Working for the Weekend or Working for the Wonder

Are you just getting through the hum drum of the day? Or are you working for your maker?

Are you counting down the minutes until you're free from the workday? Or are you cherishing the moments to minister where you are?

I've had a number of jobs prior to the current career I'm in.

1. First job I had was babysitting, which I think is a job we all have. I babysat mostly prior to finding Jesus, so I can't use that as an example.
2. My first real job, with all the W-2 paperwork goodness was working for Hallmark (no, they did not invent Valentines day). I worked there for 3 months in Las Vegas, then when I went back to college I was able to transfer to a store in Reno.  I had Jesus in my life back then, but didn't fully know the extent of what He could do, or what I could do as a believer. I was still very self focused at the time. I ended up  leaving that job because I think I couldn't get time off to go see my family in Las Vegas for Christmas.
3. My second real job was working as a Resident Assistant in the dorms. Oh how many lives I could have impacted if I prayed for all my residents. There were a few I'd pray for here and there, but over the 2.5 years I was an RA, that could have been 30+ students who had another stepping stone. (We could also talk about all the kids in my classes too, but that's for another time)
4. The third job, after I said goodbye to ResLife was a brief summer job in Vegas working at a photography studio (school pictures). It was a small downstairs staff of 5ish people. Again, how self centered was I to just think about me and my circumstance, rather than those around me I could have been praying for! This summer though, I was starting to fall away from Jesus and do my own thing. This was the start of my not so great few years walking independently of Jesus.
5. Following that was working at Ann Taylor (Job 4). It was there I met a friend who later calls me out on my lifestyle choices. There, I really got to see humanity. There I developed an appreciation for leaving clothes better (or as best I could) than I found them. There, God began to work on me. There, he provided a temp job which turned full time. There he provided me the foot in the door to where I am now.
6. After a year in retail, and the last couple months working that part time and the new full time job, I said goodbye to that and fully embraced the full time career where I've been for 5 years now.
7. Once summer hit however, I itched somewhere to work retail again, so for about a month I worked at a Coach outlet store.
8. A short time later, while still working the fifth job, my seventh job was working as a Daisy Duke line dancer, which I did for 2 years and quit this past June.

All that to say, look how many lives I've interacted with,  whether one time customers or repeat ones, talking Jesus (when I could), acting like Jesus...


Romans 12:2 states, "Do not be confirmed to this world". We are called to be different. Let us stand out from being the complainers and the gripers, from posting about how much Monday sucks and how the weekend is gone too soon. We are where we are for how long we are became God put us there. Let him use you.


Do not worry...there are many verses that address this, so pick your fave, but do not worry about your job/your career (also preaching to myself here). You're where you're at to serve a purpose.


I'm learning to embrace where I am and show Jesus when I can. I'm not in a place where I can necessarily talk about Jesus all day everyday to anyone I come in contact with, but I can read my Bible on my breaks or Lunch in the break room. I've left my bible on my desk between those times.


Work for the Wonder, don't necessarily work for the weekend. There have been so many times at my current job where I've hated every minute of every day. I've wallowed in the slowness, felt frantic and crazy in the busy times, gossiped, talked behind people's back. And after the first couple years, I wanted out. I also did not like nor get along with my supervisor for 2ish of those years. I looked for other jobs, somewhere I could be more free, wear jeans rather than business casual. But something kept me there.

God. 

There never was another job posting I saw that I liked. I never got interested enough to set up a job interview. I just stuck it out here, wallowing to myself "At least the pay and benefits are worth it." Man, what kind of life and perspective was that?

I have a purpose here, and in the past 2 years, I've worked real hard to change the way I talk to and about my coworkers. I've really tried to bring Jesus with me into the work environment. I'm still not great at counting down the minutes to the end of the day. I'm still not great at taking upsets and frustrations and looking for the good. But I've been more conscientious of thinking, "If someone didn't know, would they figure out I'm a Christian, would they figure out by my actions I love Jesus?" In a customer service field where most of your interactions are "scripted" so to speak, it's hard to talk about the day to day, especially when my time with the public is more limited these days, as I don't interact with the public like I use to.

