Thankful Thursday

Another Thankful Thursday....beautiful. I had some unusual free-time this evening, so I decided to get a head start on tomorrow's to do list and post this early.

Here are the things that I am Thankful for this Thursday:

1) For the comfort that His Word brings to my heart as I read it and meditate on it. His Word is alive and powerful and I am so thankful to be able to immerse myself in it, especially during stressful times.

2) For positive test results from my Colonoscopy today. Praise God, I had nothing serious, only some small internal hemorrhoids, which the doctor said will be fine and advised me to go on a High Fiber Diet. Going through this is what put # 1 on the top of my list this week.

3) For God's forgiveness when I mess up. I had myself all worked up and stressed out over getting this test done and what it might show, that I wasn't trusting God. So, I am thankful that He forgives us and allows us to try again. Sat. and Sunday, I was a mess, but by giving it all to Him and reading His Word and praying, Moday, Tuesday, and Wed, I felt His peace and presence.

4) For a husband who loves me no matter what, even when I am an emotional mess. My hubby was very encouraging to me during all of this and gave me time to take it to God. Thank you honey for your patience and confidence in me.

5) For friends who allow me to express my concerns to them and lovingly encourage me to give it to God.

6) All in all, I am thnkful for this entire ordeal because it was a great opportunity for me to grow in my relationship with God and to feel His love for me and to excercise my trust in Him. Thank you God.

For more Thankful Thursday lists from others, please click here.

Enjoy your day.

Comfort in God's Word

These past few days, I have been amazed and refreshed by the power of God's Word and am so thankful to be able to draw such Truth and comfort from it. From my previous post, I wrote about some anxiety I had and while I do not have the test results back yet, (I go tomorrow for the colonoscopy), I have an indescribable peace from God.
I was encouraged by my Best Friend's Mom to read many of the Psalms from the Bible to calm my heart from the anxiety I was feeling about my procedure. God knew that I needed to hear this from her and I am thankful that I was able to talk with her about all of this. I took her advice and dove right into Psalm.
Many verses in this book brought comfort to me, and as I read the verses over and over and prayed to God asking His forgiveness for my lack of faith and trust in Him, my heart became filled with God's peace.
I am so thankful for this and am glad that through this small trial, I was able to draw closer to my Saviour.
Here are some of the Scriptures that brought much comfort to my heart:

Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

Psalm 34:1 "I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth."

II Timothy 1:7 "For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

Psalm 139 (the entire chapter)

My prayer is that in the future, I will not worry and get myself all worked up like I did this past weekend. Next time, I will head right for God's Word.

Tonight before bed and tomorrow I will read these verses to myself and continue to trust God.

Do not be anxious

Philippians 4:4-8

4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

I woke up this morning, a littler earlier than usual, with these verses on my heart. My heart has been a little anxious lately, as I wait to see a specialist about some medical stuff. I am waiting for them to call me today and schedule my apt. for the consultation and test. I have no reason to be anxious or nervous. So far, my family medical doctor just didn't find anything that was the source of my symptoms, so even though she thinks it is not serious, she wants to be safe and send me for further testing. So, this is why my heart has been anxious. (and stress could be the source of my symptoms.)

Anyway, I want to praise God in my life no matter what. I know that He cares for me and that He is in control. This morning in prayer, I asked God to forgive me for my worrying and decided to read these verses to myself throughout today. Father, give me your peace and help me to always Rejoice in You!

Thankful Thursday

This past week flew by. I can't believe it is Thursday already, but I am excited to be able to list some of my many Blessings. Here is what I am thanking God for today:

1) Providing us with Health Insurance, so that when I do not feel well, I only have to pay a small co-pay and visit my doctor.

2) the great turnout at our Girls Conference at church this past Saturday. I know God touched many of the girls' hearts that day.

3) the beautiful weather today making it possible for me to meet some friends at a park today for our children to play.

4) that this is my last night of teaching an evening English class. (I enjoy this, but am glad this is the last day, because I need this time to help my husband with all of his things.)

5) the gift of salvation. This morning in my quiet times, I read in I Peter and came across this verse: I Peter 2:24 "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed." I am so undeserving of this gift, but am so thankful for it.

Well, I do have many more things to be thankful for, but I need to get ready for the park, so I will stop here. If you would like to visit other sites with Thankful Thursday lists, please click here.

