or a walk around the block. They went to Pastors & Wives Retreats and left the 3 of us home! When we left the home for college, my parents still had things in common. When their hoousehold was just the two of them, they continued to get out & do things together.
5. They invested in & valued the lives of others! From the earliest days, I remember my parents having people over for dinners, for desserts after church, for game nights (yuck), and more. With their examples, they showed me that our efforts need to be focused outward toward all of God's children. My father visited people in his role as a pastor but, you could tell that it was one of his favorite things to do. When he retired from being a pastor, he volunteered at their new church visiting people in the hospitals or unable to leave their homes.
6. They valued FAMILY! Okay, I know that we were poor preacher's kids with hardly two coins to rub together but... vacations for our family were almost always spent in a relative's home. It was usually on the way to/from Anderson Campmeeting too. That might seem like the "cheap way out" but, think about it! You can't spend 4-5 days once to twice a year in someone's home if you can't get along with them. We weren't exactly like all of our relatives but, we learned to adapt to their schedules while in their homes. We watched their family dynamics and found our place in them. We made lifelong memories surrounding "family" times. We learned the value in the statement that blood is thicker than water.

On the eve of my hubby's birthday, I thank God that my hubby & I have adopted so many of the ideals modeled by my parents. Marriage isn't easy most of the time but, it's worth the work. When we strive for the best in ourself and the best in those we love, we become better people, as do they. When we accept each other people's short-comings; while encouraging loved ones to get back up, brush the dirt off, and learn from the fall; we become better people, as do they. When we talk openly & honestly about our struggle to let God truly guide our daily lives, we allow others to be open & honest in their dialogue.

So, on the eve of my "BearBear's" birthday, I thank God for His many blessings & ask for His continued guidance in our lives. I vow to continue with the "work set before me". I vow to continue to model principals & convictions to my children to better equip them to be Godly, responsible, caring, family-oriented adults.

Happy Birthday Eve to my BearBear

Scripture of the Day: "Lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author & finisher of our faith." Hebrews 12:1-2a