As of today, I'm switching my mindset. I'm letting each day be a renewal for my mind to work for the wonder, "Jesus, I can't wait to see what you'll do today". I still get excited for the weekend for other reasons, but at least now it isn't, "I can't wait to leave this cruddy place."

What are you struggling with in the day to day? Comment and let me pray for you <3

God is so good and faithful to answer. Go into the rest of this work week asking God how you can work for the wonder instead of working for the weekend.

What it means to be a friend

What if I disappeared for a while?
What if I hid from the social media sphere
and didn't post
and didn't go to events
and didn't have pictures to share.
Would you even care?


What if I didn't answer your call,
your text,
your direct message,
Would you even care?


What if we stopped hanging out?
What if we stopped going out and about?
What if you never hear from me?
Do you even care?


What if I never said Happy Birthday
Happy Thanksgiving
Merry Christmas?
Do you even care?


Do you know my favorite color?
Do you know my worse fear?
Do you know how I feel
when the wind is all I hear?


Do you know my husband's basic story?
Do you know about my pups?
Do you know how I feel
about misplaced lingering cups?


Do you know what holidays I love
and which I like the least?
Do you know how I really feel
about a Thanksgiving family feast?


Do you know what songs I love
to sing in my car aloud?
Do you know what I did
that has made me most proud?


Do you know what I do
when there's nothing to do?
Do you know
that I want to know you too?


Do you know what I keep track of
and what I let fall to the side
Do you know about my writings
my gratitudes, my thoughts inside?


Do you know what I know,
that you're sometimes fake when you speak?
Do you know that I care for you
very much, as high as a mountain peak?


Do you know that when we make plans
and then you don't follow through,
that not only am I said
but my heart breaks for you?


Do you know that when you don't share
those awesome exciting moments in your life
I celebrate for you anyway
whether its the excitement of a baby, or becoming a husband or wife?


Do you know that when you post a picture
but don't send a text
I'll "like" it, but sincerely
unlike some of the rest?


Do you know that when I bring a grievance,
that when I confront you on something you're doing
It's not because I hate you or want to tear you down,
I want to build you up, friendship isn't a state of being.


Do you know, that poetry is a heart's cry?
Do you know I wrote this for you
whether you're a new friend, an old friend,
someone fake or someone true?


Do you know that in a crowd,
I often feel alone?
Do you know that recently,
I no longer have a heart of stone?


Do you know that at work, I often bust my butt,
and often do a lot?
I try to talk and befriend my coworkers
but to do the same to me? They'd rather not.


Do you know that sometimes
I want to talk behind your back?
"Have you heard what (your name here) has done?
Wasn't that awesome and good!" It's not about what you lack.


Don't you know I value you
and the time you give to me?
Don't you know it's love I have,
that I want the world to see?


I wish I could be a talking mirror
so you could see your worth.
I'd crack a few jokes
we'd enjoy healthy mirth.


I'll admit a truth
I've been a cruddy friend.
But I vow to get better
until the very end.


I will fail
but I will keep trying.
Trust me I'll still be there for you
it ain't my bridge you're frying.


So if you wanna try again with me
Let's see where we go.
I'll do my best to be honest and fair
and tell you everything that's true.


And even if you don't,
If you decide to walk away from me.
Know that you're still gold,
Someday that's what I hope you'll see.

I’m a yelper and I’ll review if I want to

Firstly, puns, oh how great. "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to..." "I'm a yelper and I'll review if I want to..." No? Ok. Moving on. 

Yelp. A great website/app that allows you to review businesses based on your personal experience. If you’re in my neighborhood and want to know if that Taco place is too hot to trot, or causes you to spend the night near a toilet/trash can, then yelp is a great resource!

