Simple Lifestyle

A humble and simple lifestyle is the source of great joy, and a holy defense against temptations and doubt. ~ Deacon Bill Steltemeir, EWTN Family Newsletter

I keep getting messages about simplicity, simplifying, leading a simple lifestyle. I had another one yesterday, but now I can't remember what it was. This morning it was this quote written at the bottom of the EWTN Family Newsletter.

What does a simple lifestyle look like? I've been [slowly] working on decluttering. I know that is the first step and I still have a lot to do. I wonder what the next step will be?

Regret

From the Life Lesson in my daily reading:

He encouraged all to work faithfully without procrastinating...Some days never come. And the price of practicality is sometimes higher than extravagance. But the rewards of risky love are always greater than its cost. Go to the effort. Invest the time. Write the letter. Make the apology. Take the trip. Purchase the gift. Do it. The seized opportunity renders joy. The neglected brings regret.

Often times I will be debating doing something in my mind (usually when I am trying to decide whether to go visit someone in the hospital, go to a funeral, stopping by a relative's when I am close), and to help myself decide I ask this question, "Will I regret doing it or not doing it?" Usually, the answer is that I would regret not doing it. So, I take the time and make the visit and I am always blessed by it.

Is this an answered prayer?

Do you sometimes wonder if your prayers have really been answered by God or are you a skeptic? Last night Sugar Pop got an email from a company that puts together compilation CDs and then distributes them to radio stations for air play. He had given them his demo when we were at the GMA Academy last weekend. They want to put one of his songs on their Spring CD (they didn't say which one). Of course, they charge for this - $1,000. This is exciting, but Sugar Pop is very skeptical and wonders if they just want money. We're going to be in prayer about this to discern if it is God's will. Please pray.

Heavenly Father, WOW! We are overwhelmed by what this opportunity could mean, but yet skeptical. Please guide us in this decision. Please give us discernment to know Your will. Following you is what is most important. Show us what You desire. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

Oreos

I walked into Honey's room this afternoon and this is what I saw. Yumm...Oreo cookies. I could have eaten that entire package. BUT, I gave up chocolate for Lent so I didn't even eat one. Whew!

Thank You

Thank you God for listening to me when I prayed through Psalms 42 & 43 yesterday. I really needed that bit of encouragement. You're the Greatest!

Comparison to Successful Losers

Vicki had an interesting post today [yesterday by the time I finished this] and asked others to go to write their thoughts on this same topic. Here is mine:

"No Quick Fixes."
In the past I have tried so many different "diets." What I am doing now is a lifestyle change and there is nothing quick about a lifestyle change.

"Be Active."
I used to struggle with getting exercise in, but now it is just what I do. My goal is to get a minimum of 10 minutes on the treadmill a day (except Sunday which is my rest day). Some days it is a lot more than that - maybe an exercise video or going to the gym and using the elliptical or lifting weights. I also do some floor exercises [almost] every day - ab work, pushups, lunges, stretching. Nothing hard or heart pumping. It is just a little extra movement every day.

"Track Your Weight."
I weigh every day and record my weight in an excel spreadsheet that calculates a weekly average of my weight. I use that weekly number as my "official" weight. My goal range is 127-131. If my weekly number is a little high, I need to cut back until I'm back in the range. (Right now I am working on getting back in the range.)

"Enlist Support."
I am a lifetime WW member and I attend at least one meeting a month. Sugar Pop is good support most of the time because he cares about his health and weight, also. However, he is the only person who tempts me with trips to Braums for ice cream. I am also active on the WW Message Boards and post daily to a thread called "10 Cent Healthy Habit Challenge."

"Start Your Day With Breakfast."
I have always been a breakfast eater. My favorite is oatmeal made with milk and parched fruit or yogurt mixed with applesauce and fiber one cereal. Perhaps I should say those are my usual breakfasts. My favorite would be french toast, but that doesn't fit into my normal food plan. ;)

"Set Small Goals."
I'm good at this. Sometimes, my goal is to just make it through the day on plan.

