The Business of Writing

So after chronicling a year (okay, a bit more...) as a Princess of our King, I'm leaving the blog for a bit to finish writing the book.  Thanks for your support reading, commenting and following me! I'll be in touch when I'm finished!  Blessings to you all, and remember how awesome you are in the eyes of our God!

New Year's reading

Okay - I've started this year off by reading two books simultaneously that are telling me to trust God more. I suppose that's something I still need to know so God decided to knock me over the head with it.  I'm reading Jen Hatmaker's 7: A Mutiny Against Excess, and William P. Young's book The Shack. Ever read either of those? NO SPOILERS! I'm not finished with them yet. Will be glad to blog about them more later (prepare yourself - when I talk about books I tend to get carried away...)but what a way to remember whose I am! Yay!  Go Princesses!

The Same Glory as Christ

I attended the Ted Dekker “Outlaw” tour event on Friday night. He said something that I hadn’t given much thought to:

In John 17:22, Jesus says “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one…”

Wow!  We have the same glory as Jesus? God has made us that special?  That floored me. 

Amazing love.  Amazing grace.

It's Free!!!

God’s

Riches

At

Christ’s

Expense

My favorite thing about grace is that it’s free. Christ has already paid the price. All we have to do is accept the gift. It doesn’t get much easier than that. Makes me wonder why there are so many people who don’t want it. 

I’m rejoicing on this beautiful summer day for grace!  Are you?

Grace Isn't Just Somebody's Name

        With the end of the school year, we've been a bit flubbergusted (is that even a word?) with getting all the loose ends tied up before the actual "end" arrives. (I'm not talking about the Second Coming.)  Why are there so many parties and final projects and graduations and teachers' gifts and just STUFF this last week of school? I think we should have a week in April when we get to do the "last week of school" and then the following weeks could just be school work until the "end" arrives. That would give me a breather.
        Anyway, with all the STUFF, we've been a bit edgy. "GRACE AND MERCY" has been my mantra to my kids. (It's in capital letters because I am usually yelling it.) Grace and Mercy. When Dad forgets to give you hot lunch on your hot lunch day and Mom has to repack it in seconds while we're already late for school. GRACE. Or when Mom forgets to bring your violin to school after she promises (since you forgot it FIRST) so you have to be bored during music class. GRACE. How about the fact that you didn't have any clean LONG pants to wear this morning and it was only 42 degrees outside so you had to wear shorts and "just cover your legs with a blanket" in the car?
         And it's only Tuesday.
         Thank God for grace! I often talk about the grace God has for us, but what about the grace we should have for each other? The dictionary describes Christian grace as "the free and unmerited favor of God". I'd like to see some of that in this family this week. I know I'm not mom-of-the-year right now, but just love me. And I'll love you even though your socks don't match (I know...the other "mate" isn't washed) or the fact that you said you didn't have homework last night so you could go outside and play but, "discovered" that you did this morning and did it at breakfast.
         GRACE. That's my goal today (or this week). Grace.
         Join me?

God's Wisdom

This says it all:

The Power of Prayer

Spiritual Warfare by Ron DiCianni | Christian Art - Christian Framed Prints | Tapestry Productions          

           As a praying parent, this is one of my favorite paintings.

         April’s Princess Project topic empowers us. God doesn't send us out alone to face the world and the Enemy. He not only backs us up but He equips us with His armor. Your prayers are important too – your prayers bring angels to defend and protect you. Notice the details in the painting - the battle raging outside the window.

         Remember whose side you are on this month, and who is on your side.

Beauty

       I'm working on myself this month both inside and out.
  I've joined a fitness club and am doing water aerobics and tai chi in the water. (Fun class!) I'm also reading Dr. Andrew Weil's book on Healthy Aging.

      Let's face it, we're all aging every day. It's interesting because his first few chapters are on ACCEPTING aging and the changes it brings to our body instead of fighting them.
       As for the "inside" I've given up being snarky with my hubby and kids, at least for Lent. I'd like to say I've given up getting mad at them, but it's more realistic to say I'm trying not to comment in a rude way when they I get irritated at them. :-)
        So....working on being more beautiful.  Glad I have the grace of God to help me out! :-)

Wealthy Beyond Measure

   My 7-year-old son made me a cross out of Legos, and set it on my desk.
   "It's to remind you of Jesus," he said. "You can look at it and remember that he loves you."
    The Lego cross sits next to a jar of dried flowers. The flowers are from the various arrangements I received when my babies were born. When the arrangements dried out I kept a few of each to remind me of those special first few days with each of my boys.
     The cross sits on top of a wooden box, hand-painted by my mother. I use it to keep office supplies and small treasures in. Every time I use it I think of her.