Week Two Weigh In

Well, to be honest, I am not exactly sure what the scale says for the second week yet. We were away from Sunday until this afternoon, so I did not post or have a scale to weigh in. I plan on weighing in first thing tomorrow morning.

I can say though that I am not expecting to see a lower number this week. I did not do too well. Being away really got me off track. Oh well, tomorrow is a new day and the start of a new week. So, I will get back on track and not linger over this week.

Thursday Morning Note: I weighed myself first thing as I said I would above...and I gained 2 of the 4 pounds back that I had lost in week 1. So, I now weigh 139...2 down from where I started at 141. Oh well. I will do better this week.

Youth Group Girls' Conference

Praise God for His work in our Youth Group today. My hubby and I volunteer in our Youth Group at Church, and today, the Church put on a Conference for the Girls in the Youth Group. It was a one day conference with four sessions: spiritual gifts, modesty, nutrition, and relationships. All the speakers were ladies who volunteer in the Youth Group. I did the session on Modesty.

We have so much to be thankful for in terms of this conference. God truly was working in the girls hearts. We had 40 girls which was great for this time of year. Much prayer and preparation was put into this event.

I was very nervous to do my session. This was my first time teaching a lesson like this in a larger setting. I lead the 6th Grade Girls Small Group at church, but there is never more than 10 girls at one time and the environment is very relaxed and casual. I was so excited about this opportunity to share with the girls about modesty. This is an area that I am very passionate about. Thursday evening, I was freaking out and told my hubby that maybe I was wrong and shouldn't be doing this, that maybe someone better at this type of thing should do it. And he lovingly told me that he knew that I could do this and that everything would be fine and that I should go up there Saturday and just talk to the girls, to just share with them from one female to the other what was on my heart about this topic. I am thankful for his confidence in me.

After talking with my hubby, I knew that I needed to go to God about this and give it to Him. So, I put the lesson down and spent time talking to God. I told Him that this was not about me and that I was giving Him control of this and that without Him, I knew I couldn't do this, but that only through Him would I be able to give my lesson.

Today, I was not nervous, but had a peace and confidence from God. The lesson went great and I know it was because I surrendered it to Him. It is amazing how God can use us when we allow Him to be in control. So, today, I am praising God for this experience.

8 Things About Me

This is my First Meme! Kissesfromheaven has tagged me with a meme. (Thanks for my 1st tag, I hope I do this right...here goes.)

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Here are the rules: Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged write a blog post about their own 8 random things and post these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to tag 8 people and post their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment and tell them they're tagged and to read your blog.

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1. I love to read, and because of my love for reading, I received my BA in English from Liberty University. (please do not be too critical about my writing here, because this is like a journal for me :) )

2. I grew up in a Christian home, and was saved at the age of 4. I am very thankful to have Christian parents who brought me up in a Christ-centered home.

3. I was always a "good" person, but I started taking my faith seriously and truly began to grow spiritaully when I got to college. This past year, (5 years out of college), my passion for God and my desire to serve Him has grown intensely. My prayer is that God will use my life and my hubby's life for eternal impact...whatever that means for our life here.

4. I am married to a uniquely gifted man of God. He has a heart for ministry and we are waiting to see how and where God wants to use us, whether that means full-time paid ministry or to continue doing volunteer ministry work. We both want to do what God wants for us.

5. I stay at home with my 19 month old daughter and am so thankful to be able to do that.

6. I am not a big fan of flying...I would rather take a vacation that is no more than 5 hours by car away from home. My hubby thinks this is crazy, but it is how I am. So, we compromise and take trips far away as well as close by. (East Coast, mid-atlantic area) This summer, we are going to California, (where he is from), Vegas (where his grandparents live), a local beach (yeah), and Maine. So that is 4 places, 3 of which we will fly to. I can handle it.

7. I am the type of person that can only handle so many things at one time. I can only have so much on my plate at once or I get overwhelmed, because I feel like I can't do it all right. I tend to be a perfectionist. I am glad that I realize this about me...it has helped =)

8. The only instrument I can play is the radio =) Other than that, I am no good. But, let me tell you, I can play you any kind of music you want on the radio! Seriously though, I am not musically inclined. I can't even sing. My hubby is gifted in this area, so maybe our daughter will take after him. Recently she has started to tell me, "No" over and over again when I am singing her a song until I stop...maybe it is because I can't sing...Oh no =(

These are a few things about me.