"Find Motivation to Get Started."
I've always had plenty of motivation to get started and just haven't always had the motivation to keep going. I've been either dieting and gaining for years now. However, for the past few years I am really learning about maintenance and it is great. I love that when I do need to lose weight it is usually just 3-4 pounds not 15-20.

"Find Motivation to Keep Going"
I don't ever want to need to lost 20 pounds again. I want to be fit and healthy the rest of my life. That is my motivation to keep going.

"Set a Limit for Regaining Pounds."
This is where my weight range comes in. I like the weekly average because then I don't have so many worries about a high-sodium meal out and gaining a bunch of water weight. It will all even out in the average.

"Plan Ahead."
I am big into planning. I plan our meals for the week before I go to the store. I plan my meals for the day in the morning. I have a "travel journal" I use when I am going to be away from home. That has been a big help in maintaining my weight. Trips used to really through me off and lead to weight gain. Having a specific place to journal food, health, fitness, etc. for trips is great. I can look back and see what worked. I can write myself notes to read before the next trip.

"Figure on Plateaus."
Because I weigh every day on a scale that measures to .2 lbs, there is always a different number on the scale. I don't really feel like I have plateaus because I'm looking at the number every day. I do remember getting kind of stuck when I had 5 lbs to lose and I finally listened to the WW good health guideline to get healthy oils. I started making a salad dressing with olive oil and that helped me lose that last 5 pounds.

"Reward Yourself."
I love rewards. They are very motivating for me. My latest was to weigh less this past Monday than the Monday before. We were going out of town for the weekend and I was tempted to just eat anything and everything I wanted. So I set that goal and my reward was a new pair of Easy Spirit workout shoes. I met my goal and my new shoes arrived yesterday. :)

"Stick With It for the Long Haul."
Oh yes, I am definitely in this for life. I have truly made a lifestyle change and I know that I must continue it. I do not want to go back to the diet/gain lifestyle I had for so many years. It is great to know that all my clothes always fit (well, except for the one pair of capris that are a little snug right now - just a few more pounds and they will be comfortable again). I plan on always journalling my food and exercise, weighing daily and getting plenty of exercise. This healthy lifestyle makes me feel good and the longer I keep up my healthy habits the easier they become. I can't imagine going back to the days when I stopped for fast food almost every day for lunch, when I was getting candy bars and chips from the vending machine. I don't want to go back to those days. I felt like I was hungry all the time because my body wasn't getting any nourishment from those foods. I love the foods I eat now and I love exercising. Life is good. This journey has been worth it.

God Helps Me be Regular

I apologize in advance if this is too much information. I just feel like maybe I just post this because it might help someone else. It's about having regular BMs, so if you're not interested, stop reading now.

I have to praise God that I am regular. Kind of weird, huh? Let me explain. In about May I started having my quiet time when I first get up. This is my routine: The alarm goes off about 5:30, I get up, empty my bladder, and start the coffee pot. Then I set down in my chair with a 24 oz bottle of water and begin my daily reading. It is usually cold in the house this early in the morning, so I set with my feet up in the chair with my knees to my chest to help stay warm. (I believe this "squatting" position is significant from something I read some time, so where, but of course I don't know where.) I drink the entire bottle and by that time the coffee is ready. Mmmm...coffee! I have it with powdered milk and a little artificial sweetner - not that how I drink my coffee makes any difference to the story, but I love it. :) Anyway, I drink my cup of coffee and continue my quiet time. By about 6:00 am, I am ready to "go." It's like clock work. I have never been so regular in my life. I don't believe it is the quiet time that is the "magic" here, I'd been having a quiet time long before this. I praise God for inspiring me to start having my quiet time first thing in the morning, for giving me the desire to start working on re-hydrating right away, for a cold house that makes me want to curl up in the chair, and for warm coffee to get things moving. God is good and He cares about every part of our lives. I praise Him and thank Him for that!

