the Christian quiet time

I read a blog called Traded Dreams.  The author is Lauren Casper.  She is incredible!  So inspirational!!!

Yesterday, she posted about her "quiet time."  In Christian land, that is the catch phrase for that regular time of day where you meet with God - meditate on His word, study it, pray, worship.  Well, I really connected with a lot of what she said in her post.

First of all, it's entitled, "How I do my 'quiet time' - I don't." 

I'll admit. I was a bit taken aback at first.  How could you NOT have a regularly scheduled time with God?!  I mean, it's biblical, right?

Well, curiosity got me, and I started to read her post...

"I’ve tried so many strategies in the past and they’ve all worked for a week or two and then failed. My life and my days are so very fluid."

This was the first sentence that I REALLY connected with.  This has JAMIE written all over it!  I, too, have tried sooo many methods for trying to get into the habit of having a regular quiet time with the Lord.  It's important!  However, life happens - especially when you are a mother - and just when I think I got this quiet time thing down - BAM! I've gone a week or two without it.  And I hate that!

Then, I read this on Lauren's blog...

But then I tried something that you won’t read about in Bible Studies — I threw out all the “strategies” and methods I had been told are the best or most biblical way to do it. I sat down and asked God to show me what he wanted from me. The answer was simple and freeing…

God wants all of me all day. God wants my thoughts, my conversations, my friendships, my marriage, my motherhood, my ministry, my blog, my facebook account, my rest, my meals, my dreams, and all the moments in between. God doesn’t just want my time — He wants me.

Wow. Truth. You can hear it, right?

I look at the life of Jesus - my mentor, my savior, my God - and that is what I see!

I see what Lauren describes next...

So how do I do my quiet time? I don’t. I wake up each morning and stumble out to get a cup of coffee. I try to be thankful for a new day even if it takes me 30 minutes and one hot shower to get there. I talk to him all day long and when I can find time when my husband and children don’t need me I sit and work on a Bible Study, or read a devotional, or think about a passage of scripture and how I can practically apply it to my life. Every day looks different and that’s okay because one thing remains the same: Jesus and I do each day together… every moment.

Every day for Jesus was different.  Some days he was spending time with his disciples, and some days he was speaking to the multitude.  Some days, he did go off by himself alone to pray, and other times, he was speaking with a woman beside a well or flipping tables in a market place.  BUT every day, He was constantly in communication with the Father.  He was constantly doing His will - constantly looking to Him for guidance.  Kinda like how Lauren describes here...

My relationship with Him isn’t about carving out 20 minutes for “quiet time.” It’s about praying for grace in the midst of dealing with a tantrum. It’s about thanking him (and really and truly meaning it) when I sit down for a meal. It’s about enjoying the friends he’s given me and encouraging them to live for him. It’s about loving my husband in a way that shows God I honor him and appreciate the man he’s given me. It’s about thinking pure and Godly thoughts. It’s about honoring him through my writing, my voice, and my interactions online. It’s about loving my children. It’s about looking for ways to show Jesus to a hurting and lost world.

That's he kind of quiet time with Jesus that I want! See, that is what TRUE Christianity is.  It's a relationship - not just a religion. 

Today's forget-me-not: Every day, don't forget the most important relationship in your life. Jesus. He said, "I am with you always..." Take advantage.

update on life

I'm not sure what to write, but I want to write.  Have you felt that urge?  Well, that's what I'm feeling, so here goes...

Hannah is on the mend.  Hubby will take her on Monday to have another x-ray and see if her fracture has healed. If it has - Ugh, I pray it has! - then the splint can come off.  In her other medical news, she's caught another cold, virus, or whatever, so she's on another antibiotic.  As a result of the cold, virus, or whatever, her ears are draining green yuck.  Yes. Another ear infection.  However, since she has tubes now, ear infections won't continue to affect her hearing, and the infection will not cause her any pain.  For that, she gets drops in her ears in the morning and at night. 

I'm just saying, this had better clear things up with her!  I know plenty of mommas right now that are sick of sick kids!  This winter has been particularly difficult when it comes to sickness. 

Beth is well.  She's growing up fast.  Maturing.  She's amazing.  And she's scary.  Six is scary. I'm praying constantly that she will grow like Jesus.  "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." Luke 2:52  Emphasis on the in favor with God.  I'm anxious to see her come to know the Lord.  However, I know all that's in His time and according to His will and plan.  And her free will.  Dang free will.

My husband is awesome. His new job is good, and he's staying healthy, fit, and active with me.  He really is my partner in this life. I couldn't ask for a better one!

And me.  I'm good.  Learning to say no to those things that don't matter.  Right now, I'm enjoying my winter break.  Kids keep texting me and the debate coach wanting to go to a tournament this weekend; however, it is not happening.  I have said no.  I'm enjoying this me time.  Besides, they just better get used to no more speech and debate because after this year it is done.  Both me and the other coach feel our lives pulling in other directions.  It's time for a new season.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven."