Here are the people that I am tagging:

Susanne
Dianne
Karen
Ducks and Books
Melanie
Julie
Thea
Jessica

Enjoy your weekend.

Quote for Today

"If you could only learn the lesson of absolute self-forgetfulness, it would save you a great deal of trial. Out of self and into Christ are the two essential steps always, and the last cannot be fully taken without the first. For just so far, as we dwell in self, we are not dwelling in Christ, and just to that degree, therefore, all goes wrong." --Hannah Whitall Smith

I came across this quote as I was preparing for a session that I am doing on Modesty tomorrow. It was written in the book How Hot is Too Hot by Hayley Dimarco. I just stopped when I read this quote...it really made sense to me. I posted last week on the verse, Galatians 5:16, because this verse has been on my heart recently and it basically says that the key to not fulfilling the desires of the sinful nature is to live by the Spirit. Then I found this quote and it went right along with what God was teaching me. It is a daily challenge and task to die to self and allow Christ to reign in our Heart. When we do this, it all makes sense.

Self-absorption can take many forms, whether we are too confident in ourselves or whether we are loathing about ourselves...both are forms of self-absorption and this post on Living Proof Ministries Blog discusses it. So check it out, it is a great story and has a good point to help us rid ourselves of self-absorption.

Thankful Thursday

Another Thursday, and another day to be thankful for. Here is what I am thanking God for today:

1) a talented husband who is always willing to help me out with responsibilities I have to do, but that he is so much better at and more experienced at...thank you for your time last night with my lesson, hubby.

2) the wonderful rain storms last night....my flowers and grass needed it.

3) the fact that pee-pee is easy to clean up off my carpet...as I have had to do this two mornings in a row, since trying to potty train my daughter....we need to work on our timing.

4) always providing our family with what we need. God is awesome and we are blessed by Him in so many ways.

5) the life of Dr. Falwell...he was a man who stood up for what he believed in no matter what and encouraged others to do so as well.

If you would like to visit other sites with Thankful Thursday lists, please click this link.

A Poem for Moms

A Mother's Mission

A mother's job is special

and carries strong demands.

With the molding of the little lives

God places in her hands.

Though her life may not be glamorous,

The world will see her worth.

For 'tis true "the hands that rock the cradle.

are the hands that rule the earth.

"To bring her children up in Christ,

Indeed is very much.

For the years will show her value

By the lives, their lives, will touch.

~author unknown

I was looking for a poem like this to post for Mother's Day, and just now found one. So even though it is a little late, I wanted to post it so I could reference back to it and find it later.

I like what this poem says: A Mom's work is not glamorous and is made up of a lot of "little" daily things, but it is work that is so important and powerful. I pray that I will be a good mother to my children and that my hubby and I will raise them to know God and want to honor Him.

Trying to Wake Up Early: Part 2

I just wanted to post a quick update on this challenge of mine. I posted previously that I am trying to wake up before my daughter and hubby, so I can have a guaranteed uninterrupted quiet time. Well, today I am so excited to write that I was able to do this. Here is what I did that I think really helped.

1) I set out all of my devotional stuff the night before, so when I woke up, all I had to do was go and sit at the Kitchen table and everything was there.

2)Also, last night, I programed the coffee pot so that it would be ready with Hot coffee for me when I got downstairs.

3)I did not try to wake up too early. Ultimately, my goal is to get my Quiet times and do a Work out video BEFORE everyone gets up, but that was a big goal, one I found that I continued to not make, despite my efforts. So, last night, while talking to my BF, I decided to break the goal down into parts. First, the plan is to wake up 45 minutes earlier than usual so I can do my quiet times. Then, once I am used to that and in the habit of doing that, I can add another 45 minutes to that so I can get my workout video in.

Doing these three things helped me to be successful with this and, I am giving Praise for this success this morning. My quiet times were so great, simply because I did not have to rush or be nervous about someone or something needing my attention.

More to come later on this topic as I still need to work on this personal challenge.

A Tribute to Dr. Falwell

Today, Dr. Falwell went to be with the Lord. He lived to be 73 years of age and truly sought to invest in eternal matters. As an alumni of Liberty University, I wanted to put up a post about Dr. Falwell. Dr. Falwell did so many things in his life to further the Kingdom of God. He was a man who never backed down or compromised his beliefs and convictions. He had a vision from God and sought to honor God with his life. I respect and admire his perseverance and integrity. He will be missed by many, but his impact here on this Earth will continue to touch others.

