Eventful Day

The very title of this post suggests that I have days that are uneventful. I wish. Maybe I should work on that, a day of doing nothing. But then I would be bored. Hmmm. 1. Turbo Kick Boxing - check. Blanca was out but Tanya did a pretty good job. She wasn't Blanca by any stretch of the imagination, but either way it was good for me. There weren't many people there, probably because Texas decided it should be winter again after it being almost 80 yesterday, but I am still glad I did it. 2. Pedicure - check. Not that any of you will see my toes any time soon since it is winter again (see item above). Ugh. But trust me, they are beautiful! I told BJ a week or so ago that he should get me a gift certificate to a pedi/spa like he did last year for our anniversary. He said, "You could just go get a pedicure." Duh. Why didn't I think of that? I guess I'm just not in the habit of doing things for me unless there is a special occasion. Thanks to BJ, I went and got my pedicure and didn't even have a gift certificate to pay for it. 3. Easter Clothes Shopping - check. Went to Kohls, bought new clothes, don't have to do it next weekend or the next with all the last minute crazies. Please don't take offense if you are a last minute kind of person. I really didn't mean to insult you. I am just usually right there with you, but this year, I am ahead of schedule. Yippee for me. 4. Whataburger for Lunch - check. I got the normal #8 which I have wanted for a while, but BJ always seems to go to Whataburger for lunch during the week and isn't interested in having it for dinner for that reason. I was so sad to realize they didn't give me any gravy. It's just not chicken strips and toast without the gravy. Oh well, at least I got the chicken I suppose. 5. Laundry - check. Well kinda. I folded laundry from last weekend. I know, I am a slacker in that area. I actually don't care if we have to live out of the laundry baskets for our socks and underwear. We survive. I also did another load of laundry, but need to get it out of the dryer and fold it. I'm sure the folding will be put off until next weekend. That's just how I roll. (I am laughing out loud at my use of that phrase. It is so not me.) Left to go for tonight I have to finish my Sunday School lesson and children's church prep for tomorrow. I actually should be working on that right now, but I begged BJ to get to use the computer so I could post. I had all these thoughts running through my head as I went to Sonic to get a half price Cherry Dr. Pepper during happy hour. He has been working on a few website updates for clients since he got home from work. Ok, I have to tell you this funny story in closing. Ok, I love puns. LOVE THEM!! I think it is hilarious when people say punny things. BJ would say it is corny, but I still love it. With that being said, BJ said the punniest thing this week and I must share. We were watching the biggest loser on Tuesday. I must interrupt myself to say that I always cry when people leave the show, seriously, I do. Am I the only one who does this? Ok, back on topic, we were watching the show and BJ said, you know what song they should play when she leaves the ranch? He was referring to Sunshine. She is on the Bob's team if you follow the show. My answer of course was "Ain't no sunshine when she's gone" by Bill Withers. (This is where you either think I'm crazy, or you laugh out loud.) BJ was embarrassed that the thought even enteredh his mind, but I love him so much more for it. He felt as if our friend, Ricky, had drained some of his infinite punniness into BJ's head. Ricky used to go to church with us and was forever being punny. He is probably the punniest person I know. Anyway, I hope this story brought a smile to someone's face, because even reiterating it here has made me laugh again. You may be wondering why I am posting twice in two days. Well, because I am off today! I'm sure the next three and a half weeks will be crazy at work, but at least today, I have a moment to share my life and the crazy randomness of it all. I hope someone appreciates my effort.

A Blog Colage

Over the past 9 days I have had several thoughts that I wanted to blog about, but haven't take the time to do so. No, there will not be any pictures in this colage, but rather several smaller blogs with random topics, so here it goes. Weakness is Beautiful So if I choose to do something, I give everything I can to make sure it is done well. This doesn't mean I'm perfect by any means, but I am definitely an over achiever. Secretly the reason I do so much is because my love language is Words of Affirmation and it is in my nature to do things that will draw those around me to affirm my efforts. I realize that this seems like I am fishing for compliments, which I guess I am in some way, but I feel good when I do things well. With that being said I guess I should get on to the topic this mini-blog is about, weakness. There are several people who have told me that I never mess things up. My pastor even jokingly said, "Sandra, would you please mess up on the piano every once in a while so the rest of us don't look so bad." I guess I do a better job hiding my mistakes than I thought. Trust me when I say I mess up all the time. Every week at church on the piano I bet I mess up at least 5 times, at least. Maybe the reason people think I am perfect is that I don't focus on my mistakes or draw attention. Who wants to be remembered for the ways they mess up? Not me. Over the past few years I have definitely chilaxed a bit (That word makes me feel like I'm in high school again and I have to admit I giggled a little when I wrote it. For you who may not know, chilaxing is a mixture of chilling and relaxing. Ok, back on topic.) Messing up used to be a traumatic experience with me. I would literally be in tears when I messed up on the piano or failed to meet my own expectations. So, basically if I messed up, everyone in the same county as me would know it. I wouldn't shout it from the roof tops, but I would be basically sobbing uncontrollably without the hope of consolation from anyone. I say that all to say that God has changed me so much in the past few years. Yes, I still like to do things well, but if things don't turn out perfectly, it's okay because weakness in beautiful. God doesn't expect me to be perfect, he actually likes when I'm weak because then his strength can shine through and he can get the credit he deserves.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I Corinthians 12:9

Heritage of Victory So I found this Bible verse while reading this week sometime and it was just what I needed.

