I don't like to question things. However there are just some things that happen that I just want to scream "WHY!" I just found myself doing that today. A very great friend that I made while we lived in San Antonio had to kiss her precious infant baby girl goodbye this morning. After just a short time with this beautiful child that God blessed this amazing family with, they had to give her back to Jesus. I know things like this happen all the time, but I still question why. I know we should never question God. I know He has a plan. But it just hurts my heart. Heaven gained another precious angel today! So I ask my readers to do me two favors. One, please keep this family in your prayers. Two, hold your children close, love them with all your heart, plant millions of kisses on their faces, and hug them because you never know what even an hour from now can bring. Count your blessings and live, laugh, LOVE!
Til fingers meet keyboard,
Lauren
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
We all just need to calm down and Lighten Up!
I did a devotional a while back, and it keeps coming up in my thoughts. Not only do I struggle with it but I know others do too...so I thought that I would share it.
The devotional is focusing on the verse found in Matthew 6:34. "Do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble."
Wow...if you are thinking what I have been thinking for the longest time...Yeah...easier said than done! Right?!?! I have read that verse time and time again over the years and still it just seems so difficult to do! Well, it actually is easy to do! And thanks to Joyce Meyer and her book, I feel that way.
Joyce Meyer defines the word anxiety as mentally leaving where you are and getting into an area of the past or the future. We aren't supposed to do that! We are supposed to be living in the NOW. Not yesterday, not tomorrow, not 10 years ago, and not 50 years from now. We spend so much of our time in the past and/or future. Instead of spending so much time in the past and future, we need to be spending our time in the present!. If we continue t try to live in the yesterdays or the tomorrows, we are going to find life extremely difficult because Jesus is always with us in the PRESENT! Not in the yesterdays. Not in the tomorrows. He is in the present. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be without Jesus ever!
Jesus has told us in the above verse that we don't need to worry about ANYTHING! We are to only seek God's kingdom and whatever we need, we will ask and He will provide.
Why worry about yesterday??? Can we really do anything to fix our decisions or actions that occurred that day? No, not really. Yes, if we hurt someone, we can admit wrongdoing and apologize. However, we can't go back in time and change anything. So why worry over it? We can't do anything about it...so it brings me to a saying that my parents' have told me for years..."Why cry over spilled milk?".
Why worry about tomorrow??? Yes you can prepare for anything. However, God has told us, that all goes according to His plan...not ours. Yes, you may have a business meeting tomorrow. Yes, you can prepare for it and have the speech all ready...but wham...you are at your office and your meeting is about to start, and the unthinkable happens...your notes, visual aids, are left at home; you just spilled coffee all over you; your boss changed the meeting day; etc. We really don't know what tomorrow will bring our way, so why stress and worry about tomorrow? Trust me, today will have enough problems to deal with, so why overload yourself with problems you can worry about tomorrow. Now, I am not saying procrastinate. Don't put your problems that you have today and push them off til tomorrow. I am saying tackle the problems that are occurring today and not to worry or be stressed about yesterday or tomorrow. By doing this we can concentrate our complete attention on today and not be so stressed or stirred up!
So how do we obtain this way of living? It sounds so hard right?!?! Yes...easier said than done--well no. It actually is quite simple. We just need to calm down and lighten up! We need to Live, Laugh, and Love more and worry and stress less! Why ruin our great today with the negative, bothersome, stressful worries of yesterday or of tomorrow. Today is the last time you will have this day as today. I don't want to waste a perfectly great day that the Lord has blessed me with, by worrying about things that I can't really do anything about!
I am going to close this blog with a quote:
"Learn from the past and prepare for the future, but live in the present!" ~Joyce Meyer
Because remember: The present is where Jesus is at :)
Til fingers meet keyboard,
Lauren
The devotional is focusing on the verse found in Matthew 6:34. "Do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble."
Wow...if you are thinking what I have been thinking for the longest time...Yeah...easier said than done! Right?!?! I have read that verse time and time again over the years and still it just seems so difficult to do! Well, it actually is easy to do! And thanks to Joyce Meyer and her book, I feel that way.
Joyce Meyer defines the word anxiety as mentally leaving where you are and getting into an area of the past or the future. We aren't supposed to do that! We are supposed to be living in the NOW. Not yesterday, not tomorrow, not 10 years ago, and not 50 years from now. We spend so much of our time in the past and/or future. Instead of spending so much time in the past and future, we need to be spending our time in the present!. If we continue t try to live in the yesterdays or the tomorrows, we are going to find life extremely difficult because Jesus is always with us in the PRESENT! Not in the yesterdays. Not in the tomorrows. He is in the present. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be without Jesus ever!
Jesus has told us in the above verse that we don't need to worry about ANYTHING! We are to only seek God's kingdom and whatever we need, we will ask and He will provide.