Curb Your Appetite

Curb Your Appetite for Trash by Phil Joel of the Newsboys
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is” (Romans 12:2, NLT).
I won’t lie to you—life in a rock band is amazing. I still pinch myself, half expecting to wake up as a 14-year-old boy who went to sleep surrounded by posters of my favorite bands and musicians. I’m having a blast, and touring in a band is a lot of fun. There are, however, a few challenges. One of the seemingly minor ones is that for a touring musician, the road is laden with burgers, fries and those crazy American “donut” things. Truck stops, fast food restaurants and backstage catering offer every fattening food option imaginable. Finding good nourishment can sometimes be very difficult. But, if I’m willing to put in the effort, it can always be found.
My pastor has a great saying: “You hunger for what you feed on and you feed on what you hunger for.” It’s really true! When I’m feeding myself with healthy foods, my energy levels increase and I find myself satisfied after each meal. I soon lose my appetite for the junk and become addicted to the way my body feels and functions when I’m eating well.
It’s the same principle from a spiritual angle. As Christians, we may be tempted to feed on the “junk food” of our culture: the wrong TV and Internet, pornography, the drive for fame and recognition in our own social scene, etc. If we give in to the temptation and spend little or no time with the Lord—reading His word, in prayer and intimacy with Him—we will continue to be stimulated by the “junk food.” Our minds will be coated in a “spiritual fatty layer” that will block our true potential in Christ.
The deal is this: There is an enemy of our souls. He has a plan to destroy us with a complete buffet of lifestyle garbage. I don’t necessarily mean those obvious, terrible and dark things that may tempt us. I mean anything that would distract us from pursuing God and feeding on His goodness and His words and ways. We need to ask ourselves, “Do I have a plan? How am I planning to grow and be deliberate in my pursuit of the Lord and His word?”
I’m writing about this today because five years ago, I made a conscious and deliberate decision to meet with the Lord every day arid spend time listening, learning and feeding on His presence. I renewed the simple, yet essential, practice of “the quiet time.” Rising and meeting with Him through the Bible and prayer is so important. It has radically changed my life. This is real-deal relationship-building stuff, and I need it. We all do! Without this time each morning, we risk spending our days as undernourished, ignorant, unfilled Christians who haven’t entered into the fullness of what Christ has for our lives.
In Psalm 19, King David talks about being hungry for God’s word and ways. He describes them as being “more to be desired than fine gold” and “sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.” When we eat the right foods, we build and strengthen our bodies. As we feed on God’s presence through His word and prayer every day, we build and strengthen our relationship with Him. We hunger for what we feed on, and we feed on what we hunger for.
So what are you hungry for?

This was in a devotional I received in the mail yesterday from KLOVE. I get these because I am a monthly donor, but because I have other things I am reading, I normally just throw it away. However, I thumbed through it and this article caught my attention. After being out of town for a weekend and feeding on actual junk food, I was happy to return home and return to my healthy food. However, the first couple days I definitely suffered from some cravings and came real close to devoring hot chocolate (regular - not sugar-free) and cheez-its. Now I have returned to my return and those foods do not even appeal to me. The same thing happens with my quiet time. Anytime we are away from home for a few days, my routine is thrown off and I don't get my normal quiet time. It's disrupts me spiritually and I am always very happy to be home and resume my quiet time with the Lord.

Tired of waiting?

From the Life Lesson of the Devotional Bible I am reading:

Tired of waiting for a career break? [YES!] A loving spouse? Children? Pray through this psalm [Psalm 40] when you feel impatient. Let God know your feelings, and tell him your frustrations.

I waited patiently for the Lord. He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of destruction, out of the sticky mud. He stood me on a rock and made my feet steady. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many people will see this and worship him. Then they will trust the Lord. Happy is the person who trusts the Lord, who doesn't turn to those who are proud or to those who worship false gods. Lord my God, you have done many miracles. Your plans for us are many. If I tried to tell them all, there would be too many to count. You do not want sacrifices and offerings. But you have made a hole in my ear to show that my body and life are yours. You do not ask for burnt offerings and sacrifices to take away sins. Then I said, "Look, I have come. It is written about me in the book. My God, I want to do what you want. Your teachings are in my heart." I will tell about your goodness in the great meeting of your people. Lord, you know my lips are not silent. I do not hide your goodness in my heart; I speak about your loyalty and salvation. I do not hide your love and truth from the people in the great meeting. Lord, do not hold back your mercy from me; let your love and truth always protect me. Troubles have surrounded me; there are too many to count. My sins have caught me so that I cannot see a way to escape. I have more sins than hairs on my head, and I have lost my courage. Please, Lord, save me. Hurry, Lord, to help me. People are trying to kill me. Shame them and disgrace them. People want to hurt me. Let them run away in disgrace. People are making fun of me. Let them be shamed into silence. But let those who follow you be happy and glad. They love you for saving them. May they always say, "Praise the Lord!" Lord, because I am poor and helpless, please remember me. You are my helper and savior. My God, do not wait.

