Now what?

It's January 2nd. You've found your word and your label. You've made plans. You've prayed and decided.

But now what?

It's Monday, New Years Eve is over, New Years Day has come and gone. It's back to the "real world" so to speak, so what do you do now?

Do you have a plan?

My word was Intentional. Live intentional. What do I want most out of 2012? I want FREEDOM. I want to live free. I can just picture my arms raised, my heart free and joy flowing from every part of me. So how do I get freedom?

My plan is to study, a lot. Study the Word, dive in to it. Soak it up, chew on a chapter verse by verse. Memorize scripture starting with freedom. Hiding it in my heart so when those chains rear their ugly head I can battle them with the scripture God gives me. So I plan to study, what else?

I plan to do a devotional study with my husband about what family looks like to God, what the purpose of family is in God's eyes. I plan to learn, to understand.

I plan to pray. Not just in the morning, but all day. I want to talk to God continuously. About everything. Every. Single. Thing that pops into my day I plan to share it with Him. Every feeling, every tear every bout of anger whether from my children or my husband or from me, every short fuse every joy filled moment I plan to share with my Father.

I have a lot of plans, all to often I hear people talk about how they make resolutions for the New Years just to break them the very next day. That's why you have to DECIDE. You have to plan. You have to set it in  your heart and your mind to do something so nothing that comes against you in the coming days will tempt you to quit. Take it a day at a time, if you mess up it's ok! the very next minute decide to take up your cross again and keep going.

Ask God to help you make this year different. Live free. Live intentionally.

Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. Galatians 5:1 (msg)

I didn't quit

I'm posting at Woman to Woman ministries about holding God's hand even when we feel like we know better, please click over and check it out if you can spare a few minutes, we love having visitors in our little area of cyber space!

So anyway, I have a secret...

I'm a quitter.

When things get hard, when that little voice starts whispering to me that I'm going to fail so why even try then I start agreeing and I give up. When I have done something really good and I don't see any results then the next day I give up. I want all the benefits without the hard work. That little voice tells me I'm going to quit this next thing before I even get started. Sometimes it's a real person that comes along and tells me it won't succeed so why even try and I believe the person because of course, I'm a quitter right...

Excuse me little voice, I beg to differ.

I'm NOT a quitter. I'm a new creation. Set free with the blood of Jesus.

For a while I've been feeling like I should quit blogging. The doubt rushes in and I think no one is really reading. I'm not helping anyone, no one cares what I have to say and then God knocks on my heart and tells me...

Mandy you're not a quitter, just wait on Me and I have  plans for you!

God has other plans. There are some new and exciting things happening with this blog and I'm very very excited to see what God wants to do. So how about I just tell ya'll what's up huh?


Starting next week on Tuesday (because it has a T in it lol) I'm going to start Tot School Tuesdays, in which I share what God (with me in tow) is planning as I learn how to homeschool my kids. I'll share our "lesson plans" craft ideas, work sheets, snack ideas...the whole nine yards. We're going to feature a letter a week that cooresponds with a shape, a color and a number and certainly most important a Bible story. I'm so so so excited for what God is doing in me and my kids...not only is this a way for other moms to get ideas but it's to keep me accountable. I'm not a quitter but I sure could use some accountability in my life.


ALSO Starting next week (because I'm anal and have to start out writing about something new in a new week (lol) I'll be starting Get Fit Thursdays. This isn't just about losing weight (even though that's definitley part of it) it's about slimming down on self doubt, self loathing, fear, anxiety, past hurts and anger and everything else keeping us from giving our all to Jesus. I suffer from every one of these ailments and it's time to let them go so I'm going to be talking about these things on Thursdays. (I wish there was a day of the week that started in G (smiles)
So anyway while I love love love visitors every time I post, definitley come back those days and see what God's working on.

I'm not a quitter and neither are you.

We are new creations set free by the precious blood of Jesus!

No time for Worship?

I'm posting at Woman to Woman about making sure we're on the same page as our spouse when it comes to our kids. Come over and join the discussion!