Week One Weigh In

Well, before I weighed in this morning, I told myself that no matter what the scale said I would be happy because this past week I lived a healthy life style: ate well, got some exercise and plenty of sleep. This was a good feeling to have and after weighing in, I felt even better because what I did paid off...I lost 4 lbs. YEAH!!!!!!!!

So, here is the scoop on what I did and what I need to work on for this next week:

Eating: I ate very healthy and well-balanced meals. We did go out to eat 3 times this week, two times I chose to eat a salad and on Mothers Day at my Moms favorite Italian place, I had pasta, but didn't overeat. The way I ate this week was great...balanced and healthy. This is doable for me. I just have to continue to try and make smart, healthy decisions about what I eat.

Snacking: One of the things I was working on in this challenge was to not snack late at night. This was the hardest area for me, but I did okay. Two nights I did eat a lite snack after dinner and before bed, but I didn't stuff my face. I had 2 White Cheddar Rice Cakes...Yummo and only 45 calories each! On the other nights, I enjoyed a cup of decaff tea. This is an area that I need to continue to be strong in...I think this area can make me or break me, so I need to stay strong with the no snacking late at night rule.

Drinking Water and No Sodas: I did great with this, not one sip of soda!!! And I found that drinking water was easier to do when I was eating well and exercising. I have been bringing a water bottle with me when I go out. I don't know why I said no sodas, but I think I heard somewhere that even drinking diet sodas makes it difficult to shed the pounds...why I don't know...if you know, please tell me =)

Exercising: I did exercises 4 times this week. I have been doing a 30 minute work out video and it is a challenge...they hop around everywhere and I just try to keep up. I have found it really almost impossible to get to the Y, since we are soooooo busy...but all I have to do is pop a DVD in and get moving. (so, I think we are going to put the Y membership on hold until life slows down.) I have also been taking walks to the park with my daughter. The weather has been great to find ways to get some activity.

Overall, the thing that I am most excited about is that what I did this week is doable...I didn't starve myself and didn't spend all week working out, making me realize that a little effort and smarter choices from me makes a difference. So, for that I am very thankful!

If you want to see the results of others in this challenge, go to Tales from the Scales and check it out...leave a comment for them...I know they will appreciate it =)

Purple Marshmallows

Galatians 5:16 says, "So I say, live by the Spirit, & you will
not gratify the desires of the sinful nature."

This verse has been on my mind after finishing reading the book of Galatians. This is the first verse in the section that introduces the difference in acts of the sinful nature and acts from the Fruit of the Spirit. The key to not fulfilling the acts of the sinful nature, but instead having the fruit of the Spirit is to live by the Spirit. Maybe God put this verse first in this section so we would not miss the point on how to have victory in this area.

My husband has a message that he has spoken on in the Junior High that he titles, "Purple Marshmallows." I love hearing him speak on this. Basically, his point is that many times as Christians we try to fake having the Fruit of the Spirit, and instead we create purple marshmallows and not real grapes. From a far, purple marshmallows could be mistaken as grapes enabling us to fool others and ourselves for a while, but he explains to the kids that trying to always be loving, joyful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and show self-control on our own is exhausting and not genuine or permanent. We cannot make the fruit of the Spirit evident in our lives on our own, if we try, the best we will come up with is something that kinda looks like it, but will not last. This is not what God wants.

We need to remember the point in verse 16. It is only through living by the Spirit, daily surrendering to God, that puts us in the position for God to produce His fruit of the Spirit in us. Living in the Spirit also gives us the power to resist the desires of the sinful nature. How awesome is God. I just love how all of this works out. If we spend time with Him and seek Him, He will equip us with all we need. This is why time with God everyday is so Vital. We need His help and can't do it on our own.

My Thankful Thursday List

This is my First week participating in this...I am very excited about this. Here is what I am thankful for:

1) A husband who loves God first in his life and who loves me next. Being his # 2 is GREAT...

2) Having a beautiful and healthy daughter

3) my BFF who loves me for who I am and encourages me to be a better person...you are the best.

4) being able to read and study God's Word everyday

5) my parent's who brought me up in a Christian home and chose to be good examples for me to follow.

