Hello Mornings Goals

This is my first Hello Mornings Challenge.  I am NOT a morning person.  Am I usually up by 6? Yes, but not  by my choice and I'm certainly not awake or in a happy mood.  I am usually up because my dog needs to go out and be fed and then Buddy usually comes shuffling in looking for breakfast.  Buddy gets 30 minutes of PBS while I try to wake up.  I usually sit in a fog with my coffee while mindlessly watching the news.

My goals for this challenge:

1.  Spend time with the Lord before anyone else gets up.
2.  Be in a joyful mood.
3.  Try to get in at least 15 minutes on the treadmill.
4.  Don't get sucked into Fox and Friends for an hour!(unless I'm on the treadmill)
5.  Make sure all schoolwork for the day is organized and ready for the kids.

Patience

When I was in college, I had a little page a day quote calendar.  One of my favorites was, "With patience and a cow, grass becomes milk."  I have struggled with being impatient.  I want things to work out NOW.  God has taught me patience through the years.  He sure knew what I needed to work on!  I have had to be patient through chronic illness, infertility, waiting for my husband during his 3 tours to Iraq, waiting for our adopted son to come home to us from Guatemala, feeling friendless, countless moves, difficult family members...the list goes on.  It is a daily struggle for me, but I feel that I've been conditioned by my life experiences to slow down and wait.  Waiting on the Lord is always the right answer.  Ask him for peace.  Know  that He will provide--In His Time.  It is a hard lesson to learn, but He is ALWAYS right and right on time.  If you call on Him, He will answer.

Psalm 27:14
Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD

Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.

Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Romans 15:4-5 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus.

Reading Goals for 2013

Spiritual Growth
Book of Luke (Good Morning Girls study)
Forgotten God by Francis Chan
Sons and Daughters by Brady Boyd (my awesome pastor)
Desperate by Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson

Parenting/Discipling
Big Truths for Young Hearts by Bruce A. Ware
Disciple Like Jesus for Parents by Alan Melton and Paul Dean
various Autism related books(any recommendations?)

Homeschooling
Educating the Wholehearted Child by Clay Clarkson (this is a yearly read!)

Homemaking
The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer
A Life that Says Welcome by Karen Ehman

Fiction
Bailey Flanigan Series by Karen Kingsbury
Troubled Waters by Rene Gutteredge

Autobiography/Missions
Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis
Peace Child by Don Richardson

What was the last thing God asked you to do?

Yesterday, our pastor spoke about Nehemiah.  If you don't know the story of Nehemiah, he was an ordinary man that did an extraordinary thing.  He heard that the wall in Jerusalem had been destroyed and it tore him up.  He called out to God and decided that he wanted to rebuild it.  God provided for him to be able to accomplish this amazing plan.  Nehemiah faced constant ridicule, doubt and opposition for what he was doing, but he kept going with God's help and was able to do work that would have taken professionals several years to do and it took him and his helpers only 52 days!  Nehemiah kept the goal in his sights and was not distracted.  Not only did he rebuild a physical wall, but he also met the physical needs of the people there.  Pastor Brady(New Life) related this to being in God's will.  How do you know what God's will for you is?  He posed this question, "You can know what God wants you to do by asking yourself, "what was the last thing God asked me to do and did I finish it?"  Don't keep asking and looking around for something new if you haven't finished the last thing."

I knew right away what it was for me.  I have been called to be a biblical wife and mother.  My will, RIGHT NOW, is to follow God's calling for me to finish this job.  I often feel like I am underappreciated, tired, not doing a good job,etc.  I am constantly distracted from the job God has called me to do.  I am going to try to keep my vision and follow through, like Nehemiah.  I need to avoid my distractions and call out to God just as he did and I will eventually finish building my "wall of Jerusalem".  I can also apply this to the homeschooling of my children.  It is still not the "popular" choice in our culture.  I may even be ridiculed or opposed by people in my life. I fight my own doubts.  I have to keep the focus and know that the end result is for God's glory.  He has a plan for our family and I am not going to let myself or others get in the way of that.  I will work joyfully for my family and for God.  Like Nehemiah, finding out that the wall was torn down, I am sad to think of what would happen to my family if I didn't do everything I could, with God's help, to keep my family from being torn down. Inspiring!  I am going to print out a picture of the wall to remind me of my calling and that God will equip me to do what He has called me to do.  Be blessed, go read Nehemiah--it's pretty short! Little book, big message.
Wall of Jerusalem
One of my favorite verses,  " They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” "
But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”  Nehemiah 6:9

Never say never

So, I said we'd never go to a mega church.  Nope.  We would always go to a nice small church where we know everyone and it doesn't get too crazy.  Well, God must've laughed and decided to throw us clear of our comfort zone and straight into a MEGA church in Colorado Springs.  We have some good friends that have attended this church for several years and they invited us to join them when we moved here.  Uh oh.  Did he just invite us to that MEGA church?  I got nervous.  Mike said we'd better hurry up and find a church so we could tell our friend we'd already found one.  M said she'd get sick if she went there.  C has sensory integration dysfunction, how would he react?!

We discussed and decided we'd go for kicks, just for the experience.  We'd not had a connection at another church near our house and hadn't lined up one for Sunday yet so we accepted the invitation.  Well, 4 Sundays later, I think we've found our home.  Huh?  Well, for one, it took 4 Sundays because the pastor was gone for 3 of those Sundays and we felt the Lord calling us back each time so we'd finally get to hear the pastor preach.  Thankfully, we listened because we loved him!  He is a teacher!  Yay!  He is there to challenge us and help us grow.  He's not a showman to get people in the door.  He doesn't make everyone feel warm and fuzzy, but he has a heart to help people grow and come to Jesus.  He even does all this without yelling. : )  The other 3 speakers were great, as well. 

The worship music is so God centered and honoring.  It brings me to messy tears each week because it brings me to a place that makes me realize how much I love God and how much He loves me.  The church is big, but as I worshipped, I would look around and see what God sees.  There are so many people, for one thing and what is wrong with that?  That is something to celebrate!  All those people have made the effort to come and worship the Lord and learn more about Him.  Hallelujah!  Why did I complain and worry about size?  As continued to look around I noticed young, old, rich, poor, fashionable, not so fashionable,  black, white, hispanic, Asian, Indian, you name it all worshipping together.  Amazing.  There are people dancing, hands in the air or standing like a statue all worshipping together.   I am now to a point that I don't look around as much as can focus on worship the Lord, but I was in awe the first few weeks. 

I have felt a new fire lit inside of me.  A fire that challenges my faith in a good way.  A fire to make my relationship with Jesus extend beyond myself.  I want to help fill churches and make them mega churches   I want to help within the church to reach out the many that may walk through the doors hurting or wanting to grow.  It's not about me and my comfort zone, it's about God and the work He is doing.  He is doing a work in my heart, for sure! 

So everyone else in my family is loving it too!  M loves her class and has already made friends.  C loves his class, though it will take him time to feel a part of things.  Mike has some issues with mosh pits that he needs to work out, but I am praying he'll get over it. : )  In the end, I am so thankful for our friends inviting us, I am thankful that Pastor B was away for 3 weeks so that we had to keep coming back and I am thankful that God is alive and well and working on hearts.  Is there something wrong with small churches?  No,  they are also doing God's work, but I am looking beyond my little world and what makes me comfortable now.  I do have a desire to make close friends and have fellowship in smaller group settings, which will hopefully come soon!

I am reminded of the first mega church in Acts(we studied this in our homeschool this week!) 

⁴¹ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

The Fellowship of the Believers

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

 Acts 2:41-47 NIV

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us.  And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.  1 John 1:3