Keep On

Sitting in my chair this cold, drowsy Sunday afternoon… watching football, eating leftover Andolini’s pizza and homemade chocolate chip cookies, and trying not to doze off. House is quiet, kids are gone for the next few hours. Time to start thinking about the week ahead.

I want to follow the Lord with every part of my life, and that’s not always the easiest thing to do… especially when thinking in terms of daily consistency, and things that take focus and drive to regularly accomplish. So, I am taking a moment to focus and prepare to obediently do those things I know He wants me to do, thinking only of the next six days.

Consistently reaching small goals leads to accomplishing BIG things. That’s the encouragement on my heart tonight as I think through the week ahead.

Daily Bible Reading

I’m using the Bible Recap this year, but my mornings have been different this past week, so I’ve missed the last several days. I hate missing, so I’m going to shrug off last week’s experience and get right back into the daily habit.

Tonight I am thinking through my morning routine, and visualizing myself listening to the Bible Recap daily readings and podcasts with my first morning cup of tea (English Breakfast or Constant Comment. Yum.)

It helps me to connect a new habit to something I already regularly do. I will always have a hot cup of something when I first get up in the morning. Tying my Bible reading to that is like fastening it to a pre-existing anchor – get my tea, read my Bible. Simple as that!

How are you getting into the Word this year? I highly recommend it!

Prayer

I went through a long season of feeling hindered in prayer. No matter what I did, I just couldn’t get the words out! I felt blocked… and if I did manage to pray, I felt sheepish or condemned… even fearful or ridiculed, at times. I just couldn’t do it! Maybe you feel that way today?

It took persistence and asking God for His help to finally begin breaking free! Maybe try this… “God, please help me to be able to pray. Let me see prayer like YOU see it. Please bring to mind anything that could be hindering my prayers, in Jesus’ name.” Then get out there and keep trying!

In prayer this week, I am continuing something I employed recently: Prayer Cards. I want to be better at intentionally interceding for people and issues on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. I am regularly adding individual 3×5 cards for each person, need, or group of needs, as they come to mind. (I am asking the Holy Spirit to help me so I’m not just praying out of my human flesh, but out of the Spirit.) Then, when it’s time to pray, I grab a card and pray for the 1-2 things that stand out.

This is working well, and I really like it!

Healthy Living

This takes the most focus and intentional preparation for me. I have been living a health journey with my doctor for the last two years. I have made tons of changes, and I have no health issues BUT overweight and high cholesterol. So, we keep on keeping on…

I have another four weightlifting sessions planned for this week, and I am continuing my goal of “Eating Like Daniel” from Monday through Saturday (Daniel Plan, Daniel Diet). Half of each plate is veggies, then 1/4 protein and 1/4 starch. I don’t drink coffee or eat sugar during the week. I stick with water and hot tea, and if I want something sweet, I use fruit or small amounts of honey.

After wrestling with habits, hormones, and metabolism without being able to drop a pound for 2 years, I’m now 12 lbs down and going after the next 10.

Keeper of the Home

Right now, my home needs a reset and a wipe down from the past week of going and going. I’m not chasing perfection, just consistency, so I’ll enact my daily routines, and not worry about the mess for now. By the end of the week, my routines will have paid off and everything will be done.

To keep the stress down, always remember “progress, not perfection.” Humans will be human. You can be a human, too. <grin>

Dinner this week will be Thai Chicken & Veggie soup and a Greek-Inspired Veggie Sheet Pan. On Sundays we have “Sunday Family Breakfast” before heading off to the noon service at our church. I think this week’s breakfast will be French Toast with Eggs & Bacon.

A Week Unto the Lord

I am not able to follow the Lord properly (which is willingly, obediently, and to the best of my ability) if I don’t make a plan at the beginning of the week. I will inevitably give in to busyness, tiredness, or those little “I-don’t-want-tos” that regularly come up if I don’t set my mind and keep it set.

On the other hand, I will also fail if I expect absolute perfection from anyone who is not Jesus, including myself! Let those little glitches go. Let them roll like water off your back, and just keep on. It’s ok to be human, but don’t let it stop you.

I like to plan a rest day – usually on Sunday – and on that day, I sit in my chair and rest. I might read or watch a movie. I might literally go to sleep (yay). And I also might eat some delicious pizza and homemade chocolate chip cookies.

I mean, you have to be able to live… and you need to love the way you live, even if it’s hard. Rest days like today make it livable and possible for me to work hard and be consistent through the week.

The Bible is chock-full of scriptures about living, working hard, and finding rest. God’s way of living is so full of hope! I challenge you to get out there and find it for yourself! You won’t regret it.