Three Ways

From Devotional Bible Life Lesson:

Which areas of your life are less than totally dependent on him? Write downthree ways you can pursue holiness before God and start practicing them.

I didn't catch the significance of this at first. The fact that it is Ash Wednesday and yesterday I was trying to come up with three things to "do" for Lent. The only thing I had come up with so far was giving up chocolate which I have had planned for some time. Here are my three ways:

1. No chocolate.
2. No television watching by myself. I don't want to make a big deal about not watching television, but I need to stop using it for company.
3. Pray for someone else. I have gotten selfish with my quiet time by just spending it reading my devotionals and praying for myself. I want to make a point to pray for someone else each day.

The Thing Settled

The battle is lost or won in the secret places of the will before God, never first in the external world...If I say, "I will wait till I get into the circumstances then put God to the test," I shall find I cannot. I must get the thing settled between myself and God...and then I can go forth with the certainty the battle is won. ~ Oswald Chambers

The above passage was quoted in The Dieter's Prayer Book. I have found that having "the thing" settled is very important for my food plan. If I leave certain foods optional I am likely to indulge in trigger foods and start gaining weight. Several months ago I stopped drinking soda (I had switched to diet a long time ago...so this was giving up the diet soda also). It has been 4 months since I had one. Sunday I did. I was tired from the weekend and we had a long drive ahead of us and I wanted some caffeine. Had I been thinking clearly I would have gotten a tea instead (I seem to forget you can now buy bottles of tea). I don't feel horrible about it, but it was something I thought "was settled" and apparently I was still leaving my options open. Yes, I know, drinking a soda isn't a sin and drinking a diet soda isn't going to make me throw in the towel and start gaining weight, but I had decided to not drink them (they make me all bloated and don't quench my thirst). I thought that the thing was settled, but apparently it was not. I want the thing to be settled. How nice to look back year's from now and say, "I don't drink soda. I haven't had one since February 18th, 2007."

Back from the GMA

We're back from the GMA Academy. It was a great weekend! No, Sugar Pop wasn't discovered as the next great songwriter, but he received some good critiques on a few songs and some confirmation (from God) that he needs to do SOMETHING with his music - he's just not sure what direction to go with it next.

I also had a good time and got a lot out of the weekend. The keynote speaker was Reed Arvin and his speeches (one each morning) were excellent. We bought the CDs of those sessions to listen to again. He inspired me to give up "unnecessary striving," "flat thinking," and to not become a product of the "tyranny of the cool."

Todd Agnew was the host of the Friday night song competition. He did a great job and was quite funny. Ironically, Todd had submitted songs to the GMA before and he was NEVER chosen to even perform in competition. Moral of the story...just because Sugar Pop's songs weren't chosen either, it doesn't mean that they are good.

Longings of your heart

Selected passages from the Life Lessons in my bible reading today:

When we submit to God's plans, we can trust our desires...What do you love to do? What brings you joy? What gives you a sense of satisfaction?...The longings of your heart, then, are not incidental; they are critical messages. The desires of your heart are not to be ignored; they are to be consulted. As the wind turns the weather vane, so God uses your passions to turn your life. God is too gracious to ask you to do something you hate.

Today Sugar Pop and I are headed to the GMA Academy in Dallas, Texas. Sugar Pop writes songs and records and produces them on his computer-based studio. He LOVES it. He is definitely gifted by God and this brings him so much joy. He would love to be able to do this full-time. He doesn't have a desire to be the next Michael W. Smith, he would just like to have someone else take his songs and record them, to be able to get his music out there. He has good lyrics, lyrics that have come from God, messages that could make a difference in people's lives - but first they have to be heard. I don't know if anything will come of this weekend, but it is a step in the direction of getting his music out there for the world. I pray that God will lead us this weekend.