"No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord..." Isaiah 54:17

Not many of us take our heritage seriously. I guess the main reason I don't really think about or celebrate my heritage is that I have so many heritages I am basically a human mutt. Celebrating every part of my heritage would include having some holiday to celebrate every week and it would just be too much. Your heritage should be celebrated, especially the heritage you have received from God by being his child. I like the fact that this verse says my heritage is to be victorious over all the weapons of the Devil and every lie he tries to tell me. The Bible tells us that the Devil is the accuser who keeps trying to remind us of our sins, but my heritage is to oppose him when he tries to get in my mind. The main battle we fight against the Devil is in our mind. He tries to get us to doubt, to get us to be condemned, to get us to give up. If he can convince us of these things, he's beat us. I also like the fact that my heritage is not to tell God to get rid of the lies the Devil is annoying me with but for me to refute every tongue that accuses me. It's my job and responsibility to fight for me. In a recent church service, one of my friends shared with us that she has been asking God for things and wasn't seeing God answer her. She asked Him why and He said that He had given us the authority to deal with things and it was time for us to defeat the devil with the authority God gave us. Wow! Update on My Life Ok, so this last mini-blog isn't profound or even spiritual, but just a catch up on what has been going on with us. Work is crazy, but what else can be expected mid March at a CPA firm? Monday nights since mid-January we have been having Monday night Bible studies at church on deliverance. I started going in February once payroll was done, and next Monday is the last week. God has been doing some great things. I have finally made time for me. I have been going to Turbo Kick-Boxing on Saturday mornings at 8:30 at the Mansfield 24-Hour Fitness. I love it. Blanca is the best! I was trying to fit in 3 exercise sessions a week and it just wasn't happening. It was too much for me with my crazy schedule and all the things I like to be involved in. Once a week is good and I am starting to get some definition in my calves and arms. Did I say I love it, because I really do! Ok, so there you have it, a blog colage. It almost rhymes. If it did, it would make me even more giggly cause I love rhymes and puns. They make me smile! Coming Soon to a Blog Near You, maybe, if I get around to it, eventually -Anniversary weekend get away to the Arbuckle Mountains -Planting flowers in the spring and new flower bed:)

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be. Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided; Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! No matter what is going on or what things look like, God is still faithful. Actually it is impossible for God to not be faithful. It is his very character. When everything else changes, God is constant. I've been reading these books by Karen Kingsbury. She is Christian fiction author and the series I have been reading is about this family that goes through so many things. Death, Divorce, Murder, Stillborn Babies, Infertility, Terminal Illnesses, Life Changing Accidents, and so much more. But no matter what they are faced with, their theme song continues to be Great is Thy Faithfulness. I want to be the person with that perspective no matter what I face or endure. Sometimes when we pray, God changes our situations, but oftentimes God changes us so that we can go through the circumstances with his strength and a perspective that says no matter what, God is faithful. I choose to focus on the faithfulness of God and not the struggles I find myself in. You know, when you look at your problems, they are all you can see. But if you look at your faithful God, the situations pale in comparison. Because He is always faithful.

Bad Things Happen to God's People

I know we have all asked God why at some point in our lives. It doesn't make sense to us that people who do all the right things and serve Him with everything endure some of the most difficult things in life. If we were to determine who had to deal with such hardship, we would pick the person who ignored God and refused him, the murderer, the sexual predator, the bad guy instead of the one who made the decision to follow God, instead of good people. The reality is that life isn't fair. There is sin in the world and while we are in the world we will have to endure difficult things. Praise God that he doesn't leave us in the storm. He never leaves us. Never. It is during the storms that we realize who we believe in and that He is worth it. We are tempted to doubt and tempted to deny our God, but we learn that he is the only one who can sustain our souls and give peace in the midst of turmoil. This morning in church, God told us that he was with us and surrounding us with his love if we would just accept it and receive his love. On that note, let me leave you with the words to a chorus I have grown to love, especially in the time of storms. I want to sit at your feet. Drink from the cup in your hand, Lay back against you and breath, Feel your heartbeat. This love is so deep. It's more than I can stand. I melt in your peace, It's overwhelming.

Come

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 So, why does God tell us to come to him? The main reason we hear about is that he wants us to come because he is the only one who can satisfy our needs, who fulfills us completely. I am not discounting that at all, because that is great, but there is another reason that God keeps calling us to come. Because we won't come to him unless he begs us. We have it all figured out and we know exactly what we need and how to get it, so we go through our days as usual trying everything we know to try. Not until we fail and have no other options do we finally run to God and seek his help and his ways. 09/11 is a perfect example of this. America didn't want God until tragedy hit and for a few weeks, churches were full. We didn't know what else to do at that point, so we turned to God. Then life was back to normal and we returned to doing things our way. God is not supposed to be our last resort like a long desperate pass with seconds left in the end of a football game. God wants to be our only resort, the one we turn to first and not after we are out of plans and ideas. The one we go to before the tragedy hits and not afterward so he can pick up the pieces of our lives and clean up the mess we've made. We have heard the saying "God helps those who helps themselves" so many times that we think it is Scripture. It isn't. I'm not saying that God wants us to be lazy or stupid in our decisions, but the best we can do on our own is just like filthy rags to him. So why do we waste so much time doing all we can, when God is just asking us to come to him? When we come to God first, he leads us and lets us know what to do all along the way and we don't wear ourselves out in an attempt to make our filthy rags appear to be something valuable to those watching us. So give up your ways, and run to God. He is waiting for you to come.