Right now, I'm trying to feel out what the new season of my life will involve.  It's a journey.  One that I'm happy to embark on with my savior.

I love trying new things.  One new thing I'm so happy to have tried and then adopted into my life is running.  I've done two 5Ks this week out at a local park.  It feels good.  I feel good.  So glad to have that in my life.  It has inspired my forget-me-not for this post (found at My first 5K - THANKS!).  Enjoy!

Today's forget-me-not: Do not stop until you have it! (It being whatever you need or want in life.)

fractured

I was watching TV in the living room with my husband.  The girls were playing in Beth's room - like they often do.  Then, I heard screaming... Hannah's screaming.

I ran in there to find big sissy trying to console Hannah who was standing and holding her right arm in pain - and screaming.  Did I mention she was screaming?

I asked Beth what had happened and to tell me the truth - no one was in any kind of trouble, not to worry about that.  She said Hannah had tried to climb on top of her small Pooh table and fell off.  I noticed the chairs beside the table and thought she had knocked her arm on the chair when she fell.  It would be okay though...  Right?

However, after twenty minutes of non stop crying/screaming later while clinging to her arm in pain, I knew I had to take her to the ER. 

You know how the wait is in an ER? Enough said on that.

It was established that she had a buckle fracture on the top of her right arm.  Not a bad one, but just enough to cause some pain and require some wrapping up. Oh - and it has won her a trip to the ortho Monday morning.  :-/

Not happy she has to wear this. Not happy AT! ALL!!

I'm tired.  After Friday's DAY and now this... I'm emotionally - and financially - overdrawn!

Looking for today's forget-me-not... Can't find one right now. I'll let you know.

Resolutions Review - February

Checking in on my new year's resolutions. I think I have made progress.

I had decided it was a good year for keeping em' simple...

1. Grow Spiritually
2. Stay Healthy
3. Live, Love, and Laugh Often
#1 - I started my Wednesday night bible study, and those of you who regularly read my blog have seen the fruit of that. ;-)

I'm learning my God loves me.  He is jealous for me. He would die for me - HE DID!  I need to act like it. I want to be worthy of it.

#2 - I'm still running - just haven't done any races lately.  Too cold!  I workout before work at the YMCA every Monday and Wednesday morning. Hubby takes care of the kids and gets them to school those mornings. I'm blessed!

I haven't really added anything to this goal, yet. I have an idea to cut soda - carbonated drinks - out of my life.  Still working on my plan of attack there...

#3 - Hubby and I had a date night last weekend.  We went roller skating!

I admit it. I didn't want to do this at first, but it turned out to be a lot of fun - a good workout too!

We plan to continue to take advantage of the free parents night out at the local YMCA every month to live, love, and laugh. :-)

Today's forget-me-not: Set goals. It inspires growth - and life.

What a day...

 

It started at 4am. Yes. 4. A. M.

I had to get up and get ready early so I could take Hannah to get ear tubes. She's had the same ear infection since right after Thanksgiving. This was her second or third like this, so it was more than time for ear tubes.

Anyway, we get in the car, and I tell my GPS where I want to go. It leads me to a ghetto looking alley and pronounces after I hit the railroad tracks in said ghetto town that I am at my destination.

My heart begins to pound a million times a minute.

I am NOT at my destination Tom Tom (my GPS)!

So I turn the car around - frantically looking for my destination - and I even tried my phone GPS. However, it led me back to the tracks.

ERRRRRRR!!!!!!

I call my husband - crazy and about to start weeping - and beg him to be my Tom Tom. He awakens and tries to load his computer to find out where I am on a map.

In the mean time, I try Tom Tom again. I notice Tom Tom has a Canton Rd. address and a Canton Rd. NE address option when I type in Canton Rd. (which is what was on the surgical center's website). So while Michael is trying to wake up and log on to his computer, I decide to try Tom Tom again, but this time with the NE on the end of it... just in case...

And FINALLY - 15 minutes late - I get to the surgical center!

I hurriedly tell my husband thanks and never mind, and I rush into the building with my toddler.

The lady could instantly tell I had not had a good morning.

I told her what happened, and a man behind me said, "I had a hard time finding this place too!" He overheard what I said about it being Canton Rd. with a NE attached to it, and he said, "They need to fix that on their website."

Thankfully, the lady behind the counter e-mailed the website administrator right then and there about the need for that addition. Future citizens who try to type their address into a GPS will have a better morning than mine started out. Great. (Yes, add some sarcasm to that last word.)

Anyway, I survived today. The day of getting lost on the way to my daughter's surgery. I survived my daughter's surgery - and if you've ever had a child put under anesthesia, you know what I mean. I survived today - the day where my husband took the other child (my 6 year old) to also be put under and have three teeth pulled. I survived being doctor mom to two cranky children this morning. Both of which are taking naps right now.

Thank you, Jesus!

I survived!

Today's forget-me-not: I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13