So what’s the backstory? I made a yelp account I don’t even know when, but back in May 2014, my friend Justine invited me to a yelp event. I remember thinking “Yelp has events? Say what?” It was at Dorinda’s Chocolate by the River. And it was an Elite event. “What’s an elite?” I thought. We got to go behind the scenes in Dorinda’s chocolate making kitchen and get the lowdown and know how on some of the techniques behind their confection affection. I had a blast. I then furiously and meticulously took pictures of things I received at places, paid closer attention to customer service treatment I received and placed all of that information on the app. I started RSVPing to the local events that I was interested in, and then the end of 2014 rolled around. It was Elite nomination time. I nominated myself and explained why I would make a good Elite yelper.

2015 rolled around. The golden email came. I was selected to be on the Elite squad! Oh joy! What an honor to have been entrusted with a rank of truthful reviews (Some lengthier than others), to know other yelpers and general populous alike would be looking to my reviews about a location.

I’m now 3 solid years into the yelp game, 2 years into being Elite and I’m having so much fun. I now look to other yelpers reviews of places, I check the ratio of overall star review (4 of 5 stars, 2 of 5 stars etc) to the number of reviews posted. Then, I make my decision whether or not to give the business my money.

Yelp is also great because it can help you find local places, little mom and pop shops that are trying to make it, despite the big wig chain places (Dorindas vs. Sees’, Hub vs Starbucks).

Ok, we’ve heard your spiel on the awesomeness of yelp. That’s cool. How does that relate to your life as a Godfearing woman?

Wouldn’t you wanna have a resource to access truth and history and “reviews” of places you’ll go in life? Wouldn’t you want to hear the consequences of ordering from that place? The Israelites ordered up a whole bunch of false idols and selfish pride. The consequences? Disease, plague, defeat in war. We have the timeless Bible to reference as review of our history. As a testimony of trial and error, trial and success. We can go read and sympathize, “Yep, I did that too”. While we can’t add to the Bible by review or picture, we can share about, much like we share about great restaurants, poor service at a dry cleaner, or a great nail tech who absolutely kills it every time.

 

Be intentional. Be truthful. Be genuine.

 

Amen and Amen

 

This review of yelp.com is not sponsored; I was not asked to write this. I was not paid to write this. Opinions are solidly my own.

Scheduled and Stranded

From twice a week for sure, to maybe once a week, I’m changing how I’m blogging.

 

When I first resumed this blog, I was ecstatic to be inspired to pop out 2 times/week information and how God is working in my life. Then, for a week or two, I was silent, and now this past Wednesday I was able to put together another blog after I was inspired the Thursday prior. I don’t want to put pressure on myself to crank out 2 posts a week and work to queue them up so I don’t fall behind. We all know how well that worked a few years ago when I tried working 2 part time jobs and posting every day (inspiration, food, fashion etc)…it didn’t.

 

I desire quality over quantity. I don’t want to put half hearted efforts out. I want whole hearted worthwhile posts. I want to be inspired by others to inspire everyone else. I want whatever following is out there to be satisfied by my postings and not get one post every 6 months, or 18 at once and nothing for periods after.

 

I hope to have something up at least once a week, but it might be once every two weeks. Maybe there’ll be a bonus of 2 in one week. I don’t know.

 

Which is flat out scary to me. I am Type A, Organized, OCD. To not have a schedule? To not have consistency? I am laying my trust in Jesus that he will provide inspiration when it needs to be published. So until then, I’m just WOTLing around. (Wait On The Lord)

 

Amen and Amen.

We finish each other's...Sandwiches!

Last Thursday, in yet another Life Group/Bible study, we had our monthly potluck at the Leader/Facilitator’s parent’s house. It was Chinese food themed, and it was delicious (Ok, so my husband and I ate beforehand). We arrived just as the group was finishing up. After a few minutes of conversation, we moved from the dining room table to the living room to converse and enjoy each other’s company.