6) being able to serve in the Youth Department at our church.

7) my health and the health of my family

8) living close to my parents

9) having girlfriends to get together with for Playdates so our little ones can interact

10) the Cross...Jesus paying the price for my sins that I could never pay, in order that I might spend eternity in Heaven with Him one day.

I could go on and on, but I need to get ready for MOPS this morning. This is our last meeting until September. Anyway, if you have time, please read the post after this one about memorizing Scripture and let me know if you have any suggestions.

Enjoy your day, as I will enjoy the gift of today as well.

Bible Verse Memorization

Dear Friends,

Recently, I have been trying to step up my Scripture Memorization. This is truly an area in my life that needs to improve. I have a lot of verses memorized and can easily recite them when needed, but most of these verses are from my childhood. This is good and bad: Good that I still remember them...Bad that I am not in the habit of memorizing new ones to add to my list.

So, I am trying to find ways in my everyday life to incorporate memorizing Scripture. All I have been able to come up with so far that really seems to work is to take 3 X 5 cards with the verses on them to the YMCA with me and read them while I am on the Treadmill. I have found this to be very effective.

I am wondering though if anyone has any other suggestions of things I can do to really step it up and find more ways to "hide God's Word in my heart." Please let me know of anything that you do that helps in this area.

Thanks.

May Day Weight Loss Challenge

Ready, Set, Go...Today is the first day of the May Day Weight Loss Challenge, that Tales from the Scales has launched. I am excited about participating in this challenge. My goal is to loose 10 - 15 lbs. (that is, at least 10 and no more than 15). This will be the last of my pregnancy weight to go.

As for my weight history: I have never been overweight, and never been overly obsessed with getting skinny. I am average in my weight, activity level, and food consumption. However, I feel that now is a crucial time for me to make an effort to get rid of my leftover pregnancy weight before too much time passes (my baby is already 18 months old). I want to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle so I can be the best me I can be.

My plan of action consists of the following: (Note: these are all things that I know I should be doing, but just got out of the habit of doing them and need to reinstate them into my lifestyle)

1. Drink plenty of water
2. Eliminate soda from my diet
3. Do not eat after 9 pm (I have a BAD habit of eating snacks late at night)
4. Workout 4 times each week at the gym (we have a membership to the YMCA, and the last two months I have hardly used it, so I need to stop wasting my money)
5. Eat balanced meals and healthy foods throughout the day

As for now, this is what I plan to do to loose my 10 - 15 lbs. If any alterations need to be made later to help my success, I will certainly make them.

I am excited about this and needed something to get me back on track to leading a healthy lifestyle. So, from now until Sept., you will be updated every Tuesday about how this is going.

Investing in Eternity

The older I get in age (note to all I am in my mid twenties) and the more I seek God, the deeper burning and passion I have to really invest in eternal things. Although I am young, I don't want to waste any time. I want to use my days and abilities to serve God and make eternal differences.

Jesus' words in Matthew 6:19-21 seem to be my theme verses: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

I pray that God will reveal areas in my life that are distracting me from investing in eternity. I also pray for God's wisdom, so that I will know exactly what He wants my husband and I to do to make a difference for Him. (James 1:5). I pray that I would not be distracted by or caught up in worldly things. I pray that I will love Him more every day.

Our God is awesome and I am blessed by Him over and over again.

A Family Friday

Today I plan on enjoying time with my family. Usually it is just my 18 month old daughter and I hanging out since I stay at home with her, but today we are going to be able to have a Family Friday, with my hubby and parents. Both of my parents are teachers and have the day off today and my hubby runs his own business and cleared his schedule this afternoon so we could all hang out. We plan on taking our little one to the park or Chuck E Cheeses and enjoy watching her have so much fun exploring.

Spending time with family is something that I always enjoy and is one of my favorite things to do. A while back during our dating years, we read the book The Five Love Languages, and in reading that I finally realized that the gift of Time is one of my primary Love Languages. I always knew that I enjoyed being with those that I loved, but reading this book helped me realize why it was so important to me. I realized that with me, time spent with people, translates as a way to show and receive love and affection. Given this way about me, I am so thankful to God for allowing my hubby and I to settle and minister in the same city where my parents and most of my family live.

