*Remembering a MOST lovely view in Carmel from our 2nd honeymoon.
So for 2014, I really want to make a stronger effort in my relationship with the Lord. I know that I need time with Him. I see the results when I am kind of floating about on my own. It can start off okay, but then a storm of some sort hits and BLAMMO!!!!! I'm knocked on my tushy.
The thing is I know that spending time with God isn't going to keep the storms away. They will still come, but I will see them for what they really are...TEMPORARY. I will also see myself for who I am...A LOVED CHILD OF GOD.
Now...before I get with the planning, I do want to celebrate the victory I have had with my time with God.
This year I joined two online Bible studies with Proverbs 31 Ministries. The first was with Lysa Terkeurst's book "What Happens When Women Say Yes To God." It was so eye opening for me! I really do feel that I received so much direction from God through that study. I definitely drew closer to God, developed a stronger prayer life, and I learned new ways to study God's word via verse mapping (pretty awesome!!!!).
I also joined the online Bible study with Proverbs 31 Ministries that used the book "A Confident Heart." This was such a big one for me. On the outside, I look like I have it all together. On the inside...YIKES. I really had a hard time with my place in His world. I am still a work in progress here, but what a blessing this study was to me as well. I learned so many things and the most important was with how I compare myself to others. Renee shared how a friend told her that when we compare ourselves to someone else, we compare out insides to someone's outsides. Talk about a losing battle! This was my first time also being involved in the online study with special Facebook groups too. What a great way to study! It was nice getting a chance to open up to one another on an even deeper level.
I was also getting up extra early in the morning to spend time with God in prayer and study. That kind of slowed down, but I am going to recommit. For now, I am going to get up 20 minutes early and stick with that and increase my way up to an hour early. I love my sleep so this has been a challenge. That is why I decided to go for 20 minutes. It is a small start, but I am looking forward to making it. :)
Do you spend time reading and studying the Bible? Do you follow a routine? What works for you?
PS --- I am starting another study soon. The book for this one is "Made To Crave" by Lysa Terkeurst. I am really looking forward to it!
*I took this photo this weekend when my husband and I went hiking.
"Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him."
Psalm 62:5 NLT
Have you ever had a day where the best laid plans seem to just scatter on the floor in front of you. You had a goal, you had a dream, you had a plan for the day, but something just kept popping up and wrecking it?
That was my day yesterday, and I hate to admit it, but I don't believe I handled much of it well.
First my alarm went off. I was a little drowsy and saw my husband start to get up. I figured he must want to hit the restroom before I hit the shower. So I asked him. He responded in a muffled tone. Muffled because I still had my earplugs in (my husband is a snorer and I can't sleep through the noise). I pulled out my earplugs and asked him again.
"Are you going to use the bathroom before I take a shower?"
"You mean you haven't taken a shower?" He replied.
"Not yet. My alarm just went off."
"That was my alarm. Your alarm must not have gone off."
CRUD! My alarm didn't go off? I set two alarms! One for 5:30 am and one for 5:35 am just in case. I was supposed to spend my morning with God! Why is this happening? It isn't fair! This was not in my plan! It is all ruined! I made a goal to spend time with God every morning, and I have already screwed up. Yes...these and other thoughts flew through my mind in rapid succession. It all pretty much rolled downhill from there.
I showered, got ready for work, and pretty much felt rushed through the entire morning.
I did have a nice start to my work day. I received a call from a gentleman who wanted to share his gratitude for our radio station's ministry and he also had a prayer request. All in all though, things just seemed a little off most of the day. I was rushed more. I was a bit cranky. Nothing really seemed to go my way. I broke in the day to pray for others, but I really needed to also break in the day and spend some time with God by myself. The time in the car wasn't enough.
Later my son and I had to go to his school to speak with a counselor. On the road, cars were driving at a snail's pace. I couldn't see through the car in front of me, because their windows were so darkly tinted. I didn't know what was up in the road ahead and it just caused more annoyance.
We reached the school with five minutes to spare and felt good. Until we found out the counselor was running late. At first it was no major deal. We were early. Thirty minutes later, it was a very big deal, and I was extremely annoyed. Though I have the courtesy to not take it out on the counselor. These things do happen after all.
I was so emotionally drained by the end of the day that I could hardly stand it. I fell asleep in an unprepared nap an hour before bedtime which set me up for a huge night of tossing and turning as a conflict from the day kept rearing its ugly head. I set the clock again when I woke up (double time again), and prayed that in the morning it would work out.
This morning, I woke up five minutes before the alarm (not to mention every hour on the hour in between). As much as I really wanted to shower and climb back into bed, I remembered clearly the bad day I had yesterday (and trust me there were lots more bad moments that I didn't share) and immediately got up so I could pray and spend time with God.
So far already things are already going MUCH better.
I think that there were times in my day when I could have probably turned things around by prayer. And I imagine with the pile of things that did happen, I would have had plenty of times to need to do that again and again. But I also think that God allowed me to see how important my time with Him really is for me.