Why worry about yesterday??? Can we really do anything to fix our decisions or actions that occurred that day? No, not really. Yes, if we hurt someone, we can admit wrongdoing and apologize. However, we can't go back in time and change anything. So why worry over it? We can't do anything about it...so it brings me to a saying that my parents' have told me for years..."Why cry over spilled milk?".
Why worry about tomorrow??? Yes you can prepare for anything. However, God has told us, that all goes according to His plan...not ours. Yes, you may have a business meeting tomorrow. Yes, you can prepare for it and have the speech all ready...but wham...you are at your office and your meeting is about to start, and the unthinkable happens...your notes, visual aids, are left at home; you just spilled coffee all over you; your boss changed the meeting day; etc. We really don't know what tomorrow will bring our way, so why stress and worry about tomorrow? Trust me, today will have enough problems to deal with, so why overload yourself with problems you can worry about tomorrow. Now, I am not saying procrastinate. Don't put your problems that you have today and push them off til tomorrow. I am saying tackle the problems that are occurring today and not to worry or be stressed about yesterday or tomorrow. By doing this we can concentrate our complete attention on today and not be so stressed or stirred up!
So how do we obtain this way of living? It sounds so hard right?!?! Yes...easier said than done--well no. It actually is quite simple. We just need to calm down and lighten up! We need to Live, Laugh, and Love more and worry and stress less! Why ruin our great today with the negative, bothersome, stressful worries of yesterday or of tomorrow. Today is the last time you will have this day as today. I don't want to waste a perfectly great day that the Lord has blessed me with, by worrying about things that I can't really do anything about!
I am going to close this blog with a quote:
"Learn from the past and prepare for the future, but live in the present!" ~Joyce Meyer
Because remember: The present is where Jesus is at :)
Til fingers meet keyboard,
Lauren
Monday, August 1, 2011
School is back in session!
Yay! School is back in session! With all the hard work of preparing for this upcoming school year all summer...the day has finally arrived. And today went great and we are only half way through the school day! I woke up this morning at 5:45 and did my morning workout and woke the kids up at 7 and cooked them breakfast. They woke up with the biggest smiles on their face. They were excited! After breakfast, we did our normal morning starters of saying the pledges to the American Flag, the Christian Flag, and the Pledge to the Bible; went over the calendar, and then had Bible class. Our focus for this week in Bible class is Abraham. Not only are we learning about Abraham, we are also reading the Left Behind Series (for kids). The kiddos are loving it. The kids have already done History, Science, English, and Spelling. Now we are doing Math and then following up that with Literature. Then Dereck and Alyssa have typing class while James has penmanship class. So it has been an amazing day so far and I only see it staying that way or even getting better :)
Awww the blessings of homeschooling! I love it. Yes it is a lot of work. Some might think that us moms who homeschool just sit and be lazy and watch tv...however, that is SO NOT TRUE! So if you think that, I invite anyone to walk a day in my shoes and shadow me for a day! lol Trust me you will have a way different thought after you leave :) You will actually see what homeschooling is all about and what I do and the children do. Our school days are packed full of learning all subjects as well as each subject based on Jesus and Christian principles. So not only are the kids gaining knowledge with normal school subjects, they are building their relationship with Christ for the ultimate goal of knowing Him and being with Him for the rest of eternity. I believe with all my heart that I am fulfilling my purpose that God designed me for. And what a blessing it is!
Other than that, I really have no idea what else I was going to blog about...let's just blame that on the blonde moment lol. I hope everyone is having a great day and I hope it continues throughout the week. Once I remember (and get the chance) what I was going to add to this, I will blog again lol. Well...back to class.
Til Fingers Meet Keyboard,
Lauren
Awww the blessings of homeschooling! I love it. Yes it is a lot of work. Some might think that us moms who homeschool just sit and be lazy and watch tv...however, that is SO NOT TRUE! So if you think that, I invite anyone to walk a day in my shoes and shadow me for a day! lol Trust me you will have a way different thought after you leave :) You will actually see what homeschooling is all about and what I do and the children do. Our school days are packed full of learning all subjects as well as each subject based on Jesus and Christian principles. So not only are the kids gaining knowledge with normal school subjects, they are building their relationship with Christ for the ultimate goal of knowing Him and being with Him for the rest of eternity. I believe with all my heart that I am fulfilling my purpose that God designed me for. And what a blessing it is!
Other than that, I really have no idea what else I was going to blog about...let's just blame that on the blonde moment lol. I hope everyone is having a great day and I hope it continues throughout the week. Once I remember (and get the chance) what I was going to add to this, I will blog again lol. Well...back to class.
Til Fingers Meet Keyboard,
Lauren
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