      All I have to do is look at that little vignette on my desk, or look around my home, and I know how rich I already am. If I forget that, my little Lego cross can remind me that my life was paid for by a price.
      God has given me great riches.  Thank you, Jesus.

Secure in Who We Are

For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending or threatening nor things to come,nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us form the  love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

- Romans 8:38-39.

In my last post I wrote about women struggling with fear or low self-esteem.  Well, if we are in Christ and God's love is filling us up, NOTHING can take that away.  That's biblical. We have already won the battle, so why do we keep struggling? 

Do you struggle with anxiety? Low self-esteem? Let me know what you do to counter those feelings.  How do you find peace?

God's Love

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishent. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. - 1 John 4:18

I attended a Beth Moore Bible study class the other night and they were studying God's love.  Moore said that God's love is perfect and to be filled with God's love means that there isn't room in us for low self-esteem or fear.  Perfect love casts out fear.  But how do we fill up on God's love?  Is it a matter of will?  Or of sin? Or of letting go?  Perhaps it's simply a matter of knowing.  Knowing who we are in Christ and gleaning our security from that sacred place of grace.

Ramblings and Updates

Just a bunch of rambling....
     First off, after clearing eight garbage bags of clothes out of my closet, my friend and I were finally ready to convert my one closet into my home work space!  I'll put photos on my Facebook page.  Check it out!  I am so excited about it!!
       This isn't really on topic either (for this month's theme) but I posted about a month ago that I was inviting some neighbor's over for a Bible Study.  We met and it was awesome!  We had a great time and I think it's going to be fun making some new friends.  We are a mix - some strong Christians, some just curious, and a self-proclaimed agnostic, so it should prove to be a great ground for discussion.  Plus, it's fun to get together with my neighbors, who I would otherwise not see!
         On to other topics, I am thinking ahead for December's Princess challenge, Respecting the King. What a great way to remember the true meaning of the season.  I'm going to focus on ways to put Jesus back into Christmas in my own life.  I'll keep you posted. What are some of your ideas?

Guilty

              So I blew it yesterday.
              I'm working on being more humble this month, and mostly I'm working on keeping my mouth shut. As my mom says "If you don't have anything good to say, it's better not to say anything at all."  Or my grandma, who used to say "You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar."  Not sure if those two relate, but you get the point. Anyway, the family was driving me crazy, I was sleep deprived, and I had a HUGE scheduling conflict I was trying to resolve that was going to make me lose $45 if I didn't get it resolved.  Plus, I was trying to wash dishes and the faucet has this annoying whine to it that hurts my ears when the water runs. (We really need to get that fixed.) People wouldn't stop complaining and asking me for things and I finally got really upset and told them all what I thought about them.  In a not-so-gentle voice.
              (To be fair, though, I did warn the kids several times they had pushed me to my boiling point and Momma was about to explode.)
               But really, is that anyway to handle things?  When a princess loses her cool doesn't that make her look weak? (And scary!)  I don't want to run the household by fear.  Yes, it works, but no, it isn't fun - for any of us.
               I'm just thankful I get a redo.  Here's to a better day and a bit more self-control, while at the same time giving myself a break.  I am, after all, imperfectly human.

Princesses by Station, Humble by Grace

A lot could be said about not abusing our power in our roles, especially in light of this political campaign season.  We don't want to take for granted who we are, and Whose we are.  Because of the sacrificial death of Jesus, we entered into the Kingdom of God through a price.  This makes us children of God, but it should also humble us with the realization that we didn't get here by who we are. We got here only through grace.
       Sometimes it's hard to be humble, especially when we know we are right. :-)
      For Lent this year, I gave up being angry at my husband, which really boiled down to me not having to be right all the time - even when I was.  By keeping my mouth shut, and letting go of control issues, I saw some amazing positive changes in my marriage and the muscle tension in my neck. So, in light of this month's theme, "Not Abusing Our Power", I'm going to remember that I'm God's child and a princess by right, and don't have to prove it to anybody, so I will try to be humble, especially in what I say.  I will try to give up being right and rest on the promises of God, knowing that He is in control and it will all turn out okay in the end.
        It's gonna be a long month!

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: not of works, least any man should boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9

Princessing....

