Victory - Where I am Weak - Saying YES to God

I get up very early in the morning to start up my routine.  This is what it typically looks like:

1 - Wake up at 5 to 5:30 am
2 - Let Dizzy (my son's cat) out of Alex's room to do his thing.
3 - Take a shower (pray and praise God)
4 - Moisturize
5 - Make coffee
6 - Go back to bed until 7:05 am (usually tossing and turning until about 6:45 am when I hear my husband's alarm clock go off).
7 - 7:05 am - Leap back out of bed, do make up, do hair, get lunch set, get dressed, small talk with my husband, listen to morning news during all of this, and head out the door for the studio by 7:50 am grabbing the Wall Street Journal at the mailbox.

I give myself an extra hour to sleep, and I really don't sleep from say 6 am to 7:05 am.  Yes I sleep a little bit, but I could be doing so much more.  I could be spending that time with God.  This morning that is just what I did.

I am doing an online bible study at Proverbs 31 Ministries in the book "What Happens When Women Say Yes to God" by Lysa TerKeurst.  Last night when I went to bed, I asked God to give me HIS strength so I could actually get up and stay up and spend time with Him.  This morning when I got up, I repeated that prayer while in the shower.  There was a moment.  A time when I had the choice to go back to bed.  It sounded like a great idea (it was a little chilly), but if I am to be a woman who says YES to God...I knew I needed to start now.

Lysa TerKeurst mentions in her book about giving a loss (in the book for her it was a loss of time and thousands of words that she wrote) to God.  Okay...my time is not a loss, but in this world where I live (a comfortable home - not flashy but comfortable-) my sacrifice is that time of comfort and snuggly warmth in bed.

I stayed up and I prayed.  I stayed up made my usual coffee.  I drank in God's word.  I read this morning's study at Proverbs 31 Ministries, and I am thankful and happy. My day will be pretty full.  We have a lot going on in the studio today with Hawk Nelson coming in early and a staff meeting to follow.  I also have to contact my son's school this morning to make an appointment for us.  After work I will be hitting the gym (time to double my focus on working out again - I took two weeks off).   I do not know what else today will bring, but I will be saying yes to God. 

This week's verse is Deuteronomy 6:5.  I'm going to try something new this week to help me remember it called Verse Mapping.  I am looking forward to seeing how it helps me in this new endeavor. 

Deuteronomy 6:5 (NIV)
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

If you would like to join the study at Proverbs 31 Ministries, you still can by following this link.  They have very kindly offered the first chapter to get you started while you get the book which is available there or at most Christian book stores.  I've also seen it on Amazon.