The Leader/Facilitator was recounting with his fiance their recent missions trip to Romania. I don’t know what made the transition switch, but then he started talking about the Taj Mahal. He had gone on a missions trip to India a month or so prior to this Romania one, without his fiance. She rolled her eyes as he began yet another retelling of how amazing this World Wonder was. She had heard this time and time again and I don’t know what number of retelling this was.

What amazed me most, is she was able to lip/mouth every word he said. There were a few she stumbled and guessed on, but for the most part, she hit the nail on the head.

How amazing is that. They spend a ton of time together getting to know each other in this engaged process, and so much of the time she gets to hear him tell stories of where he’s gone in the world. She knows his words so well she can repeat them word for word.

 

Isn’t that what God calls us to do? Joshua 1:8 says that we need to meditate on God’s word day and night. This was an eye opener to me. We should be able to recite and recount God's word and all He's done for his people accurately. Sure, we can stumble a bit, but if we're in His word daily, meditating on it, reading it, talking to our friends and family about it, we've no reason to stumble at all.


I'm working on reading through the bible in a year. Because I jumped ahead and read Joshua and Judges in lieu of Leviticus, Deuteronomy and Numbers, I'm in 1 Kings currently, thanks the Daily Walk Bible (NLT version), and I'm slowly reading bits here and there of those 3 books I've missed. It's so cool to see for myself firsthand what God has done for his people. It's also quite interesting which verses keep coming up and get repeated in my life. For example, Joshua 1:8, I've heard it 3 or 4 times now, and I'm blogging about it! God is so cool. Seriously. Go read His word and see for yourself. I know I had to.


Best. Decision. Ever.


Amen and Amen.

How Sweet it is to be Loved by You

Time with my sister-in-law has been amazing. She is a beautiful soul chasing after God’s heart so differently than when I first met her. But time does that. If you’re passionate about life, you won’t stay the same. You will be looking to be the next great version of yourself, of who God created you to be.

When you’re open to change, God uses that to pour into you the next great lesson. And last night’s aha moment? Nicknames, Pet names and all the things you call your husband. (Great title for a book right?)

We were talking and then she brought up how some names she calls her husband in jest, aren’t the greatest. And I then thought of all the names I call my husband in jest when he may not make the greatest decision, but we laugh about it right after “Poop face” is one, and some probably aren’t as PG as I’d like this blog to be. She stated she and I have never done that, except for maybe once I called her that B word completely joking, we paused, looked at each other, and I think I apologized. My best friend, Robin, I’ve never called her any names beside her own. My other bestie, Whitney, she’s never been called any name but her own. God, I’ve never called Him anything but his own.

Then God used me to give a message to the both of us: “If you love and respect God, and these best friends of yours, and to show that you don’t call them names, why would you call your husbands these names? Do you not love and respect them that much more?”

Whoa.

Then, in a split second, God brought to mind another topic recently covered in a women’s get together I go to, to talk Jesus and learn what else He’s go for us. [Y’know that split second that it all makes sense in your head and you quickly roll with it, but when you explain it to people, it seems to take far longer than forever? Yeah that.]

So my other sister-in-law (my husband is one of eight, so seven siblings, add their spouses…) was talking about how she was counseling a woman who was bad mouthing her husband in this session, and I believe talking about how ‘I can’t believe our marriage is crap, why is my husband terrible?’. My sister-in-law realized that this woman had been tearing down her husband for their entire 30-ish years of marriage. Rather than adding bricks to her husband, encouraging him, complimenting him, she was eradicating the bricks that laid the foundation for her safe place, her comfortzone, Her. Best. Friend.

Picture from a Google search

 

My bit from that? Was a bit exactly.

