Mondays Happen with Alarming Regularity - #write31days 10-25-16

For those who have a Monday through Friday work schedule, there can be a sinking feeling on Sunday evening when Monday is almost here! The weekends can be full and fun. But, weekends are not always restful. And, in my experience, Mondays have not been one of my favorite days. And, they seem to happen with alarming regularity!

Sometimes Monday sneaks up on us - catching us totally off guard... 

Lots of Mondays have begun this way for me...

Then there are those Monday's when our "Monday Face" lets the world know that we're definitely not ready to begin a new week. 

And, some weekends are so busy & demanding that we just can't seem to get our eyes to open or our minds to wake when Monday comes... 

Hopefully most of the time, we just bite the bullet and seize the day. We put on our best game face. We dress the part. And, we head into the day with determination to conquer the day.

But, what about those suspicious people who actually LIKE Mondays! I tend not to trust them. I'm thinking that the ones who are happy on Mondays must be...

Regardless of whether it's Monday that has you struggling or something else, don't forget to take one day at a time. And, be encouraged...

5 Minute Free-For-All - #write31days 10-25-16 Mondays Happen with Alarming Regularity

Little... but FIERCE

For the past 6 days, I've been the caregiver of the Little - our 3 and half year old granddaughter - while her Mommy is away on a trip. 95% of the time, she's a JOY with not many challenges at all. The remaining 5% of the time, she is a JOY with TONS OF CHALLENGES - all very typical to that age group though. I love being with her & she definitely keeps me on my toes! I suppose other children her age have a great memory. But, I am constantly amazed at her fantastic memory.

• After having been to our apartment complex only 3 times, the other night as we approached the entrance to the apartments, she announced, "We are home at our apartment!"
• At the Dollar General yesterday, we saw a set of Frozen kids' dishes in teal and purple. We walked out of the store with a full set in teal for less than $5. For dinner last evening, she demanded to have her food on the purple ones we saw in the store but, that I had not purchased.
• A few days ago, I gave her a choice of Cheerios or yogurt for breakfast. She announced that she wanted "product". I had no idea what she meant & began to question her about what this mysterious "product" could be. Thankfully, she caught a glimpse of a box of raisins in the cabinet & requested a bowl of Cheerios with raisins in them.
• This morning when giving her suggestions for breakfast, she exclaimed, "I told you 'last day' (her term for days, weeks, months in the past) that I wanted PRODUCT and that's what I want." After a tantrum fit or two and me walking away a few times, she calmed herself. Since I'm the ADULT & not new to this rodeo, I managed to trick #theLittle into eating some Greek yogurt, raisins & walnuts and drink some cranberry juice for breakfast while I got ready to go out & take her to the grocery store to find PRODUCT. Since she's 3 and a half, she no longer wanted PRODUCT and wanted to keep her jammie's on and watch a "movie" on PBS Kids!

"And though she be little, she is fierce."

~ William Shakespeare

And, so... early in the day, I sit here all dressed up with no place to go. And, I write about being little but fierce. I'm visually reminded of the fierceness of little children as she sits cross-legged on the sofa loudly answering the questions posed on "Super Why" and continuing to tell me that she doesn't want to go shopping and look for PRODUCT. I'm reminded of small things that have been fierce in my life too...

• One or two things someone did to hurt me years & years ago, still prevent me from looking at that person in a fresh new way -- without conditions or prejudices -- and prevent me from extending a hand of friendship to them.
• I grew up feeling insecure and continue to allow a feeling I had as a young child affect my choices and actions as an adult - even when I know better. 
• In the past I allowed the emotional baggage I carried with me to outweigh the heart & head knowledge I'd gained over the years. 
• And, I remember a time when a small white lie turned into years & years of hiding something that wasn't that big in the beginning but, grew immensely with time.

What if... just what if... even when I feel "little" in a situation or when facing a task that feels overwhelming... I can be FIERCE too!

5 Minute Free-For-All #write31days 10-19-16 - Little... but FIERCE

#JoyDare No. 4763 a Coop with a View

There are so many "chores" in life that seem unpleasant. Cleaning out a chicken coop would be one of those! And yet, even in the unpleasant things of life, we can find beauty. As I was shoveling "dirty" pine shavings into a box to carry to the compost pile the other day, I thought how most people would NOT want that chore. It's no fun to shovel then dump... shovel then dump... shovel then dump

DO NOT POST THIS

I need to vent... but, feel as though I can't really talk with anyone about exactly what I'm thinking. I feel like most people don't get me. I'm overwhelmed with what we are privately processing in our little family right now. I want prayers more than words from friends, peers and acquaintances. Encouraging quotes about change, doors opening, new adventures, etc. are great. But, there's always another eloquent quote that seems to give the opposite view. I believe so many of the encouraging quotes I see. As a matter of fact, I seem to be sharing them with myself & the stuckinindiana communities a LOT in this season.

For more years than I like to admit, I've battled

Painful Twists and Turns

This week has been a doozie (my dad used that word often). My body's weary and my head is spinning and...

I am so very grateful for my family members!