Lord, everything we have comes from You. You have given Sugar Pop the gift of music and filled his heart with the desire to create songs that will honor You. I pray that you will open the right doors and put the right people in our path this weekend. This music is Your music, please do with it what You will. Sugar Pop is stepping out in faith by putting it out there for other people to hear, please take that faith and take the music and spread it to whomever needs to hear the message. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

Valentine's Day

Every once in a great while a cardinal will come to my bird feeder. He has never stayed long enough for me to get a picture, but today, he did. What a great Valentine from God.

The Devotion of Hearing

THE DEVOTION OF HEARING
"Speak; for Your servant hears." 1 Samuel 3:10
Just because I have listened carefully and intently to one thing from God does not mean that I will listen to everything He says. I show God my lack of love and respect for Him by the insensitivity of my heart and mind toward what He says. If I love my friend, I will instinctively understand what he wants. And Jesus said, "You are My friends." Have I disobeyed some command of my Lord's this week? If I had realized that it was a command of Jesus, I would not deliberately disobeyed it. But most of us show incredible disrespect to God because we don't even hear Him. He might as well never have spoken to us. The goal of my spiritual life is such close identification with Jesus Christ that I will always hear God and know that God always hears me (John 11:41). If I am united with Jesus Christ, I hear God all the time through the devotion of hearing. A flower, a tree, or a servant of God may convey God's message to me. What hinders me from hearing is my attention to other things. It is not that I don't want to hear God, but I am not devoted in the right areas of my life. I am devoted to things and even to service and my own convictions. God may say whatever He wants, but I just don't hear Him. The attitude of a child of God should always be, "Speak, for Your servant hears." If I have not developed and nurtured this devotion of hearing, I can only hear God's voice at certain times. At other times I become deaf to Him because my attention is to other things - things which I think I must do. This is not living the life of a child of God. Have you heard God's voice today? (My Utmost for His Highest)

Lately I have felt so distracted by some many things. I am sure I have missed God speaking to me. Today I want to hear Him.

Open my Ears Lord, I want to hear You.

Self-inflicted Harm

I was cleaning out my "sent items" and ran across this. It is from a devotional I read June 30, 2005 (I suppose I should clean out my sent items more often).

Self-inflicted Harm by John Chrysostom

God requires two things from us: to condemn ourselves for our sins and to forgive others. The former is for the sake of the latter. For those who consider their own sins are more lenient toward their fellow-servants. It’s easier, then, to forgive from the heart and not merely with the lips.
Therefore, don’t thrust the sword into yourself by being revengeful. For how does the grief you have been afflicted with compare to the ones you will face by remaining angry and bringing on God’s condemnation? If you are careful, and keep yourself under control, the evil will come upon the head of your afflictors. They will suffer harm. But if you continue to be indignant and displeased, then you will suffer harm from yourself. . . See how much you gain by meekly bearing the spite of your enemies. First and greatest, you gain deliverance from sins. Secondly, strength and patience. Thirdly, gentleness and goodness. For those who don’t know how to be angry with their afflictors that grieve them will be much readier to serve those that love them. Fourthly, you will always be free from anger. Nothing can equal this. For those who are free from anger are clearly delivered from discouragement too. They won’t spend their live on useless burdens and sorrows. . . . They will enjoy pleasure and ten thousand blessings.

There are certain times and certain people that I am quick to harbor anger with...I need to read, re-read, and take this passage to heart.

Run for God

It’s been said that the key to success is to be good at failing. In the midst of our own mistakes, failures, and even foolish rebellion against our own goals, great opportunities to change our course often present themselves. And God is interested in one thing: full restoration. He doesn’t forgive us more deeply if we first beat our heads against the wall, throw in the towel, or decide just to give up. Failure is part of the long path to success. It’s our response to failure that makes all the difference. When the apostle Peter failed, Jesus gently restored him, but not by saying, “I can’t believe you did that!” and going over each incident when Peter denied Him. Instead, He affirmed what He knew to be good and true about Peter, nudging him to see for himself by his answer to Jesus’ question, “Do you love me?” Judas, on the other hand, who underestimated God’s loving-kindness and forgiveness, punished himself pointlessly and irreversibly by taking his own life in guilt and shame. When you waver, reach for Him. When you start sinking, call out His name. He’ll be there, and He’ll welcome you back into His arms just readily as He did the first time you stumbled. When you fail, run for God, not from Him.

