Pretty In Pink...With a Touch of Shrek Green

So today was the last day of school for Davidson County...waaaaaaaaaaaaaah. I am not the Mom that regrets her children being home all summer, on the contrary, I am the Mom that relishes every second with the kiddo. I hate to see the end of August roll around and school to start back, it seems like life is moving too fast and I can't catch up...and my baby is growing up too fast! So why the big waaaaaaaaaaaaah? Gracie had such a good year at school...the best teachers a Mama could ask for and we are going to miss them desperately! That being said, the end of school brings great reward too...like running around outside barefoot, catching fireflies at night, eating popscicles outside on a hot day, beach trips and the like...yep, summer is here! But the end of school also brings other rewards. You see, my Mom is a big rewarder, so she decided to give the gift of prissiness to both Gracie and my niece Bella for the end of school and for Bella's recital (she's only 3, so no school yet for her, lol).

Mom found a sweet little salon for little girls close to home called Tickled Pink...and so the afternoon rolls...it was so cute with the feather boas everywhere and the sweet Parisian theme...my 11 month old nephew Brayden loved the boas, lol. Both girls were treated by their "Nina" to a manicure and a pedicure, it was Bella's first, too cute! So after a couple of hours of fruit smoothies, meticulous painting of little fingers and toes and even a nice soak for their feet, we came away with 10 purple toes, 10 Shrek green toenails, 10 green fingernails with yellow polka dots and 10 yellow toenails with green polka dots...I'll let you figure out which is which, ha!

Leaving Gracie to go home with her Nina, I hit I-85 to head home. I got in my thinking mode. I don't always get up and fix my hair...there are even days I go to work - gasp - sans make up! I don't really care how people perceive me, although I have to admit, when the hair is straight and fixed and the make up is on and I'm rockin' one of my favorite outfits, it does give me a self esteem boost. So I wonder...how dressed up do I get for God? Do not get me wrong, I know He cares nothing about my appearance, He created me in His image and loves me just the way He started me out, that's not what I'm saying. Do I give Him my bare minimum or do I dress it up and give Him me at my best? Am I giving Him my leftovers or giving Him the best part of me? I don't even want to answer that, He and I know the answer...I do know this...when I give Him my best...when I go beyond the bare minimun and seek relationship over habit and duty...I get far more than a self esteem boost, I get a Holy Spirit boost.

So what are you giving Him? Don't answer that...just keep it between you and Him...and go dab on a little lip gloss and help me celebrate the end of school and a summer at home with my baby :)

Slackerness is Slackerness

Okay, okay, okay...my slackerness has come into play again. No really, I've been so super busy (me? no!) but I'm back on it. So I've not failed too miserably in my own challenge...or at least from my perspective. I'm scared to ask God if I've failed, lol. You know even our best is rubbish to Him, we just can't get that good. But that's okay, He knows that. He loves to see us try...and try...and try...and He picks us up and helps us try again. Never failing, never ending mercy and love. What's not to dig about that?

I'm ready to get back to that place where I felt like I was sitting in God's lap, looking at Him face to face with total dependance on Him but total freedom from life. Do you ever feel that way? Like I said before, I've been there once, and I long for it again.

I see the ways that the cracks and holes in my life keep me separate from God. So why in the heck is it so hard to close in the holes and fill in the cracks? The world just keeps creeping in...anyone with me on that? It's in the music that fills my car when I'm alone if I stray from my Christian play list...it's in the crap that's on TV (which I can happily say I am free from..I cannot stand the muck on TV, so I easily stay away from that)...it's in everything that takes precedence over spending time with my God.

I think about my Granny...she'll soon be 92...wow! She often laments of her lonliness...and I feel guilty for not being there for her. I wonder if God laments His lonliness from me as well? I feel the guilt in that one too...and He loves me far more than my Granny does (even if I AM her favorite...gee I hope my cousins are reading this right now, lol...all 20 something of them!).

God longs for our companionship...for a relationship....not just long distance calls now and then. Dwell on that...cause it's stepping on my toes right now. Let me know how it turns out for you and I'll do the same.

Until then...take the time today to read a portion of scripture...doesn't matter how short or how long...and find out something that God is wanting you to know, today :)

Day One O the Challenge

So? Did you? Did you live up to the day one challenge? I did, yea! It's interesting...over the last several weeks, well, honestly, months, I've been participating in an exercise boot camp. It's this two day a week work out that is mean...but it works. I love it! I have a great friend that is an even better motivator and she is a fantastic teacher. I've lost over two feet of myself since last September and I'm proud of myself. On the other hand (isn't there always "the other hand"??) there have been a few times I've had to miss, or weeks we weren't meeting (ie Christmas, weeks folks were sick, etc)...and going back to the class was so hard! I noticed immediately that my clothes were tighter, I didn't feel as tight, etc...I found that I felt the same after missing my time with God. Not as spiritually fit. I got into the Word really good last night and me and God had some personal time. It was great. Not as long as He or I would have liked, but still it was time with Him. I read and re-read Psalm 62...and I got into some New Testament too...lots of conversations that stepped on my toes. I encourage you to hit up some Psalms...great encouragement. Listen to this...

