Falling Off

The title of this blog is the story of my life. I have a trinity of priority in my life: God, Family, and Work.This balancing act can be quite difficult to maintain. There are times when my family trumps my time with God because I'm so busy reprimanding, taking care of their needs, or just chilling with the fam! I often find myself with my priorities out of whack, as I am ambitious and love what I do. I work...HARD. So, there are times where work gets in the way of  EVERYTHING else. On the other hand, I experience those rare moments when things are great. I'm at peace. Everything is in it's proper place. And right when I think I have it all figured out, before I know it, things are right back crazy!

All of us have been here before. Many of us can best relate with weight-loss. We start out great. We're eating right, getting proper rest and exercise, feeling great. Then, next thing we know, we stop by the McDonald's drive thru because we're crunched for time. We skip breakfast because we're late for work. We miss a workout because a kid gets sick. And it all begins to slowly fall apart. We gain back the pounds we lost. We get down on ourselves. We try a quick fix. We get upset. We give up...and our pants are tight ALL... OVER ...AGAIN!

This same cycle happens with God. We have our times where we are so close and so connected that nothing seems to stand between us and the Most High. Then, there are times where those little things start to get in our way and we lose focus. Our priorities shift, and slowly our relationship with God starts to take a back seat to work, kids, social engagements, travel, favorite TV shows, and the other host of things that life imparts. Well, I'm here to tell you that it's normal, and it's okay. The real trouble would be not to notice. But as long as we are human, we will fall off. It's part of our make-up. That's why we need God. Everything that happens in our lives to remind us of our imperfection and our reliance upon God is a necessity for our humility and reverence toward Him. It's okay to lose sight, as long as we find our way back to the true source of life.

The mere fact that you can tell that your life is out of whack speaks volumes to what it means to have a real relationship with God. You miss Him. You know you need to talk to Him. You feel guilty. You want to say sorry and fix it. The crazy thing is that even though you feel that way, He hasn't gone anywhere. He's right there, waiting on you to get your life together! If you need to get back to God, do it. You'll have good days and not-so-good days. You'll have distant times and close times. All of which are a part of a genuine relationship. That is all that God wants to have with each and every one of us-a real relationship. So don't beat yourself up about it. Rearrange where necessary and remember His mercies renew each day.  Be Blessed. XOXO

Keep the Change

When I'm in a restaurant (and opt to pay with cash), I tend to tell my server, "Keep the change." Of course, I tell them this because the service was good, so they earned a tip. In all my years of dining, I've never had a server refuse. Not once has a server said to me, "Nah I'm good, I'll bring you back your change." Why? Hmmmm...maybe because that would defeat the whole purpose of them going to work?!

Funny. When God moves in our lives and changes us, we have a tendency to be the exact opposite of most restaurant servers. We try to give Him back the blessings of change. We say, "You know what God, I've enjoyed my miserable life, so thanks for the change, but I'll pass." WHAT THE WHAT?!? God lives and moves and breathes inside each and every one of us (Deuteronomy 31:6). He is working tirelessly to mature us in the Spirit (I Corinthians 6:11). That manifests itself in a variety of ways, all of which transform us (Isaiah 43:19). 

One way that I can see me changing (and boy has it taken some time) is that I am quicker to listen. See, I'm naturally very defensive. And I have a strong desire to be right. All are great traits of a lawyer, but I am not a lawyer. I am a teacher. And dealing with so many personalities over the years and so many issues that my babies bring to school, I've learned the importance of listening before forming opinions. I can't say I've mastered it. My friends and family would definitely attest to me still having a ways to go. Partially because I'm comfortable with my old self and therefore, I sometimes, accidentally, reject God's change within me. See to listen without judgement or restrain from expressing opinions allows my spirit to be open to the one who is sharing with me. I'm able to learn from what they are saying and if I listen hard enough, I can actually see into the soul of who they are and understand how they are truly feeling. God is doing this on purpose. It is a part of His plan for me. You know...the plan to prosper me and give me hope...THAT plan! 

Next time you find yourself feeling a little strange or talking a bit funny. If your heart feels softer. If your outlook seems broader. If you find yourself speaking more gently, giving more generously, or simply loving more freely, know that is God. If you are saving more than you are spending; watching something different on TV, reading more, working out more, dressing differently, the list goes on and on, know that God is MOVING. You are becoming different because God is transforming you from the inside out. So don't reject what God is doing in you...keep the change! Be Blessed! XOXO