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!

I'm Back!

I figured September would be a good time to get back in the swing of things. For the first time in YEARS I took a few months off. I joked that God gave me a sabbatical, but indeed He did! He gave me June and July and most of August off to write a novel! I am so excited about it!

But literally as soon as I typed "The End" I started getting calls to speak and do book signings. God has clearly taken me off my sabbatical and put me back to work! So it's gonna be a busy fall!

Helping Others is my theme for this month. Mostly, I'm focusing on my family. I've been so busy in the past doing this and that for volunteer work that I've once again let my own house slip. So I'm trying to get the kids more organized and take some of the work load off of my husband.

I've also experienced the help of others helping ME. I have a lot more to say about that, so will post that later, but sometimes we need to receive help instead of give it.

I'll be away from my desk for a few days....my sister-in-law passed away yesterday morning. She died with a smile on her face so we know she's with Jesus now. I have more to say on that too, when I've got the energy. Right now it's time to grieve and help where I can.

Blessings to you all.

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?

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.

Our Body, God's Temple

            The book I’m reading on healthy aging devotes an entire chapter to stress and how it can harm our bodies.  We obviously can’t eliminate stress from our lives, but we can modify our stress response. 

            In the two years since my car accident, I’ve kind of taken up meditation.  I say “kind of” because I do it for awhile and then don’t. This morning, for example, I have a sick child home who was well enough to take the laser pointer and shine it on me to make the kittens pounce on me while I was meditating.  It’s hard to focus when that’s happening.

            I’m not talking about meditation in the middle-eastern Buddha sense. I mean mindfulness, where you sit quietly for about 15 minutes and focus on your breathing and the sensation of your body, like relaxing your shoulders. If any other thought comes into your mind, you are supposed to ignore it and go back to focusing on your breathing.  This simply gives me a few minutes of doing nothing, which is so rare in our culture and yet so healthy. Remember the days as a child when  you’d sit on your back porch step in the summer and play with a dandelion, just spending time blowing the seeds across the grass, and maybe watching a bug crawl across the sidewalk?  I imagine that’s close to meditating and some days in the summer I simply sit on our swing outside and watch the birds.

            But this active form of meditation, of making time to focus on your body and your breathing, has really helped me.  Once you capture the feeling of being that relaxed, it’s easy to take a few breaths during the day and recapture the feeling, throughout stressful moments.

            Stress is toxic to the neurons in our brains. It’s a major cause of heart disease, inflammatory disease, digestive disorders, headache and other ailments and chronic conditions.  It can make us tired, dizzy, and achy. Unchecked, it destroys our body.

            If Christ is in us, we need to take care of our bodies, inside and out. It’s a command.

            Here’s a sobering verse:

                        Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?

            If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.  1 Corinthians 3:17.

            What do you do to keep your “temple” healthy for God?

Faithful Abandon!

An opportunity arose last week which I absolutely didn't have the funds for, although I knew I should do it.  "I can't afford that," was my instant response.  My heart told me different, though. So Monday morning I prayed about it and then opened my quiet time Bible study and the words that jumped out at me were "Why do you say 'I can't afford this or that when your Heavenly Father has all the riches of the world at your disposal?" Wow - that really spoke to me!  Oh me of little faith! So I said "Yes, I'll do it" and I've set up some fund-raising and am excitedly waiting the opportunity!  What a fun chance to watch God work!
       I know that in general I have to be sensible in my expenses and frugal with my budget, but there are times when I can throw all caution to the wind and let my awesome God shower me with blessings.  What a sense of excitement and freedom when I abandon myself to His will!

Valentine's Day Thoughts

  Most people equate Valentine's day with romance, but in fact St. Valentine was a priest who gave up his life for his belief, siding with Christian martyrs and finally being executed for his faith.  Not much is reliably known of him, but legend has it he healed his jailer's daughter of blindness and before his execution left her a note signed "From your Valentine".
    This week as I think of my Valentines, or the loves in my life, I want to remember to thank God for how richly I am blessed with them. I want to make sure they (friends, family) know how much I love them.
    And I want to remember St.Valentine, and all the other Christian martyrs past and present, who have died for their faith.

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.

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.

Resolutions? Nope - it's More of a To-Do List!

     I have taken on the task of being princess of my castle.
     I usually work at my writing job quite a few hours per week but I've realized we are drowning in clutter and disorganization and perhaps for a short while my time would be better spent bailing us out.   So I've made a check-list of things I want to do to help my family. (These are NOT New Year Resolutions. Been there, done that.)

         1) De-clutter the house.  This is harder than you might think. I've found I have an emotional attachment to certain "things" and that makes it difficult to part with them. But... I gave eight garbage bags of clothes to charity and transformed one of my closets into a new work space. What do you think?
         2) Make a meal plan.  I used to do this, coupled with a weekly grocery list.  I've re-started by making a meal plan for the month of January and actually put together several meals and froze them.  I feel AWESOME about that!
          3) Get our finances in order.  We've always worked off of a budget, but I'm thinking of getting one of those fancy computer programs that tracks your every dollar.  ( I have to be diligent about entering all my expenses.  Am I expecting too much from myself?)  What programs do you like best?
          Empowered by the King of Kings, and a whole lot of prayer (will you pray for me 'cause I need it!) , I strive to be a more organized and calmer woman by the end of the year!
     

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

Update on the Bible Study

I handed out fliers for the neighborhood Bible study and have had several positive responses!  How exciting!  It took me an hour and a half just to get around to half the houses because people wanted to talk.  I’m already getting to know my neighbors!  This is turning out to be fun, so far, and now that I know people are actually coming it gives me incentive to clean the house.  LOL!!! 

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!

My Grace is Sufficient...

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."– 2 Corinthians 12:9a

It is when we are at our weakest that God is allowed to wield His strength the most in our lives.  Oswald Chambers said “God can do nothing for me until I get to the limit of the possible.”  How often do we “try this” and “try that”, looking for a fix, or a way out, or a solution?  When we give it to God instead, we are free, and what’s more, we are in better hands.  Trust God – His grace is sufficient for what troubles you.  He said so Himself.  As a daughter of the King  - it is your privilege. 

My Favorite Blessing!

    Grace is one of my favorite topics because it means we are FREE!  I feel so overburdened sometimes with my schedule, my to-do list, all the demands placed on me.  I feel I have to work, work, work.  But God has a different plan - He gives us grace.  You don't have to earn it.  You don't have to work for it.   All you have to do is accept it.

    For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast.  - Ephesians 2:8-9

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

Wisdom is a Process

Wisdom.

It’s more than an accumulation of knowledge.  It’s an ongoing daily acquisition.

When I started writing my latest book A Kid at Heart I thought it would go quickly.  God had given me the title, the subject, and even most of the chapter titles!  My publisher told me she’d like it in six months to a year.  “No problem,” I said.  But God wanted to take me to a deeper understanding of Him first.  Last year was abysmally dark and for the first time I found myself afraid of God – and of what He would – and could – let happen.  Could I still trust Him then?  Could I run to Him as a Father and take refuge in Him? 

For while I couldn’t. Now, coming out the other side of that dark year, a bit battle-weary, it seems I can.   As a child, we not only have the privilege of coming to Him, but we have the responsibility of coming to Him.  Where else, after all, can we go?

Wisdom dictates Him as Lord.  There’s no other way – there’s no better way.