"My soul, wait silently for God alone. For my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense. I shall not be moved, In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength. And my refuge is in God. Trust in Him all you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us."

Marinate on that for a minute...got it? He...alone...is ALL we need. Yep, He gives us more, but truly He is all we need. My soul wait silently for God alone. We as women like to do things in pairs, but think on it, you can't experience God when other distractions are there...silently...alone... but read it again...He is our hope (expectation)...He is our Salvation....He is our defense....in Him? We shall NOT be moved in our faith, in our walk, in our stand...He is our strength...and when the strength seems to wane, He is our refuge. Have you ever felt, I mean physically and spirtually felt the shadow of His wing? Maybe the soft brush of feathers from the giant wing He shelters us with? I have...it took some pain to get there, but oh! to feel His presence and to know He had me in His hand, the most precious feeling in the world. We can stop trying to put up defenses...get rid of our insecurities and stop looking behind us at the past and start looking forward to what God is doing and how He will use us! What freedom...all in those short little verses (yes, I added, but that is what I pulled from it, where the Holy Spirit led me to with it)...I won't add to scripture, but I can tell my thoughts on it! Easy to look at...not as easy to achieve unless we are living it all souled out.

Those verses also told me that since He is all I need...then I better be sticking with Him, daily, not just some of the time, but continually...how else can I depend on Him for filling my needs. All I needed to seal the deal on this scripture? Came from 1Peter 1:25 "...but the word of the LORD endures forever" (derived from Isaiah 40:6-8). Chapter two of Peter goes on to tell us that we are to "lay aside all malice (speaking to anyone??), all deceit, hypocrisy, envy (ooooh...don't we hate to admit to that one??), and all evil speaking (this would include, gasp, dare I say, GOSSIP)...desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby..."

Well shoot, gotta give a few things up (oh there's more, just won't hit you with it tonight,lol) don't we? If we want that ultimate freedom in Him, that would be a good step, yes.

Truly understanding and practicing the fact that He is ALL we need will get us going...Ultimate freedom in Him...is it truly possible? Yes, I am here to tell you it is. Digging in His word...crawling up our Papa's lap and talking with Him...living out his love letters (above scripture included)...it's all part of it. Unless of course you don't know my Jesus to start with...if that's the case, give me a shout, and we'll get started on that freedom :)

So moving on to day two...let's see where He takes us next...

It's Summer Time and the Livin' Is Easy...

My new name is SLACKER! No seriously, been a while huh? I love blogging but my schedule lately, ahhh...let's just say it's not been time permitting, lol. So much has been going on in the Ward house, I feel overwhelmed sometimes! I've started making some precious little dresses which take up a lot of my time and I love making cupcakes, cakes, desserts and the like...soooo...on top of being God's girl, Paul's wife, Gracie's mommy, church secretary, taxi driver, class mom...okay, I'm getting overwhelmed again! So many hats to wear, so little time to wear them all in, lol.

When I sit back and look at what my days are filled with, sometimes I long for a day of rest and solitude. Do you ever feel that way? I love my full life, but a quiet day here and there is good for the soul. That's why it's so important to make time each day to curl up with those 66 love letters that my Creator wrote for me and to bask in His glory, His awe inspiring Word, His love. Having a daily conversation creates a relationship like no other...displaying complete dependance on Him will carry that into a realm of love and respect like you've never experienced. I have to admit, I've fallen short here lately. I don't do my daily quiet time like I should, do you? This time of year seems so busy...but I'm determined to fall into the lyrics of that rhythmic old song, "It's summer time, and the livin' is easy..." I want that slow down...those days that seem to go on forever and that time to relax and bask in my Father's love and glory...so here's my challenge to you...and to me...every day...between now and September 23 (Fall Equinox), make it a daily habit to find some time and space just for you and your precious heavenly Papa. I know we all try to make the time and a lot of us are successful...but make a special effort to make it more meaningful, more relational. Let's get rid of our religion and focus on our relationship with our Maker...then and only then, can we make the impact on our world that He intends us to...good luck and let me know how you do. To hold myself accountable, I'll blog daily my time with God...I bet He'll give me some good little nuggets to share :)