Redecorating

I'm in the throws of redecorating our house.  I ran up on a 75% off sale at Target for their World Market section and loaded up on new stuff to redo our bedroom.  I'm selling stuff on Craigslist, and okay, I do have an appointment with someone tomorrow to buy something as well. :)  Whee!  We are headed to TN this weekend to pick up a bunch of things from Great Papaw's house before they sell it.  We are going to have to do some major moving around to get it all in here!  In a couple of weeks, I will have done something to just about every room in our house.  After I get everything settled, I'd like to start painting.  I'm so tired of white walls.  Maybe it's spring fever. :)

Manna

I read this week that guidance from God is like manna from Heaven, you need it new every day.  I've been getting up at 6am for a while trying to beat the kids up so I can have quiet time with God for an hour every day.  My days go so much better when I remember to spend them with God.  So often, I wander off on my own, doing my own thing, satisfying my own desires, and all that gets me is a whole lot of aggravation.  I've been doing so much thinking about obedience lately.  It is so easy to get frustrated with my kids because they don't obey, but I don't keep the same standards for myself.  I heard something a couple of months ago that said when you hear yourself start justifying something, you are probably trying to cover up a sin.  Wow, did that ever hit the nail on the head.  

I was talking to my friend Angie yesterday about instant gratification.  We are so into end results.  We just want what we want and we want it now without having to work for it.  God is as interested in our journey as He is in our finished product.  It's hard to keep perspective from down here on earth sometimes. :) One thing I'm trying to do for myself this week is celebrate my accomplishments.  I ate several salads this week, I cut back on drinking diet coke (I can hear you cheering mom!), I've been exercising.  Hurray for me.  But my normal self would be saying, sure but you ate the kids valentines candy, you didn't cut out diet coke completely, you watched tv when you could have been exercising more.  The shame we bring on ourselves for our failures often covers our accomplishments and keeps us from succeeding.  I'm trying to see myself more the way God might see me, and forgive myself for my failures and celebrate my successes and enjoy the process.  

Thanks Christi for your encouragement to blog again.  I'm glad you guys are feeling better.

Much love to all,

Blake