Thursday, the Little & her Mommy

Eternity in 5 Minutes or Less

I suppose this would be more accurate if titled: "Eternal Blessings in 5 Minutes or Less"

As a Christ follower I used to wonder...

* How much time do I need to spend on my daily devotions?  

* Do I need to set aside time all seven days or just six, since I attend church on Sundays?  

* Should I read a specific number of verses or chapters from the Bible?

* Should I buy a book or do something on my own?

* How much time do I need to commit to in order to be a "good Christian"?

Through the years, I've come to understand that there are not "good" or "bad" Christians.  Once you commit to follow Jesus, you are a work in progress.  It's a journey & a process that only becomes perfected on the day we stand in front of God.  As His Word says, 

"And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, 

will continue his work until it is finally finished

on the day when Christ Jesus returns." 

Philippians 1:6 

I've prayed about it & adopted the philosophy that it's not the quantity of time I spend with God that matters nearly as much as the quality of time I spend with Him.  And, in keeping with the way I handle almost every other situation in my life, I begin with baby steps.  My motto has been, "Start small... just start."  So, I have consistently set my mandatory goals rather low - with the knowledge that some days God will take me further into study & prayer and other days He will work through a small amount of time.

Today was a day that my commitment to spend 4-5 minutes reading a devotional book blessed me in a way that I'm certain no other words could have.  Without going into the details of some challenges I face lately, let me just say, the following short devotional caused my heart to SING praise to my Heavenly Father...   

MAKE THE MOST OF WHATEVER COMES 

"A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9 

Sometimes, we must accept life on its terms, not our own. Life has a way of unfolding, not as we WILL, but as it will. And sometimes, there is precious little we can do to change things. 

When events transpire that are beyond our control, we have a choice: we can either learn the art of acceptance, or we can make ourselves miserable as we struggle to change the unchangeable. We must entrust the things we cannot change to God. Once we have done so, we can prayerfully & faithfully tackle the important work that He has placed before us: doing something about the things we can change ... and doing it sooner rather than later. 

Can you summon the courage and the wisdom to accept life on its own terms? If so, you'll most certainly be rewarded for your good judgement. 

Challenging Your Faith: When you encounter situations that you cannot change, you must learn the wisdom of acceptance ... and you must learn to trust God. 

"Two words will help you cope when you run low on hope: accept & trust." ~ @ChuckSwindoll #quote  

"Acceptance says: True, this is my situation at the moment. I'll look unblinkingly at the reality of it. But, I'll also open my hands to accept willingly whatever a loving Father sends me." ~ Catherine Marshall #quote 

"Surrender to the Lord is not a tremendous sacrifice, not an agonizing performance. It is the most sensible thing you can do." ~ Corrie ten Boom #quote 

"Sheathe your sword! Should I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?" John 18:11 

"He is the Lord. He will do what He thinks is good." 1 Samuel 3:18 

"Do not remember the past events, pay no attention to things of old. Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:18-19 

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will leave this life. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Praise the name of the Lord." Job 1:21 

Today's Prayer: Dear Lord, Let me live in the present, not the past. Let me focus on my blessings, not my sorrows. Give me the wisdom to be thankful for the gifts that I do have, and not bitter about the things that I don't have. Let me accept what was, let me give thanks for what is, and let me have the faith in what most surely will be: the promise of eternal life with You. Amen 

(Directly from the pages of Finding Boundaries, 100 devotions for women published by Family Christian Bookstores)

I tweeted about it this morning: "Sitting on the patio swing in my red 'scotty dog' jammies - being blessed by God's faithfulness. He's never early, never late, always right on time!"

Eternal blessings in 5 minutes or less.... totally a possibility.  

YOU... can make it a reality!

A great YouTube video to go with this is His Grace is Greater by Larnelle Harris.

(shared this with the Ann Voskamp One Thousand Gifts community)

Too Big To Handle?

When you feel like you can't handle 3 weeks or 6 weeks or 9 weeks, you just handle one day...

Sitting here today, I realized how my little injury is somewhat like a bee buzzing around my head yet, never stopping to sting. Despite the size of my dilemma or the lack thereof, it's still a pain! 

The first three weeks sentence (no driving, no walking on trails, no bike riding, no aerobics, no hot tubs, no swimming pools, etc.) seemed a bit harsh but, manageable. The second three weeks has been much more of a challenge. The prospect of another three weeks and possibly another three weeks ... seems unbearable!

I needed a big reminder that the only way I should face challenges in life is one challenge at a time. I can handle "swatting that bee away" a few more times. I'm going to focus on the beauty that surrounds me. The gorgeous colors of summer are fading while being replaced by the rich colors of autumn. Autumn will be overcome with the crisp clear skies of winter. Perhaps in the winter I'll be back on those trails listening to the crunch of snow under my hiking boots. Regardless, if I open my eyes at THIS moment and look around, there will be beauty. Little things are often taken for granted but, those can bring me moments of joy. And really, can we really ask for more than moments of joy :)  Moments of joy sewn together create a life of joy!

"In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul."

Psalm 94:19

(from the journals - Sept 2009)