Savior Sunday.

"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

What a good verse for this time of year. It's not about receiving but about the giving. I need this reminder more often than I'd like to admit. And I'm not talking about Christmas. I really am all about the giving at Christmas--I love finding that perfect gift for someone and seeing them light up with surprise when they open it.

I'm talking about daily life. I feel like I give enough. And I give a lot. And it's NEVER enough for the people I'm giving to.

But maybe my perspective is skewed. Maybe I'm distorted in my view. Maybe I'd be happier if I gave more. If I gave more time to my husband for helping around the house. If I gave more patience to my kids when they are trying to tell me something. If I gave more concentration to my school work. I don't know, whaddya think? I know some of you out there feel like I do--like you're stretched too thin...there are so many commitments that to get some of them done means others get neglected. I am going to try to pare down so I don't have to feel that way anymore. I've given up Praise Team for the time being, and I've bought a parking permit so I can spend my time more efficiently (waiting up to a half an hour for a bus and then riding it for 15 minutes morning and night was NOT efficient).

My husband has indirectly asked me to give less time to some of my favorite activities. Prayer Shawl group and blogging. So I am. As of now, I'm going to cut back the daily blogs and only post the themes that help me in daily life, and of course post updates about the boys. So I'll do Menu Plan Mondays, Tot Talk Tuesdays, Family Fridays, and Savior Sundays. I was having trouble coming up with Top Ten Thursdays and Story Saturdays anyway. Wild Wednesdays I will probably do once in a while, when I have something to say. :-)

I hope this will help. I just keep telling myself that I've only got a few more years of this--once I'm done with my doctorate, things will calm down. But if anyone has some bible verses that would be helpful, I'm all ears.

And now, a prayer: Lord, please make me an instrument of your peace. Let me find the balance in life and give more to others than to myself. Amen.

Have a blessed week.

Savior Sunday

'Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."'-Matthew 26:39

"Yet not as I will, but as you will." This statement in the book of Matthew has always touched my heart. I try very hard when I pray, to have this intent: God's will be done, God's purpose be fulfilled.

But it's so easy to ask for MY will and MY purpose to be done. Heal this person, God. Save that unbeliever, please. Make my kids safe and healthy and happy and nice, if you can. We all have such a list of demands to make upon God when we pray. And the really cool thing about God is, I bet he hears all those demands with great patience and love. Every. single. one.

It cannot be easy to be God. To have this master plan, and to love everyone unconditionally, and to hear all those requests, demands, and concerns...and then to watch the caretakers of his creation just walk away from him and sin.

Which is why I try to end every prayer with something like, "So if it's not against your will, God, those are the things I'm worried about. Your will be done, above all." Because really, it is God's master plan that is important. We never say that to someone who's lost a loved one, or who's house has been hit by a tornado...it wouldn't be kind to do so. But ultimately, God has a plan and a will for everyone, and those bad things that happen to us, well, they are part of the journey. God would never wish them on us, but would we really know the awesomeness of love or the true feeling of joy, if we didn't have any bad times? I don't think so. I think we only "get" the full understanding of joy and happiness and love because we know how bad it can be.

So God's will be done this week, in your life. And if it's not against God's will, may you experience joy this week. Amen.

Savior Sunday

No bible verse today, and the devotional is going to be pretty short since I am sick.

Yesterday I thought I was going to write about how God's love is the only truly unconditional love...I saw a WWII movie and was feeling very sad about all the horrible things Hitler did to Jewish people, gypsies, etc. But that post will have to wait.

Today I got sick. Not horribly hospitalizing-sick. Just achy, pukey, wanna-lay-in-bed-all-day sick. So as I was lying there, in between fits of sleep, I tried to think about God and why being sick could be a blessing. Here is what I came up with:

1. If I feel sick, that means I'm alive--and that is a blessing.

2. Being sick is hard on me because I'm not sick often--another blessing.

3. My son was sicker than I was, showing me it could be worse--blessing.

4. My son and I got sick on a weekend, when my husband is home to help--definitely a blessing.

5. Being sick usually kick-starts some weight loss--a final blessing.

So see, there are blessings in the bad things. This doesn't make it all better, but at least I can find the silver lining. :-)