Tired on a Tuesday

Changing "I had to" to "I got to"...

⁸ Whoever sows to please their flesh,

from the flesh will reap destruction;

whoever sows to please the Spirit, 

from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 

⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, 

for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 

¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, 

let us do good to all people, 

especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Galatians 6:8-10New International Version (NIV)

Today was one of those days that seems to last forever.  It's like one of those international flights...you know that one that you have a day for two days...literally....the date doesn't change.

Days like today remind me of God's grace and mercy in my life.  How He never tires.  How His love is everlasting.

He is my strength.  He is my source of life. He guides and directs me in His word, the Bible. He provides all I need for life and right living.  He is my God.

Today, God showed me how He demonstrates His love for me how he creatively gives me the desires of my heart.

Today I got to...

1) hang out with kids from both campuses during morning duty

2) hang out with my students and help them finish well

3) hear from my missions class what God is doing and has done in the lives of missionaries from or to countries that they have been studying

4) hang out with 7th graders and our great nurse at school during jr. high lunch duty

5) have one more lunch with Dave before he leaves for Togo

6) hang out with more of my students for the rest of the day

7) watch our school's mentor/mentee program at it's best as I chaperoned their end of year event

8) hang out with some great ladies from my church as we plan and prepare for upcoming events and praise God for how He answered prayers way beyond what we had thought of praying in the past few events

9) take a quick walk home

10) enjoy a wonderful dinner with my family

11) FaceTime with Kirsten at Starbucks with Dave

12) treat Stella to ice cream as we met up with a team member for more encouragement cards

13) sort out and carefully pack up all the cards from our "moral support" part of our Togo Team (part of the senders)

14) hang out with a friend who stopped by really quick to give me a few more notes

15) finish helping Dave pack for his trip

Looking back on all of it I would say that it was a full day full of people.  It reminds me once again of community and the importance of pursuing people for relationship.

I don't ever want to grow weary in doing good.  One thing that helps me not grow weary is remembering to be thankful for it all. Another thing is changing the words that I use...instead of "I have to" I try to say "I get to".  This simple change of one word changes my perspective and reminds me that the weariness is only temporary.

(Wow...I started this on Tuesday and now it's Wednesday...maybe I should re-title the blog to read "Weary on a Wednesday"...it's definitely time for me to go to bed)

Simply Sunday

....Trying to take it easy on a Sunday afternoon....

This is Dave.  He's been my been best friend since we met in 1984.  He's been my love of my life almost that long. Dave and I met on a trip to Mexico where my church and his school went with Azusa Pacific University to Mexicali, Mexico to tell others about Jesus and the life He lived.  It was called Vacation Bible School.  It was fun and life changing.  On Wednesday Dave leaves for Togo, West Africa to help build part of a hospital or some houses...well something... if you want to check out his team's journeys check out "Serving as Senders".  The whole time that we dated we always talked about living around the world.  Life hasn't quite happened that way.  We've seen so many of our friends move around the world.  Our kids want to do that too.  I think that we will probably keep encouraging those guys.  This trip is like that.  We thought that we would both just encourage the team, help out with team meetings, help with some creative fundraising.  Then an opportunity came up for Dave to go!  I'm so happy for him that he gets to hang out with the team that he has been working so long to encourage.

Dave's favorite thing to do on Sunday afternoons is to take a nap.  Most Sunday's he doesn't get a nap.  Naps are great!  Dave can take a 15 minute cat nap and call it good, but his favorite nap is that 1-1.5 hour nap that we wakes up refreshed and ready for the rest of the day.  Not me.  I don't really nap well.  Most of the time I feel cranky and would rather skip the nap and simply go to bed early.

Dave and baby Elsie, May 2011

 Most of the time though when others are napping Dave is spending his Sundays with people.  Last Sunday he married a cute older couple.  Then went to the store to get supplies for the Togo trip.  Then he was back at church for a  Togo meeting.  You see, Dave is a pastor.  Sundays are long days for him.  He still tries to get in a nap, but most of the time he trades it for time with people.

Dave and baby Elsie, April 2012

Since Dave leaves in 3 days he spent today with me, David & Amber, Heewon and Stella (2 sweet Korean high school girls who live with us this school year).  We had a great meal.  After David & Amber left we went to the post office and  mailed our Mother's day presents to our moms, then we headed over to get some Hawaiian shaved ice (they just opened!  yay!), but they were closed (so sad) so we got some frozen yogurt (yay!) then over to the store for a quick trip for supplies for Teacher Appreciation week (it starts tomorrow at our school).  By the time we were done Dave was back at church.  I spent some time in our quiet house (the girls were studying) and updated the missions blog.  Then we joined Dave at church for some fantastic worship by the worship guys (it was all guitars...just awesome) and great preaching by our Senior Pastor, Pastor Randy.  He just finished up teaching us about the book of Luke.

Tonight at church Dave looked really tired.  You know that tired that is a good tired, but still you are ready to be done.  Tonight after church we got to hang out with the youth group.  I miss those guys!  I don't get to hang out so much anymore. This year has been really crazy so I needed to take Wednesdays off to be able to keep my home better in order.  I hope that next year I'll get to go back and hang out, aka help in youth group.  But tonight I went to the SNAC.  It was a really great way to end a Sunday.

PS....girls 2 guys 1 at 4 men on the couch....and no one cheated tonight!

Monday Morning Musings....

Getting up early to read God's word and to pray....


At a meeting recently we were discussing some books to study for our ladies summer series.  We wanted it to be light, but with meaning.  We wanted it full of God's word and have really practical day to day ideas and encouragement to living out what Christ teaches in the Bible.

"Shopping for Time" by Carolyn Mahaney was mentioned.

Most of us had read it already as a book for our book club.  And then there was much discussion over one of her ideas for getting the most out of each day...getting up early...like really early!  I forget what the author said was the BEST time, but it definitely was elaborated on at the meeting.

One of my friends said to me, "maybe someday I'll be able to get up as early as you do, Beth, but right now I just can't do it.  I can't concentrate that early."  She's right you know...it is hard to concentrate that early.

The author (and co-author's) mention that they get up early to spend time reading God's word and to pray.

I try to follow Flylady.  If you haven't see the website, it is definitely worth checking out!   You can find out information about her at www.flylady.net .  She recommends to get up 15 minutes before anyone else in your house to get ready for the day.

This morning my wonderful dog, Butch, woke up at 2:30 am!  ugh... normally Dave takes him out, but I kept waiting for Dave to wake up, but he didn't and the dog kept scratching at the door.  I figured that I'd better get up or there'd be a mess to pick up.  Since I was already up and I have a really long day today I thought that I should stay up.

Now, my friends think that I'm crazy when I do this.  I'm not really.  I'm actually a really sane woman (well, most of the time).  It's just that once I get up I usually take FOREVER to get back to sleep, then I sleep through my alarm clock, then I feel rushed in the morning.  So I get up (and go to bed early that night if at all possible).

I was reading my Bible and praying this morning when the thought struck me about why I like reading and praying so early in the morning.  It sets my day.  I don't always remember everything that I read, but it reminded me of eating breakfast.  I don't spend a lot of time on breakfast, but I eat within 30 minutes of getting up to set my metabolism and my attitude (when I'm hungry I get cranky).  I do that in the morning with prayer and the Bible.  I don't do any deep studying at this time of the day...my brain doesn't function well then, but I just read.  I soak in the words of the pages and I think about what the author is saying and I try to pick out something small to think about during the day.  It sets my desire to please God all day.  It helps my attitude.  It sets my outlook on life.  It gives me hope for the day.

Psalm 143:8

New International Version (NIV)

⁸ Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.