Well, I am off to clean the bathroom and do some tidying before my afternoon of love begins =)

National Day of Prayer

Today is the National Day of Prayer. Join in and take some time to pray for our country, education system, families, media, and churches. Prayer is a powerful tool we have been given...let's utilize it more and see God work wonders.

You can check out Focus on the Family website for more information.

Make No Decision without Prayer

Presently, I am reading Elizabeth George's book, A Woman After God's Own Heart. I have read this book in the past and picked it back up recently to re-read since I enjoyed it so much and learned a lot from it before. This book is full of practical ways to cultivate a heart that is pleasing to God. Going through it this time, I am gleaning new things from it and will post other lessons and thoughts from this book later.

I just finished the chapter entitled, "A Heart Committed to Prayer," where George explains how "regular, daily, unhurried time in prayer" is a must in order to be a woman after God's own heart. George discusses 7 blessings that a person will experience as they cultivate a heart of prayer: 1) A deeper relationship with God 2) Greater Purity, as sin is confessed during prayer 3) Confidence in making decisions 4) Improved relationships 5) Contentment 6) God-confidence 7) Partaking in the Ministry of Prayer. Wow...investing time in prayer to God produces great returns and is obviously worth our investment.

While all 7 blessings are of great value, the one that really jumped out at me was #3, confidence in making decisions. I tend to be an indecisive person and a person that makes the decision making process rather long. (At least I recognize this about myself though, right?) Anyway, I usually take so long in making the decision because I want to make the Best, or right decision. So, when I saw # 3, I was eager to read on and challenged by what I read. George states that she follows and encourages the reader to follow the "Make no decision without prayer" philosophy.

When this approach to making decisions is adopted, we are guarded from "rushing in and committing [ourselves] before consult[ing] God." She further explains this by writing: "As the events on my calendar approach, I feel no dread or fear or resentment; I don't wonder, 'How did I get myself into this?...I wish I hadn't said yes'! Instead I experience a solid confidence --confidence in God--and the excitement of anticipating what He will do at these events."

Following this approach for every decision will ensure that our decisions are not made by how we "feel," but rather by what God would have us to do. This approach makes so much sense to me and I am excited about applying it to my life. What an awesome blessing we gain by spending time talking to God.

Getting into Shape Spiritaully

For the next 4 months, my church is focusing on gaining some Spiritual muscles. In order to build our muscles, our Pastor has challenged the congregation to pre-read the sermon text that he plans to preach on before Sunday's church service. I think this is a great idea. Pastor stated, "Read the Word, be people of the Book, take it to heart, make it fit right into your life...do this for 4 1/2 months and lets see if we don't get some Spiritual Muscle." I'm game for this and will truly benefit from taking the time to step it up spiritually. Our next passage of Scripture to read is Philemon. I am excited to see how God will strengthen our church and each individual who does this.

Trying to Wake up Early

I am trying to wake up "early," like about 7am, to have some quiet time in the morning before my baby girl and hubby wake up. Some will probably think that this post is crazy because 7 is not that early and it doesn't seem difficult to accomplish. Well, for me it is a challenge...and one that I truly want to conquer. Our family operates on a later time frame than most other families...we wake up later and thus, go to bed later. My daughter doesn't get up until 9:30 am, which is about when some of her friends are going down for their "Morning Nap." I don't mind our shifted schedule, I just want to wake up before everyone else.

I have this ideal picture in my mind of how wonderful our mornings could be: Hubby and I wake up early and go downstairs, put on the coffee, sit in the Living Room together reading our own books while we sip coffee and then share with each other what we have read, and after our leisurely reading time, heading upstairs to get ready for our day. Well, there are many reasons that this is just a picture, for one, my hubby doesn't even like coffee and is not a morning person. So, my only hope for this to happen is that maybe with age these things will change.

I do like coffee and the times I do get up early to get things done, I LOVE it. I just need to get in the habit of doing it. My goal is to get up early so I can have a guaranteed uninterrupted Quiet Time with God and also, time to work out. I have found that trying to get these two things done later in the day is super difficult, because something always comes up...the phone rings, Verizon comes to work on the phone line, my daughter needs me, my hubby asks me to run an errand for him, and on and on. What usually happens is that my quiet times get done hurriedly and working out doesn't happen, unless playing ball in the back yard with my daughter counts. So, say a prayer for me that I will be able to get up early. Hopefully, (soon) I will be able to post about a Victory in this area.