When we call our husbands “Pooper” “Stupid Peacock” “Bad Llama” we’re pulling pebbles. We’re not yanking out bricks: “You’re lazy and just sit and play games all day”. We’re not damaging their ego with these playful pet names. We’re jesting. But the enemy has been pulling these names back to mind when my husband and I get into the small marital tiffs newlyweds face and have to hash out. And I caught myself this last time, “My husband is not a pooper. He’s a great patient man. Why can I only think of him as a poop face right now?” Because I had spoken him as poopy into existence. I pulled a pebble out of the foundation.

After I said this, I stopped, and she and I both exhaled, “Whoa”. Then I raved about how cool God was for him to say that to us because there was no way that that was from my mortal mind.

So once I got home, I recounted to my husband what I had learned. I apologized for pulling pebbles when I should be looking to add bricks. Lo and behold, he apologized too for all the pebbles he pulled that I hadn’t thought of.

So I’m starting today thinking on how to find those odd shaped pebbles to fill the nooks and crannies to fully secure our firm foundation of marriage. I’m conscious of the names I call my husband, this morning I replied to him calling me “Sexy” by calling him “Stud”, rather than not accepting his compliment and telling him he was still just waking up and his eyes weren’t focused. I want to build him up to be a great husband, as Jesus was for the church.

Amen and Amen <3

Beautiful: Worship and Bethel (Hosting weekend # 2)

My husband and I hosted the Bethel students again this past weekend. They were suppose to come up last month, but due to a predicted storm during their allocated weekend, they were forced to cancel their trip for the month. This month, they made it. We hosted just 2 girls this time, as the team coming here was a lot smaller than in the past. They had their own car, which was really cool. One of the girls was a worship leader at her church, and the other girl had a beautiful voice too.


So before they left Saturday morning, we worshipped. Acoustically. In our home.


And. It. Was. Beautiful.


God's been teaching me about worship lately it seems. And it started with my sister Alishia talking about this book she read and loved. I believe it's "Heaven's Symphony"? Or something like that, but it talks about how the Angels in heaven and God's creation of the landscape and animals are already worshipping the Creator and have been since they were created. When we sing, dance, or do anything we deem "worship" to Him, we are simply joining in in the already existing worship. We are joining thousands of musical notes already being sung to the Lord.


How. Beautiful. Is. That?


2 weeks ago at church, my husband and I got there a little late, so we were ushered to a seat by the helpful volunteers. During one of the songs, my hubby left the aisle and walked all the way to the front, he came back and said "Let's go" and led me to the front of the place. And we sat in front. It was like a concert for God. Last week, they cancelled church due to the snow that was pretty treacherous. So last night we went. And sat in front again. God moved in my heart so strongly I wanted to dance with my husband in the front, as there's some space between the front row and the stage, but I don't know if that church is open to people "going crazy for God" like that. So I held back and just kept the beat in my feet during the songs.


But. Worship. Was. Beautiful.


God is an amazing God. If you asked me in high school where I'd be in the last month of my being 27 years old, I would have probably said single, mingling, being a famous writer in New York. If you had told me I'd be married living in the country, loving on God so passionately, I would definitely have called you bonkers.


But. God. Is. Beautiful.


His ways are good and beautiful, and I can't imagine living any other way than this. I'm excited for all He's teaching me and the ways He's growing me. I'm happy to be right where He has me in all aspects of my life.


I wouldn't want it any other way.


Isn't. That. Beautiful?


Amen and Amen

I can see clearly now, the veil is lifted

 So this week, I couldn’t think of anything to write about for yesterday. I was struggling to think, “What is worth the time to compose a post that people would enjoy reading?”

 

And then I got my windshield replaced yesterday. Then, inspiration hit.

 

A few years ago, I was driving in the slow lane after merging from one freeway to another. I wanted to make my way to the fast lane. I moved to the middle lane behind this big semi truck. I checked my mirror, checked my blind spot, and then 2 things happened at the exact same time. The first, some Speedy Gonzales came flying up in the fast lane, blocking me in the middle lane. More slow cars had filled in the slow lane. The second, a huge gust of head wind blew, informing me that the construction style semi truck in front of me, was a gravel truck, without a cover over the gravel. My windshield got splattered with gravel. Ok, so maybe this was more than a few years ago, I think it was a year or 2 after I got my car, which was 2009, so perhaps since 2011 I’ve been driving around with a windshield missing minute chips.

