Things to Remember

Sometimes I forget who I am. It sounds silly but it happens more often than I am happy to admit. I get wrapped up in my issues, or spend too much time comparing myself to other people, or focus more on my weaknesses than my strengths. I forget to spend time cultivating my gifts and talents; I forget to think about the person I have become in Christ. And when I forget in my thoughts, my words and actions are usually not far behind. I start saying and doing things that do not reflect my true identity and look more like the person I used to be before I knew Him. It can get real ugly real fast.

I have been reminded recently that it really, really helps to surround myself with people who will positively affect the kind of person I want to be. When I spend time with people who are comfortable in who they are, growing in the Lord, and wanting real relationship it kind of rubs off and I come away with a little bit of them stuck with me. I desire to be an open person who is inviting and makes others feel safe to be who they are around me; to carry an easy confidence and beauty that is not held in outward appearances but goes deeper, from the heart. I wonder, though, how often this true self is overshadowed by my own preoccupation with the stuff this world throws at me.

The enemy is good at getting us wrapped up in things that just don't matter in the long run...and believing those things to be SO VERY important when they're not! I hate knowing that I may be missing God's best for my life because I have simply forgotten the vision He has placed in my heart, letting my mind wander elsewhere and fixing my eyes on lesser things than Jesus.

The truth is, I am Christ's beloved! I have been given the power of the Spirit of the Living God to live out the genuine and unconditional love He placed in me. I am able to do all things through Christ; nothing is impossible if I have even the tiniest bit of faith. I am made in His image and am being renewed every day to be more and more like Him. He has prepared good works in advance for me and promises to see them through to completion! He listens to me, knows me, goes before me and will never leave me. This is where my focus needs to be. This is the kind of thinking that will free me to love others without conditions, judgment or wrong motives. This is what I need to be constantly reminding myself because this is where my true identity is found.

I haven't been as good at posting often as I had planned but life just gets so busy! I have a feeling this will just be lots of randomness all thrown together so bear with me. The holidays were fun, lots of family time and good food of course. Our holidays are starting to look a little different every year as we adjust to families growing and moving around, which is a little difficult for me as I am used to doing the exact same thing every year for as long as I can remember. But I guess everything has to change eventually.

I'm in a sweet season of life right now and I'm trying to enjoy every minute of it - even the days I'm knee deep in dirty diapers and don't ever get around to taking a shower. When the girls are in bed and I go to pick up the trail of toys left all over the house, or finally clean up the dishes that have been sitting in the sink all day, or fold the ginormous basket of laundry...it's tempting to berate myself for not being as good of a housekeeper as I should be. Or as able to keep it all together in whatever other form of unattainable standard I put myself up against. The truth is, I'm learning to be thankful for dishes in the sink and toys all over the floor. They are a sign of a day well spent, playing and being together, laughing and making memories. The dishes and laundry will always be there when I have a spare moment; however, my cutie tootie two year old asking me to play "Hi-Cherry Hi-Cherry" (Hi Ho Cherry O) or tell her a story about Princess Madeline will not.

They really are growing up too fast. But at the end of the day, I feel good knowing I can be there to see it happen.