Do you ever feel like you just don't have time to worship God? Maybe you're working every day a 12 hour shift and you're going going going all day. When I was working I wasn't really that busy but I do understand days where you don't even have time to think. My husband works for a construction/rennovating company and he is in a construction zone for 8 hours a day.

Like we talked about yesterday, worshipping God isn't just about being on your knees in prayer and song it's about living your life before God, giving Him every part of your heart and your day. Even if you work in a construction zone or a police department or prison or jail or office you can give God glory in your day.

1) Pray before your shift starts. Physically in prayer give God your day, tell Him that even though you have a physical boss He is and will be forever the Lord and King of your heart and  you work for Him.
2) Play Christian music on a radio loud enough for customer's to hear. You never know who needs to hear that encouragement and the difference between life and death of a soul could count on one song or one word of wisdom through the radio.
3) Read your Bible on your lunch break and company breaks. I know for most company's you at least are provided a lunch break, get in the Word during lunch, Jesus is the bread of life (smiles)
4) Talk about God, I know this probably seems so obvious but when I worked I probably drove my co-workers crazy talking about God and what He was showing me and what He was dealing with me about. I know for at least one person it brought her faith back in God and I was able to pray for her about a medical condition and God healed her and she's been on fire for God ever since so you NEVER know, you may be working with someone for hte specific reason of ministering to them.
5) Post Bible verses where you can see them, keep one in your wallet if you don't sit at a desk, keep one where you can find it as comfort for you if you're working somewhere dangerous.

It's so so so important to give God our hearts even in our job - going lives. No matter what you do, where you are, who you're with live a life devoted to God. Turn your heart towards Him and He will feed your soul and nourish your heart.

Today worship God with your life, consider it a challenge (smiles)

It's how you live

I've heard a lot of people lately say they don't have time to worship, they think worship goes too long on Sundays, they don't like the worship songs chosen, they get distracted when they sit in God's presence for any length of time. I've heard people complain time and time again. I am starting to wonder how these people are going to do in Heaven where it's a 24 hour worship service 7 days a week or however time is measured there.

While I don't believe God expects us on our knees all day every day lifting our hands, I do believe he wants our life and everything in it. He wants us to live a life of worship in our every day diaper changing, house cleaning, job going lives.

When I look back to how things used to be I can see I was much more worshipful when I was working because it was a brainless job and I could listen to as much worship music as I wanted in my headphones. Temptation lies waiting around every corner at home and oh yeah there's a 2 and 3 year old itching for my time now.

So if you're one of those people thinking you don't have the "time" to worship let me share with you what I've learned..

For the stay at home Christian
1) Post Bible verses everywhere. We have one on our fridge, I have one on my bedroom mirror and I am working on our home school room and I'm posting one or two in there.
2) Keep your Bible where you can see it, bring it out of that nightstand drawer, put it on a shelf where you're sure to see it all day every day. Let God be with you during your day.
3) Listen to a couple praise songs in the morning just to get your day started off right. I have Christian radio playing in our bedroom so the worship/praise songs are always going upstairs ~ it also keeps the kids and I from having nightmares.
4) When you are doing chores for the 13th time in one day pray for the people in your household. Ask God to share something special with them, ask Him for their protection.
5) Quiet times are so important!! I can not stress this enough. Depending on how much time you have whether it be during breakfast time or nap time or even a break at work take out your Bible and read a chapter or two, it's so so so important to stay in the Word. Our Spirit needs that nourishment.
6)Thank God for the sunrise when you wake up in the morning and the moonlight when  you go to sleep.

Worshiping God isn't just when you're on your knees, hands raised in the air or nose to the carpet, it's also how you live  your life every day, every moment. What you do matters to God, is your job bringing glory to Him? Is your home life bringing glory to Him. If your heart is right, everything else will fall into line with God without you even trying.

How do you give God glory in your every day life? I'll be talking about being a Christian in the work-force tomorrow.

Dare to be different

I can't tell you how many times I've told my self  "I wish I was more like her" I wish I had her hair or her looks. I wish I could get my nails done all the time like she does. I wish I could have the same talents as they do. But God meant for us to stand out. We are a holy people meant to stand out and shine for His glory.