 

The crack. You can see the curved part and then where it begins to straighten out across the windshield.

So after this crack appeared, I’m assuming one of those gravel chips evolved into the nearly halfway across the windshield mark, I was ecstatic to get a new windshield. I was thrilled to be able to start fresh. Last night I picked up my car and got in and looked out at a fresh windshield for the first time in years.

This was taken this morning. No crack. No chips. No dent. Just frost.

 

I didn’t realize how distorted my windshield was. I didn’t realize how “fuzzy” I had been seeing. For those of you who wear glasses, you know that moment where you clean your glasses after looking through dirty ones and all of a sudden everything is bright and clear as day? For those of you who don’t, you know when your phone camera gets dirty and you realize in your camera preview things are fuzzy, then you wipe it clean and all of a sudden everything is bright and crisp?

 

It’s also like, that moment when your life is chaotic, messy, perhaps dangerous and life threatening. It’s that moment when you realize that you’re spinning and lost and dizzy and you don’t know which way is up. It’s that really dark scary moment where you’re ready to give up and let go. And. Then. God. Then God comes into the picture. Then He saves you. Then He shows you what a good life looks like, what true unconditional no strings attached love is. Then He shows you that all He wants is you to love Him and follow Him. Then He tells you that you need to do NOTHING but believe.

 

It’s THAT moment, when you feel free. It’s THAT moment, when you can finally see clearly. When all of a sudden, your vision is bright, clear, crisp, focused.

 

I was reminded of that yesterday. I was reminded that we have THAT moment, every morning when we wake up, a chance to start fresh with God.

 

Oh yesterday was such a good day.

 

Amen and Amen.

Just Breathe

Day 2 of 40. Day 2 of going through the Psalms. Day 2 of spiritual attack. Day 2 of clinging close to my Heavenly Father. Day 2 of an expectant heart excited to see how God is going to be God and move greatly in this study.

 

I’m spending 40 days in the Psalms, thanks to Life Lived Beautifully (LLB). (That’s a link, go check out their blog post about the study!) I’ve done a few studies now. The first 4ish or so I did were through She Reads Truth (SRT). They were pretty good, the first few were Philippians and Colossians and they were pretty basic. The Lent study was a revamped format and the book is beautiful! Though I wasn’t able to finish it, so I can’t speak to how much I learned (or didn’t) from it. The most recent study I did was through Proverbs31 ministries: Finding I Am (FIA), where it went through the book of John and the 7 “I am…” statements Jesus made about himself. This study was pretty good, and I liked it. A common factor between both of these ministries was they allowed the weekend as a “catch up” time for you to do what you can.

 

So now, going through a 3^rd ministry for a study, Oh I’m so excited to learn and grow.

 

The previous studies had verse cards and I didn’t know what to do with them. The SRT ones never got used. The FIA  ones I hole punched and put them in my planner, but I never referenced them. Then, Gretchen Saffles of LLB in one of her instagram stories had a great idea for using them and seeing them on the daily. She hung them by the kitchen sink, so as she did dishes she would see them. That is so brilliant. So I did that. My window that I hung them off of isn’t super big, so I only put 5 of the 10 cards up.

 

 

Halfway through the study, I will switch them out for the other half. My husband really likes the idea too. He says its great and decorative and it’s furthering our House to Home endeavor.


Verdict so far? This first week is a slow week, slowly getting into the study, taking the study book a page at a time. Yesterday and Today are Heart Checks. And I really like that. It's really having me focus (and anyone else doing the study) on where I am and where I need to be. Today's was all about moving forward on your knees: aka Humility. Oh this is so good for my soul. I'm loving this already.