The is from The Dieter's Prayer Book. Why is it that we we fail, we want to run and hide? It seems against our nature to admit our failure and ask forgiveness. I guess it goes back to the beginning, doesn't it? When Adam and Eve failed, they hid from God. Here we are thousands of years later still hiding. God doesn't want that for us. He wants us to come to Him. We are afraid that God will pay us back for what we have done. There was a line in last week's sermon that has stuck with me, "God doesn't use discipline to pay us back, but to bring us back." Let's run to God!

Praying for the Walk

It is my time to pray...

This weekend there are 36 ladies on a retreat called the Walk to Emmaus. During the 72 hours of the retreat they are covered in prayer. Members of the Emmaus Community sign up for half hour times slots to pray. Now it is my turn.

Dear Heavenly Father, I lift up the ladies of Walk #194 to you. I know that You are there with them and that you are blessing them during this special weekend. I thank You for all You are doing - for the hearts that are being healed, for the forgiveness that is being received, for the joy that is filling that place, for the tears that are being shed and for the laughter that is being shared. Oh, I know that a wonderful time is being had by all! Lord, please continue to watch over the pilgrims, the team members and the clergy. If there are hearts that have not opened yet, I pray that You would gently move them. I pray for the community members that will be traveling this evening to join together in worship and prayer. Please keep them safe. I pray for the family members of the pilgrims and the team. I pray for everything at home to run safely and smoothly and that you would prepare them for their loved ones return. You are such a mighty and awesome God and I thank you for the Walk to Emmaus and the way you have used it to bless so many people and to help so many grow in their relationship with You. I pray for each person that will be sponsored by one of the current pilgrims on this walk, and for the people they will sponsor, and on and on and on. I pray that You will be forever glorified in the lives that have been touched through this ministry. In Jesus' Name I Pray. Amen.

Growing Old

Quesstions from the "Abundant Life" study guide in the Max Lucado Study Bible I am reading:

Describe a person you know who has aged gracefully.
My mom. She was always kind and loving. I think this verse described her: The ways of right-living people glow with light; the longer they live, the brighter they shine. - Proverbs 4:18. I wish she would have lived longer and been able to shine brighter.

What is the difference between living long and really living?
Really living means enjoying life, being content, having the joy of the Lord in your heart. Living long would be depressing without that.

Why do you think so many people fight the natural aging process?
Pride. Fear of sickness. Fear of eternity.

What are some fears people have about growing old?
Fear of becoming disabled. Fear of losing their mind. Fear of pain and suffering and sickness. When mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer she told me, "I'm not afraid of dying, I'm afraid of what I might have to go through to get there."

What criterion do you think we should use in looking back over a lifetime and evaluating its worth?
It is not the "stuff" you accumulate or the places you visit it is the relationships you form and the people whose lives you touch.

What are the "how to's" for enjoying the life God gives us?
Resting in the Lord and relying on Him for our strength. Having God in our hearts so that we are not constantly looking to fill our live with material things that do not satisify.

Do you think old age gives you more or less ability to enjoy life?
More. As we grow older we (hopefully) also grow wiser and troubles don't seem so pressing and urgent.

What do you fear most about aging? Why?
See the fears I listed above.

What stage of life do you think is the best and which is the most challenging? Why?
I'm going to guess that retirement will be best assuming I am healthy and can pursue the hobbies and volunteer work I would like to. The teenage years have got to be the worst - so much growing up going on, maturing to do, and we haven't gained much wisdom yet.

What can we do when we feel discouraged about growing old?
Remember that every day is one day closer to getting to be the Lord for all eternity.

This is the Day

This is the Day

This is the day (this is the day)
That the Lord hath made (that the Lord hath made)
I will rejoice (I will rejoice)
And be glad in it (and be glad in it)
This is the day that the Lord hath made,
I will rejoice and be glad in it!
This is the day (this is the day),
That the Lord hath made.