It seems I get carried away with the princess thing in the summer.   I've been hanging out at the beach, writing fiction, playing with the kids, and basically NOT posting to my blog!  When my mom called the other day my husband (my earthly prince) was cooking dinner and I was on the porch swing, reading.  "I'll tell the princess you want to talk to her," he said.  Hmmm.
     In all truth, I am the carpool queen and have been driving various kids to various events, cooking (most) of the dinners, and worn myself plum out.  But it has been fun to slack off of work a little bit (except for my clients - you I haven't slacked on!) and be a princess.  So all of this to say why I haven't posted more on Mary M.  Working on it.....at the beach. :-)

Prince of Peace

I'm excited about this month's topic.  We have a prince!  Someone who cherishes us, who loves us for who we are, and who is coming for us someday! (He even rides a white horse!!)   I'm reading about Mary Magdalene - come back in a day or two and let's discuss this topic more!

Innate Wisdom

A bird has built a nest in our bathroom fan.   I hear momma bird go out and then come back in.  She gives a screech (which I think sounds a bit frightening) but then I hear little bird voices peeping excitedly, I assume for food.  This very noisy process continues for about 10 minutes, several times a day.

It occurs to me that God is generous with wisdom.  The bird knows how to take care of its babies.  The peonies on my front porch know when to open – and it’s interesting to watch the black ants eat away the green covering so the pink flowers can burst forth. 

We, too, have a deep, innate type of wisdom.  My body tells me when I’m hungry, it heals me when I am cut, and when I’m cold (like I was in the pool on Sunday) tiny little bumps form on my arms and hairs stand on end in an  attempt to keep me warm.

Amazing.  God has equipped us well.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. - Matthew 6:33

Not I Should, but I Am

Take a good look at yourself in the mirror and realize that Jesus is living inside of YOU.  The fact that we are important enough for the Holy Spirit to indwell in us should be enough for us to realize how much He values us.  So drop the "I shoulds" and for today, KNOW that you are good enough as you are. God doesn't love you for how good you've been today.  He loves you for how good you've TRIED to be and for WHO you are as He created you.  That  knowledge is the first step towards peace.  KNOW how valuable you are to Him.

What Are Your Dragons?

The past couple of days have been difficult ones, and busy.  On Sunday I first noticed that gnawing in my gut that I call anxiety.  Yesterday it was worse, and I couldn’t figure out if I needed to exercise and burn off the excess energy, or take a nap! 

When I tried to figure out what was causing it, I realized it was my schedule.  I had far too many responsibilities crammed into a couple of days.  Not all of them were bad – it was just nearly impossible to fit them all in, and I spent a large part of Sunday ruminating about Monday and how I would get everything done. I had three different appointments at different times and in different places, and that didn’t count my kids’ various activities, and the fact I needed to pick up groceries.  Or my looming writing deadline.

            I have read that our thought life is the greatest cause of anxiety for most of us, so I tried to take control of my thoughts.  I wrote everything down in my calendar – color coded – and just looked at my list every few hours.   Then I tried not to think about it.  I even read Psalm 91 several times.  I’ve got to admit, it didn’t work.  On most days, I can handle my “to-do” list but I had a few very unpleasant tasks to do yesterday and today that I just couldn’t get out of my mind.  I was fearful.

            I’m done now.  Mostly.  And I’m better.  But anxiety has been my dragon the past few days, caused by my over-loaded schedule.  Next time I’ll have to manage my time more wisely, and put in some “fun” breaks as a reward for an unpleasant task accomplished. Lesson learned.

            In order to slay our dragons, we need to know what they are.  What steals your joy?  What takes away your peace and brings you fear, or stress?  When you identify your dragons, you’ve taken the first step toward conquering them.

            Just remember, your power comes from God.  You aren’t in this alone, and you have every resource you need to overcome.

            Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. – Ephesians 6:10

Putting Me First

After several nights of very little sleep, I am tired.  I'm dragging around and realized this morning how much physical effort it actually takes to shred cabbage for cole slaw!  During my prayer time I read a scripture in which David is challenge by yet another enemy, and before he does anything else, he makes sure his family is safe.  Then I read another scripture that says "Love your neighbor as yourself."  Well, from both of these I surmised two things:  We need to put family first, and we need to love ourselves.  What does that really mean?  Lately I've been volunteering a lot - giving and giving and giving.  As women we tend to do that, and put ourselves last.  But since I barely have the energy left to shred cabbage, I'm not much use to anybody else, am I?   :-)  So this afternoon I'm planning to take a nap.  Our discussion this month re; inner and outer beauty fits into this.  How beautiful can we be physically and in our attitudes if we are exhausted?  Another thing I've done all morning is take care of the house.  I've put the laundry away, washed dishes, and cleaned.  I want my family to come home to a haven, not a mess.  I hope that by putting my needs first, and taking care of my family, I can regain some sense of balance.  After all, you never see a beauty with dark circles under her eyes!  God bless you in your journey to become the woman God knows you can be!