So, here's their post about Lent and resources and awesomeness. Will you join me for a Lent study? Do you want to Breathe and pray through the Psalms? Comment down below what you'll be doing for the 40 days of Lent, I'd love to hear about it and be on my knees praying for you.

Amen & Amen.

Brand New Life

Today, the world said “Hello!” to Sophie. Today, Sophie entered the world. Today, Sophie is brand new. Today, Sophie has done nothing wrong. Today, Sophie hasn’t said one bad word. Today, Sophie hasn’t cursed anyone. Today, Sophie is flawless. Today, Sophie is perfect.

Today, she is new.

Today, I am new.

Today, you are new.

We are new because of Jesus. Every day, we are entering the world after sleep. At the start of every day, we are brand new. At the start of every day, we have done nothing wrong. At the start of every day, we haven’t cursed anyone. At the start of every day,we haven’t said one bad word. At the start of every day, we are flawless. At the start of every day, we are perfect.

At the start of every day, we are new

At the start of every day, Jesus loves us.

At the end of every day, Jesus loves us.

We are like babies every day, given the chance to start again. (Yes, as babies, we are born dead, born into sin, and it’s our free will to choose eternal life in Jesus, but let’s roll with the metaphor right now.)

We are pure, untouched, clean and not tainted. Just like sweet Sophie.

Today, my husband and I were blessed to become Godparents. Today, we have a new responsibility to love Sophie and share just how awesome Jesus is. Today, our best friends were made father and mother (Not that they haven’t been for the past 9 months). Today, we get to start cheering them on in parenthood, to offer what wisdom we can. Which, if I’m being honest here, I think my husband will do a grand job at, he’s the youngest of 8 and has like 16 nieces and nephews. And then there’s me, I babysat from like age 13 to age 18ish. 9 years later, I’ve only sporadically helped out in my church’s childcare area from like 2009-2012. Today is the day I start again. Today, I am excited for my best friends to embark on this parenthood journey. Today, I continue my prayers for Sophie, for her parents.

Today is a really good day. Remember that.

Today. Today. Today.

Amen and Amen!

 

(By the way, Sophie is absolutely adorable and precious and 8 lbs of sheer beauty. Since she isn’t mine, it isn’t right for me to post a picture. But just think of the most precious baby, and multiply by like 10, and you have the Sophster.)

21 days to make a Habit

Research has shown it takes 21 days to build a habit. If you do the same thing every day for 21 days straight, you’ve now created something you’re going to do every day. And when you don’t do it, you feel lost, “off”, disoriented etc.

I didn’t realize it until Friday morning (February 10^th, 2017) when I was talking to my coworker, but I unintentionally formed a habit. “I haven’t eaten breakfast at home before work ever since I started. I’ve always eaten it at my desk” is what I told her. I’ve been at this same job for 3+ years (4 in June! Woo!). But eating breakfast at home before work is something I need to change. I need to start and really commit to up at the same time every day and in bed at the same time every night. I’m thinking I’ll be more energized and ready to go if I do these things.

Another habit I didn’t realize I started was one I began at the beginning of the year. I remember as a new believer, just learning to get my legs under me, hearing “Read your Bible every day” was something I was not a fan of. I enjoy reading for pleasure, or doing things because I want to. As soon as it becomes a “task” or a “do this or else” I don’t want to do it; I doubt I’m alone in the matter. But at the end of last year, I decided I was going to read through the bible in a year. It didn’t dawn on me that this was a “task” I was establishing for myself.

But I wanted to get to know my God more, I wanted to know my Heavenly Father. So that when I utilize my gifts, I can listen for His input and His direction as I do the things he has blessed me with. So, I found a reading plan online, copied it into my journal, and have been chugging along through it.

And now, I’m addicted. I carry my bible EVERYWHERE with me. If I walk out the door without it, I feel naked. I read it on my work breaks. I read it after work in coffeeshops between tasks. I’m using reading plan Apps with extra information about context to help me get through it…and my mind is BLOWN at the greatness of our God. Holy cow. So I’ll be blogging about what he’s taught me as I feel led.

