I lay my requests before Him

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;

in the morning I lay my requests before you

and wait expectantly.

 

Psalm 5:3

When I came to the Lord this morning, my heart was full.  It was full of thanks and it was full of the cares of my little life.  I'm so thankful that He hears my voice and that when I lay my requests before Him, I can wait expectantly. 

Our Loving Father always answers prayer. Always.

My request this morning is for more of Him. He constantly fills me.  I know I would be a mess without Him. I just long for more.  I am so much more content, joyful, peaceful and truly myself when I am in His presence.  This worry?  This stress?  That's not really me.  That's the counterfeit.  The real me is calm and still in His presence. The real me is jumping up and down excited over the miracles He performs.  The big and the small miracles. I love gleaning from His Word and making new life applications of the revelations He has given me.

I delight in the words of Psalm 5:3.  I can wait expectantly as I lay my requests before Him.

The beautiful Ann Voskamp wrote these amazing words that have just stuck with me: "Waiting is just a gift of time in disguise - a time to pray wrapped up in a ribbon of patience - because is the Lord ever late?"

As I seek Him in all things....in decision-making, in homeschooling, in activities, in life.....I can just relax.  I can remember that any waiting I have to do is really a gift.  I am allowed an opportunity to grow in patience and to spend that time....more and more time....in prayer.

Prayer is just talking to my Father. Prayer is more of Him. Constant communion.  What a win-win!

eternity driven

I woke up today with a longing to just scoop up my daughters and hold them.  I want to just look them deep in the eyes and study them.  Memorize who they are right now, today. I have been paying attention lately to how big they're getting.  Oh, how I enjoy them!  Of course there are the moments (hours, days) of struggle.  We are human.  We blow it.  We have selfish natures.  However, these girls of mine are delightful. 
We just moved into a new home.  We were in Marina for 9+ years.  CSUMB campus housing was our way of life.  Eating in the Dining Commons, participating in community wide programs and going for glorious walks on the oak tree-lined trails.
In August, we relocated to Castroville.  It was just going to be a month or two, staying at our dear friends' church.  The loft above the church office and gym was huge!  We made it our cozy home for 7 months.  The laughter and bonding that took place there was fantastic!  We grew closer to each other as well as to the wonderful Coffelt family who hosted us.  Oh, how we will miss seeing them every day!
Now, as we are creating a new home, I find that it is more work than I remember.  I tend to want things done completely, perfectly and NOW.  Not a very charming trait for a mama.  I have barked a few orders here and there, "Do your school work."  "Clean up this mess!"  "We won't get settled until everyone helps out around here."  It hasn't been pretty.  I have also had some good laughs with my girls, but I noticed that I seem to have set a deadline for when we should have everything out of boxes and that deadline has come and gone.  Why do I do things like that to myself?  We JUST moved in, I need to give myself some grace.
So, today, I woke up extra early.  I had a wonderful time in the Word and, oddly enough, God brought me to two separate verses with the very same theme.  He is like that.
2 Corinthians 4:18, "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary and what is unseen is eternal."  Oh yeah.  Hmmm....the verse behind my whole "Eternity Driven" name here at this blog.  Too often I need these kind of reminders.
The second verse was Colossians 3:2-3, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." 
When my oldest daughter, now a beautiful 14-year-old, was just a baby, my sister-in-law gave me a wonderful gift.  It is a framed picture with an important message for me to remember.  It goes something like this: "Cleaning and scrubbing (and unpacking boxes) can wait 'til tomorrow For babies grow up we've learned to our sorrow, So quiet down cobwebs and dust go to sleep I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep."
So, today, hopefully every day, I am going to purpose to remember what really matters.  The stuff will all get done eventually.  Loving this precious family of mine needs to be my top priority.  Truly, it is. Sometimes I just need the reminder.

could there be anything sweeter?

Look what I found in my room yesterday.

She was "getting more faith"

She found a scripture she wanted to copy down on paper

Could there be anything sweeter?

"I will praise you O Lord with all my heart."

jumping right in

I've always been a perfectionist.  Not a perfect one, mind you.  Just a failing perfectionist that has never allowed herself enough grace.
I'm jumping right into this Joy Dare.  I mentioned in yesterday's blog that I have been listing things I'm grateful for since reading One Thousand Gifts back in September.  On her blog, Ann Voskamp issued the Joy Dare.  List 3 things every day that you are thankful for.  Yesterday was the S I X T H day of January.  Not day one.  However....I'm jumping in....right now.  Not going back to day one and starting from number one. Nope!  I'm just going to start here.  I will list the 3 things from yesterday as well as from today.
Even if that's not the "perfect" way to do it. :)

"one thing in your bag, your fridge, your heart"

this wonderful devotional book that my friend Lori gave me,

yummy cuties,

these amazing kids!

And today, Day 7...3 graces from people you love:

• playing Guesstures with my husband and daughters
• forgivness, when I said something dumb
• listening to Jacklyn, age 4, singing her own worship song to Jesus.

Joy Dare

"Choosing Joy is a radical decision to honor God by experiencing the depths of God's promises to us. It's desiring Him above all else, rejoicing in His character, and living joyfully, according to His Word."

-Choosing Joy, Angela Thomas

I am excited this morning at the prospect of 2012.  I woke up today at 5:30 am (thank you, Gracie dog!) and walked that silly pooch.  It was cold and foggy so I kept it short.  I came home and poured some coffee.  I sat down at the computer, having some guilt that I didn't first sit down with my flashlight and Bible.  However, God met me!  I clicked on my favorite blog and was so inspired!

Ann Voskamp, author of One Thousand Gifts, is doing a Joy Dare.  Each day, list 3 things you are thankful for.  It will change your life.  I have actually been working on my list....one a day, 10 a day, 5 a day...whatever....since finishing her book in September.  I cannot express enough how much I love that book!

There have been days where listing my gifts from God are so easy.  The pen keeps flowing, my heart is overwhelmed. There are other days where it just feels like a ritual. 

Today, I read (on the same blog) a quote by Aristotle.

We are what we continually do.

That's a pretty powerful statement! So, I guess as long as I'm listing my gifts....I am becoming more and more grateful. That is what I want. Becoming more and more thankful every day will drive out fear, worry, "control", stress and discontentment....along with a host of other unlovely characteristics I see in myself often.

I am expectant.

Please, feel free to join me in this Joy Dare!  Ann offers a really cool free printable on her blog that gives you ideas of 3 things each day to list.  Today is January 6.  She says to list: one thing in your bag, your fridge, your heart.

You can post your list on her website, on her fb page or even on twitter.

Or, you can keep a simple hand-written list in your journal.  Whatever you decide, I hope you will join with me.

He deserves all my thanks and it’s impossible to give thanks and simultaneously feel fear.

Ann Voskamp