Day 39: Restore

Day 37: Home

Our house is starting to feel like home - it's a refuge at the end of a long day, a place I look forward to return to, an environment that allows me to be completely comfortable.  After years of living in apartments in cities across the state it has been a slow realization that where we live now truly is our new home, and where we grew up is "the parents' house."  It's a strange but welcomed transition.  I counted it up - I have moved 16 times since I first moved to college in 2004, that has to be nomad status!  It's incredibly relieving and comforting to know that we don't have to move again until we want to.

My faith is slowly starting to feel "homey" - comforting and reliable.  This too has been an adjustment.  Faith/religion/sprituality was a part of life that was sporadic at best until I started seeking it out on my own in middle school.  Having faith be a consistent part of life is a relatively new experience for me

Day 34: Rise

 

 ^{What a fitting word for a Monday...it's pretty hard to rise on Mondays after sleeping in, snuggling with my hubby, and enjoying a big breakfast on Sundays.}

^{In a lot of ways, this week is about performance under pressure and rising to the occasion.  I had 4 days of blogs to catch up on today, I have a mountain of grading to get done by Thursday, I have my final Evaluation & SMART Goal meeting on Friday to prepare for, I have the California/Mexicali trip to pack for this weekend, and in order to meet my original weight loss goal I still have 3 pounds to lose in the next 2 weeks!}

^{I know that if I manage my time correctly, have confidence in myself, and put my focus and efforts in the right places I can accomplish it all - but it's going to take a lot of work and faith...}

^{Mark 9}

²³ “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”

   

Day 33: New

 

^{Ok, so the trick here is to not focus on my ugly feet - but on my super cute new St. Patty's Pedicure!  Yes, my nails are green with gold flakes :-D}

^{Every once in a while we deserve new, we deserve pampering, we deserve a fresh start.  Jesus promised to make us new in the eyes of God; through his sacrifice we were given a fresh start and are promised to be pampered with the love and presence of God in this world and in heaven when we pass on.}  

^{What do we have to do to receive these blessings?  We have to open our hearts and minds.  We have to be selfless - we have to live our lives for someone other than ourselves.  It's not good enough to say you're a Christian or to say that you accept Jesus as your Savior - you have to act on it, you have to live your life like it.  Being human, it's impossible for us to do that perfectly - but that doesn't mean that you don't have to try.  It is not just the thought that counts.  Jesus told more than one parable telling us this very directly:}

^{Matthew 7}

The Tree and Its Fruit

¹⁵ “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. ¹⁶ You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. ¹⁹ So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

True Disciples

²¹ “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. ²² On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ ²³ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

Building on a Solid Foundation

²⁴ “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. ²⁵ Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. ²⁶ But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. ²⁷ When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

  

Day 32: Surround

 

1 week ago it was nearly 60 degrees - I was happy, hopeful, and looking forward to Spring.  Now look at it!  Back into the gloom of winter we go...Our surroundings can have a profound impact on our moods and overall outlook on life.  No more proof is needed than the major mood swing most people I know went through in the past week!

On one hand, it's probably a good thing to be affected by your surroundings because it means that you're in tune with what/who's around you.  But, on the other hand, there is also a lot of merit to being able to stay grounded and centered regardless of what's going on in life.  

Family and Faith help keep me centered - knowing that I can count on that unconditional support and love can help get me through even the gloomiest winter days :-) 

Psalm 19

¹⁴ May the words of my mouth
    and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Day 31: Temper

 

Nothing drives me crazier than dirty dishes filling up the sink when the dishwasher is dirty!  It's funny how the littlest things can make our temper flare and send us off the edge.  Every once in a while, after a long day of being very patient with teenagers at school, it doesn't take much to be the straw that broke this camel's back.  We have a tendency to keep very close track of our "Annoyance Meters," it can be very difficult to remember that every other person you interact with in a day doesn't know the tally of how many times your patience has already been tried...

I think Adam would tell you that I have mellowed out a lot over the past 10 years.  When we first started dating I was extremely Type A and he was extremely Type B - we have slowly rubbed off on each other and we're both much closer to the happy middle ground of having high expectations while still being able to go with the flow.  Sometimes you just have to take a deep breath, put yourself in the other person's shoes, and ask yourself "How will I make them feel if I say what I want to say to them - and is it important enough to me to make that impact?"     

James 1

¹⁹ Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. ²⁰ Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. ²¹ So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

²² But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. ²³ For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. ²⁴ You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. ²⁵ But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

²⁶ If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.

Day 30: Go

 

I feel like I'm always on the go - so much to do and so little time (obviously that has really been true lately considering this blog is 4 days late!)  I'm so used to being insanely busy that when I do have some down-time I don't know what to do with myself!  As a teacher, it's pretty common to hear someone say "Oh that must be so nice to have the summers off!"  - but just about every teacher I know would tell you that those 2 1/2 months "off" quickly fill up with other responsibilities and end up flying by.  I've fallen off the wagon a bit this last week, but I really appreciate how this challenge has forced me to take some time to slow down every day to reflect on my faith journey.

Psalm 131

My heart is not proud, Lord,
    my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
    or things too wonderful for me.
² But I have calmed and quieted myself,
    I am like a weaned child with its mother;
    like a weaned child I am content.