If you balk at the thought of reading your bible on the daily, really take those feelings to God and address them. Because you’re not going to get better if you stay bitter. This honestly has been one of the best things I’ve ever done for my walk with God is reading the bible daily. Charles Spurgeon said “Why would I look into the face of man in the morning before looking into the face of God?” (Paraphrased and restated, but it’s still the same meaning). And oh how differently I feel when I spend mornings with God, briefly or extended, versus the days I don’t. I resolved to start my Saturday as this new habit, as Friday was already gone. So, God willing, it will become a new habit to really carve out time in my mornings to spend time with Him before I spend time with mankind: my coworkers, my husband above all else, baristas, fast food workers, grocery store employees, and on and on.

Amen & Amen

 

It's a Gift: Art for the King

I’ve always had a love for the arts. As a kid, I would come home from school, or in my free time on the weekends or at lunch, and I would write. I would write stories and illustrate them. I’d color in coloring books, I’d draw tons of doodles. And once, I picked up a thin (on cardboard like) canvas and I painted it with watercolors. It was a house, and I was in elementary school.

I’d like to think I got it from my mom. She took art classes at the community college when she was in her early 20s, working full time and having a social life as well. She painted this beautiful mural like piece, gosh it has to be like 30”x50” or something ginormous (I haven’t seen it since I was a kid, so it might be smaller). And it was amazing. It hung up in my grandparents house. After they died, she got it back, and now it’s at their house in Las Vegas. It was of a roadrunner and a cactus. Oh how I wanted to be like her. I wanted to be artsy and create the next amazing painting, or write the next Great American Novel.

But instead, “Good grades, Hygiene” in high school. “Good grades, hygiene” in college. It was straight from one set of schooling to the next, so I could make it with a good paying stable job in the adult world.

I wasn’t really allowed or encouraged to pursue arts, or I just changed my mind too much with what I wanted to do that my parents didn't want to "waste money" on a hobby I wouldn't keep up with. Sure, I could join National Honor Society, Book club and cheerleading. I think now, of course, hindsight is 20/20, if I had really pushed to be creative and really go for that artsy line, I could have made it work. I could have learned a lot and maybe been the next Picasso. But I didn’t.

Now, however, my artsy drive is resurfacing. I have a new fire burning in my body to make art, to paint, to write stories, to create poems, to do what I loved to do growing up. Where did this rekindled passion come from?

I’d like to think it rekindled at Picasso and Wine, a local paint and sip place here in Reno. You show up, and they walk you through step by step how to paint with acrylic paint on a canvas. You can enjoy wine and Mimosas with your friends as you take 3 hours of your day to paint. I went to 2 of them here in Reno. And Summer 2016, my husband (fiancé at the time) and I went to visit my parents in Kansas City and my mom and I went to a paint and sip there.


But here's the real story: God blesses us with gifts and talents that just come naturally to us. And artsy creativity is where one of my gifts takes root. There are times I wish I was musically inclined, because who doesn't want a set of awesome pipes? Or Furious Fingers on the piano or guitar? But that's not where God's called me to be. I didn't "Got it from my mama" I got it from my Father, my Heavenly Father.


He's called me to the creative: the writing and the painting, and perhaps the drawing. I've taken one step to let Him be the director of my art. Our Family Bible Study/Home Group had a Prophetic Paint night at the end of January this year. And it was amazing. God moved in so many ways that night. He spoke to me through my painting and my second mother (mother-in-law). It was so cool.


So if you have a God given talent, use it. Pursue it. Take means and measures to make sure it gets done. Listen to that quiet whisper in your heart and mind to lead you in your gifts.


I'm looking into taking some classes at the community college and maybe get an Associates Degree in Painting or the Arts. We'll see where life takes me. But either way, I'm making art for my King for His Glory, to spread His Gospel, to spread His Light.


Amen & Amen.