Birthday #44
Birthday #44 was five months ago; but I'm still going to write my birthday post. . . because I can!
My heart and mind have been focused on what I've learned about God, how what I know about Him affects my life, and ultimately, what I want my life to be characterized by. Here are the top ten things I have found myself thinking on as I begin another year on this earth.
1. I have learned to trust God with my life. Everything He allows to enter my life has a purpose. I may not understand what that purpose is, but I believe Romans 8:28 that all things work for my good and His glory.
2. When those hard things come into my life I know God will give me everything I need to get through them. However, I must choose to seek Him and not try to get by on my own strength.
3. I accept God's provision for my life. I focus on what I do have and give thanks for them instead of what I don't have. Gratitude truly is the key to contentment. Complaining about what I don't have is prideful; it's saying that I know better what I need than God does.
4. I may live to be 80 or 90 years old, but that length of time is nothing compared to eternity. This life is not all there is. So when things are hard, I have hope that better things are to come. Life with Christ in Heaven will be without sorrow, pain, disease, or hardship of any kind and it will last longer than I can even imagine!
5. I choose to live for the life to come instead of striving to soak up and store up what this earth has to offer. When I see Jesus face-to-face, He's not going to care how many vacations I went on, how many times I visited an amusement park, how much stuff I had in my house, what kind of car I drove, how much money was in my bank account, what kind of degree I had, how many check-ins were on my Facebook page, whether or not my hair was gray, what size of clothes I wore, or how many people knew who I was. What will matter to Him is how much time I spent getting to know Him better through studying His Word and talking with Him in prayer; if I obeyed His Word; how I loved and respected my husband; how much effort I put into leading my children to a personal relationship with Him and how I discipled them; how I honored my parents and grandparents; if I let go of all anger and bitterness and instead forgave those who hurt me and apologized when I hurt others; the kind of steward I was with His provision; and how I served others.
6. I do my best to live with blinders on in order to keep Christ as my standard and not the other women around me. When I compare myself with other women I often end up feeling guilty or envious. When I seek to be more like Christ, I know that even when I fall short, He is not going to judge me. He will gently pick me up and help me move forward in my walk with Him.
7. Even though there is much I'd like to do, I've learned there is only so much I can do. I have to say "no" to some things in order to keep up with the things that are most important to me - my walk with the Lord, my husband and children. I serve in ministry part time because that is all I can do right now. I do my best not to over plan my day. I break my household chores up so I only focus on small tasks each day instead of trying to do it all in one day. By doing this I don't feel overwhelmed and I can have some down-time in the late afternoon which gives me some needed refreshment to get through the evening.
8. In regards to taking care of the home, I've come to see it as a way to express my gratitude to the Lord for His provision, to honor my husband for going to work everyday to provide for our family, and to practice hospitality for my family and others. I feel home should be a haven where my family feels comfortable, safe and secure. It should be a place where we can rest and recharge before we head out into the world.
9. I want my life to be characterized by these three things: the Study of God's Word, Service and Simplicity.
10. The song on my heart this year is "Face Down" by Casting Crowns. The lyrics tell what is on my heart in regards to my walk with the Lord.
"I want to be face down, having nothing else to cling to. In need of love that only You can give. Face down, where I know that I belong. And I pray with grace that this world sees in me someone humble and broken at Your feet. . So I'm asking for your help, I just can't do this by myself. After all this life's for you and not for me. Through your mercy now I see brokenness is what I need. So I'll stay right here at Your feet."
I'm thankful for all the Lord has so graciously blessed me with. I pray I can please Him with how I handle all He's given me.
My heart and mind have been focused on what I've learned about God, how what I know about Him affects my life, and ultimately, what I want my life to be characterized by. Here are the top ten things I have found myself thinking on as I begin another year on this earth.
1. I have learned to trust God with my life. Everything He allows to enter my life has a purpose. I may not understand what that purpose is, but I believe Romans 8:28 that all things work for my good and His glory.
2. When those hard things come into my life I know God will give me everything I need to get through them. However, I must choose to seek Him and not try to get by on my own strength.
3. I accept God's provision for my life. I focus on what I do have and give thanks for them instead of what I don't have. Gratitude truly is the key to contentment. Complaining about what I don't have is prideful; it's saying that I know better what I need than God does.
4. I may live to be 80 or 90 years old, but that length of time is nothing compared to eternity. This life is not all there is. So when things are hard, I have hope that better things are to come. Life with Christ in Heaven will be without sorrow, pain, disease, or hardship of any kind and it will last longer than I can even imagine!
5. I choose to live for the life to come instead of striving to soak up and store up what this earth has to offer. When I see Jesus face-to-face, He's not going to care how many vacations I went on, how many times I visited an amusement park, how much stuff I had in my house, what kind of car I drove, how much money was in my bank account, what kind of degree I had, how many check-ins were on my Facebook page, whether or not my hair was gray, what size of clothes I wore, or how many people knew who I was. What will matter to Him is how much time I spent getting to know Him better through studying His Word and talking with Him in prayer; if I obeyed His Word; how I loved and respected my husband; how much effort I put into leading my children to a personal relationship with Him and how I discipled them; how I honored my parents and grandparents; if I let go of all anger and bitterness and instead forgave those who hurt me and apologized when I hurt others; the kind of steward I was with His provision; and how I served others.
6. I do my best to live with blinders on in order to keep Christ as my standard and not the other women around me. When I compare myself with other women I often end up feeling guilty or envious. When I seek to be more like Christ, I know that even when I fall short, He is not going to judge me. He will gently pick me up and help me move forward in my walk with Him.
7. Even though there is much I'd like to do, I've learned there is only so much I can do. I have to say "no" to some things in order to keep up with the things that are most important to me - my walk with the Lord, my husband and children. I serve in ministry part time because that is all I can do right now. I do my best not to over plan my day. I break my household chores up so I only focus on small tasks each day instead of trying to do it all in one day. By doing this I don't feel overwhelmed and I can have some down-time in the late afternoon which gives me some needed refreshment to get through the evening.
8. In regards to taking care of the home, I've come to see it as a way to express my gratitude to the Lord for His provision, to honor my husband for going to work everyday to provide for our family, and to practice hospitality for my family and others. I feel home should be a haven where my family feels comfortable, safe and secure. It should be a place where we can rest and recharge before we head out into the world.
9. I want my life to be characterized by these three things: the Study of God's Word, Service and Simplicity.
10. The song on my heart this year is "Face Down" by Casting Crowns. The lyrics tell what is on my heart in regards to my walk with the Lord.
"I want to be face down, having nothing else to cling to. In need of love that only You can give. Face down, where I know that I belong. And I pray with grace that this world sees in me someone humble and broken at Your feet. . So I'm asking for your help, I just can't do this by myself. After all this life's for you and not for me. Through your mercy now I see brokenness is what I need. So I'll stay right here at Your feet."
I'm thankful for all the Lord has so graciously blessed me with. I pray I can please Him with how I handle all He's given me.
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