Isreal wanted to be just like everyone else. They wanted a king. "But the people refused to listen to Samuel. No! they said. We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us to fight our battles."  1st Samuel 8:19

They wanted a king to fight their battles, to jump their obsticles for them so they wouldn't have to do the work. God wanted to be their king and God tried time and time again to let them know they were to be set apart. They were special.

There's a reason why I don't have "her" looks or "their" talents. I'm set apart. We all have a purpose. We're different, different passions, different talents because that's exactly how God wants us to be. Everything that I have is perfect for me and according to His perfect plan.

If you're different (which you probably are, smiles) that's a good thing. Embrace the uniqueness and let it stand out ~ chances are God will use it for something amazing. I wonder what God would have done with the Isrealites had they embraced their uniqueness instead of trying to be like everyone else.

A boulder

I have a boulder. A huge ginormous rock that I can't move.

On my own.

This rock grew in to something that will only be budged by God. Panick attacks. I can't speak in public. To people I don't know. I can't walk with my head up eyes to the sky in confidence because I fear someone will laugh at what I say, or do. Someone will judge me. This boulder leaves me in fear with something to say and no way to say it. It takes me months and months to get used to someone and after I do I can talk to them almost without hindrance.Even when I feel safe I feel like I have to limit my words and dance around whatever subject we're talking about.
I can't just speak without fear. Before God got ahold of me I couldn't even leave the house. I was afraid all of the time so I hid. God has shown me I'm still hiding. In my head. I've made leaps and bounds from where I was. But it was only by God that I was able to do that.

How do I break this boulder. How do I forget all that happened. The answer is simple.

Let go. "My child, I love you. I love you so much. Too much to let you stay in this circle of fear and doubt. Lay it at My feet and I will take care of it for you. Let go, Mandy, trust Me. I am with you."

Let go of the past. Let go of the perceived control I have. Let go of the hurt. Let God take it and take control. I realized this weekend that this boulder was still controlling my life. I can't do what He wants me to do without first getting rid of the boulder and He's trying to take it but He can't unless I let Him.

So Lord right now I let you take this boulder. I lay it down at your feet. I don't want it anymore. I don't want to be controlled by this any more, I'm a new person, I don't want this thing to define me anymore. I'm sorry for holding on to it for so long, when you are clearly wanting to take it.

I let go.

Enough for the day

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6.

Latley I find myself worrying about the future. Will we have enough money in 2 weeks to buy groceries. Will we have enough gas in the car to get through until the next payday. What will happen if/when our car needs repairs. These worries are about money but there are other worries in my life, such as will my kids see Jesus through me and want to accept Him in their hearts too, and will we ever get a house. Also how do I get out of my shyness, I want to be who Jesus wants me to be NOW not wait, not have to work for it just NOW.

Then the Lord said to Moses, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. Exodus 16:4.

The Isrealites worried, they worried about EVERYTHING. Every day God provided them enough food for that day. Only on the 6th day were they instructed to pick extra because God told them to rest on the Sabbath. As I was reading this God and I shared a moment. He showed me that I worry about tomorrow a lot. While I'm worrying about tomorrow I miss what's right in front of me. His blessings for today. I miss the fact that He provided us 50 free diapers from my mom searching craigs list on a whim. I miss that He showed me my husband actually sits down and prays and has his quiet time with God every day.

Jesus tells us not to worry about tomorrow, tomorrow has enough trouble of it's own. We're supposed to live right now, God knows what we need and He will provide. We shouldn't spend our days in worry that's how we miss what's right in front of us.

So my prayer every day has grown in to this: Lord provide for today. I want to rest in your strength today, your love today. Give me enough food for today, enough safety for today. I don't know what will happen tomorrow but you do so I trust You and rest in You. Thank you for providing for this day. I won't be overwhelmed with the needs of tomorrow, I look to you for today. Thank you Jesus.

Do you have a need you're looking to for the future? So much so that you're missing what's right in front of you for today? Take it to God in prayer, ask Him to take that worry so you won't miss what He has for you today. I don't want to miss a single blessing He provides today.

A picture of love

I'm posting over at Woman to Woman today about God's love. Please come join me. Have a blessed weekend friends.