I was feeling down this morning and this song came to mind so I started singing it. It made me feel better. Beware of the link though...it is a pretty "hokey" version of the song.

Filling the empty places

"When an evil spirit comes out of a person, it travels through dry places, looking for a place to rest, but it doesn't find it. So the spirit says, 'I will go back to the house I left.' When the spirit comes back, it finds the house still empty, swept clean, and made neat. Then the evil spirit goes out and brings seven other spirits even more evil than it is, and they go in and live there. So the person has even more trouble than before. It is the same way with the evil people who live today." ~ Matthew 12:43-45

I have the desire in my heart to simplify my life and my main motivation is to make more room for God. This verse serves as a warning to me that as I simplify and make room, that I need to be sure and fill it with Him, instead of other things. I remember one Lent I decided to have protein bars for my breakfast and lunch every day so that I could use that time to spend with the Lord. However, a lot of that time saved was spent running errands and doing other things, instead of what I originally intended.

Lord, as I simplify my life and surroundings, please come and fill them with your presence. I want you here and nothing else. Amen.

Routines

As always, I desire to grow closer to God. I want to remove the many distractions in my life that keep me from focusing on Him. I've been without my computer the past few days and weirdly that is distracting me. You would think that would allow me to focus on God more - that my computer would be a distraction. In some ways it is, but right now I am wondering what it is going to take to fix it, I am keeping the many thoughts that I record in my computer on my mind instead of being able to put them in my computer and then forget about them. My routine is off and that is distracting. But I am learning...I am learning to trust Him. I am learning to relax. I am learning that my routine really is important. The routine is important because it keeps a lot of my day on auto-pilot. I don't have to focus as much on what needs to be done and I can focus more on Him. However, my routine can also make me rigid and inflexible. God is always teaching me...but am I always learning? I don't know, but I am trying to listen to Him and learn from these daily struggles.

I need...

Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn't a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in. ~ Matthew 7:7-8 (The Message)

1. I need my computer fixed.
2. I need a new job.
3. Most of all I need YOU! I need you living in me, walking with me, guiding me, teaching me, making me more like You.

That's it...

Ecce, Fiat, and Magnificat

This was from the March EWTN newsletter. It is written by Deacon Bill Steltemeier.

In addition to praying for an increase in the virtue of reverence, sometimes we need some extra help in meditating upon the profound mysteries of our Faith. I recently read something about Our Lady that aided in my own meditation on her life and her relationship to the Father. The crux of what I read explained that Our Lady’s life can be summed up by three words: ECCE, FIAT, and MAGNIFICAT. As we prepare for the great Solemnity of the Annunciation, I encourage you to take these three words to prayer:
Ecce — "Behold the handmaid of the Lord.” This was Our Lady’s response to the Angel Gabriel. Her “Ecce” is synonymous with her availability to God. Mary was ever ready (and remains ever ready) to fulfill her Lord’s command. How available am I to the Lord when I hear His call?
Fiat — “Let it be done to me according to your word.” Obedience, especially prompt obedience, is a fitting offering to make to the Lord. He never imposes Himself upon us, yet we can be 100% sure that if He asks us to do something, it is for our good. The Lord will never abandon us, particularly when we strive to do His Will in a spirit of obedient surrender.
Magnificat — “My soul magnifies the Lord.” To exalt God is the quintessential cause of our joy. Praising the all-loving, all-merciful Father is the path to ultimate
fulfillment. To exalt ‘self’ only leads to misery and disappointment. Our Lady pointed the way, as her soul proclaimed the greatness of the Lord. Let us jealously follow her example.
Family, daily, even hourly, we each have the opportunity to repeat these words to the Lord: “Behold, here I am Lord. I have come to do Your Will, for I know that You alone are worthy of all praise!” Let us join our own Ecce, Fiat, and Magnificat to those of Our Lady. It is in this way that we will most perfectly model our life after hers.

