 Are you busy? Several years ago, I had an awakening to what it means to be busy. When my oldest, now 14, was a little guy, my husband owned his own delivery business. He delivered documents, groceries, prescriptions, t-shirts, flowers, King Cakes ... you name it. He delivered all over Baton Rouge and New Orleans and worked 12-15 hour days. I would run deliveries for him most days, packing our son into a carseat and driving all over town. I was nursing, running between naps, keeping up the house, keeping the books for our business, leading a small group for church, attending a small group at church, and building a house 30 minutes from where we lived. I felt rather busy. One night at our small group, a friend of mine who was newly married and very young, didn't work a job, was taking 9 hours in college, and her parents had given her a house for her and her husband to live in, said, "I almost didn't make it tonight. I'm just SO BUSY." I about came out of my skin! I gotta tell you, I was not exactly sympathetic with her that night - I didn't say anything to her, but I certainly wasn't going to console her for her "busy" schedule of taking 9 hours in school with NOTHING else on her plate and no mortgage.
For the next few days, I actually stewed over her innocent statement and then I came to a conclusion. We are ALL busy in our own ways! We can't compare our schedule to the schedule of others. God gives each of us what we can uniquely handle. Just to let you know, this beautiful young lady now has 2 kids and has worked very hard to finish school, build their own nice house with almost no mortgage, and stays active in church leadership. She WAS busy, in her own unique way, at that time in her life. I'm sure she feels a different kind of busy now. :) So, I ask you again, are you busy? I'm positive we are all busy in our own ways. Different seasons of life bring different schedules and different types of busy. Marriage, kids, career, homemaker, caretaker, work relationships, church relationships, leadership - all require us to be "busy." And it can be difficult to find time to even sit down and enjoy a moment of silence. For this reason, we have got to be intentional and proactive with our relationship with Christ, especially during our busy seasons. It can be very obvious when that relationship gets pushed to the back burner because of our business. Our attitudes, our moods, our perspectives, our self-images...the way we work, the way we mother, the way we lead and manage...our emotions, our responses, our reactions. Everything can suffer if we allow our Spiritual life to suffer. Choose today whom you will serve. Will you serve a calendar? An emotion? A sleepless nite? A lesson plan? A client? Your checkbook? Your family? Your job? None of these in and of themselves are bad things, but when you serve them and put them above your personal growth and relationship with Jesus, they become idols. Even good things can become idols when they are put above God. Build your life on a solid foundation, THE solid Foundation. Maybe He's already your Foundation, but maybe that's all He's allowed to be. Maybe you’ve been focused on asking God for things and asking Him to be on your side. Maybe it's time to ask what can you do for Him and evaluate whether or not you are on His side. Ask Him again what He wants you to become for His glory, and spend time listening to His answer. It’s a choice and you HAVE a choice – it’s up to you! We are all on a journey of becoming. It’s ok to reevaluate our lives and discern when we need to tweak some things. We have a choice to stay where we are or continue growing. Choose today whom you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Thanks for being a part of my journey! - jenny
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 CHOOSE to be Present!
This may seem rather obvious, but many times, this is one of the hardest things to do. We spend time looking back at our past, with regrets, dwelling on what’s happened to us months ago, or even years ago. We spend time pining over what we feel we’ve lost or missed out on. Sometimes we even allow our past to dictate what we think we can accomplish today and who we think we are. While it can be healthy to REFLECT on your past, it can be very UNhealthy to dwell on it. Reflecting on the past can help us learn from our mistakes, and learning from situations and circumstances in our past can help us grow and help us understand more about ourselves. However, dwelling on it can cause us to stay focused on the things that are OVER. You know you can’t change the past. And hopefully you believe that God wastes nothing – there are No Wasted Moments! So, TURN THE PAGE! Learn from yesterday but live for today. For some of us, it’s not our past that preoccupies our minds, it’s our future. We are so concerned and worried about every detail, that we miss the beautifully intricate details of our lives now. God’s word tells us not to worry about tomorrow, it will take care of itself. It even reminds us that we are not promised tomorrow. It’s healthy to plan, and plans can help you avoid missteps. Plans and goals can help you stay on track and stay on the path God has set before you. When you have a clear identity and purpose for your life, you can even avoid some bumps in the road as this helps you avoid bumpy paths you weren’t meant to travel. However, when the focus becomes the future, you again miss today! We’ve got to Choose to be present, and choose what we focus on. Not in past, not the future, but on what Philippians 4:8 says – what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Set your expectations on what God has in store for you today – in the PRESENT! Don’t miss what He has for you today! What is God doing in your life TODAY? How is He using you? What opportunities is He setting in front of you. EXPECT Him to use you! EXPECT Him to bless you! And, as you spend time with Him today, as you take time to listen to Him and build that relationship with Him, you can EXPECT to learn more about who you are and who He created you to be. Thanks for being a part of my journey! - jenny |
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