I liked this. I particularly like the line, “Behold, here I am Lord. I have come to do Your Will, for I know that You alone are worthy of all praise!” It sound like something that would be a good part of my personal mission statement. No, I don't have a personal mission statement. I read all the time that I should, but I have never come up with one. I'm sure the main reason I never has is because of my perfectionist procrastination - I don't know how to make it perfect, so I put off doing it at all. Maybe that should be one of my goals for 2007.

He cannot bless us unless He has us

This is from A Year with C.S. Lewis:

For it is not so much of our time and so much of our attention that God demands; it is not even all our time and all our attention; it is ourselves. For each of us the Baptist’s words are true: “He must increase and I decrease.” He will be infinitely merciful to our repeated failures; I know no promise that He will accept a deliberate compromise. For He has, in the last resort, nothing to give us but Himself; and He can give that only insofar as our self-affirming will retires and makes room for Him in our souls. Let us make up our minds to it; there will be nothing “of our own” left over to live on, no “ordinary” life. I do not mean that each of us will necessarily be called to be a martyr or even an ascetic. That’s as may be. For some (nobody knows which) the Christian life will include much leisure, many occupations we naturally like. But these will be received from God’s hands. In a perfect Christian they would be as much part of his “religion,” his “service,” as his hardest duties, and his feasts would be as Christian as his fasts. What cannot be admitted—what must exist only as an undefeated but daily resisted enemy—is the idea of something that is “our own,” some area in which we are to be “out of school,” on which God has no claim. For He claims all, because He is love and must bless. He cannot bless us unless He has us. When we try to keep within us an area that is our own, we try to keep an area of death. Therefore, in love, He claims all. There’s no bargaining with Him. —from “A Slip of the Tongue” (The Weight of Glory)

The line, "He cannot bless us unless He has us," really struck me. There have been so many times in my life that I have cried out to God for His blessing, usually when I was struggling with something. How many of those struggles have been caused by not giving myself totally to Him? When I am living with my whole body, heart, mind and soul for God, I feel blessed all the time. Even during difficult times, I feel blessed because I know God is with me and I am with Him. Of course, the difficult times are still difficult and I would rather not go through them at all, but I would much rather go through them with God than without Him. I could not bear the difficulties of life without Him. I would feel crushed under the weight of them. But I am yoked with Christ and He helps me carry those burdens.

Procrastination

I am a procrastinator. It is a really bad habit of mine. I always seem to be putting things off until the last minute. This morning I got a message (I believe it was from God) that I need to work on eliminating this bad habit.

I prepare a newsletter (print and web) for the local Emmaus community. I had not finished the one for February. I get up this morning...and my computer has rebooted itself and I've got a message about a critical file being missing. Just Great! Thanks to Sugar Pop searching the web on his computer (fortunately we have THREE in the house), I was able to at least get it running although there is still something wrong. I was able to forward my file for the print newsletter to my gmail account "just in case" it went down again. It occurred to me that IF I hadn't been procrastinating, I would have already finished the newsletter and I wouldn't have been quite so stressed about the situation.

So...today I have been on an anti-procrastination kick. Here is a list of things I have accomplished today. Other than the newsletter, they are all things I did consider procrastinating on, but I decided that if God is giving me a message to Do It Now Girl (DING!), that I better do it.
1. Finished print newsletter and forwarded to the printer.
2. Finished web newsletter and uploaded.
3. Checked the mail at the UPS store.
4. Got my oil changed (due 1/28)
5. Got my inspection sticker (due last month - grace period runs out Monday)
6. Filled up with gas (down to a 1/4 tank)
7. Put more toilet paper in the master bathroom

Hopefully this anti-procrastination quick will last through the weekend!

Heavenly Father, Help me to remember the message you have given me. Help me to make good use of my time instead of putting things off until later. Later you might have something else planned for me and I need to be available for your service. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

Hopeless?

Have you ever been in a hopeless position at work, school, or home? Have you felt trapped and powerless to act? Remember, God hears our needs and answers prayers in the manner that will help us, serve his will, and often surprise us. Trust God in prayer right now for special guidance today.

This is from the Life Lesson in my bible reading today. Yes, I feel like I am in a hopeless position at work. So, yes, I did pray to God as soon as I read this. God is good!