rough start
In the last blog post I wrote, Joyful January, I wrote about how I am going to make January a great month. That these winter months will gain new beauty in my heart because my focus will be different. My focus will be on joy.
January 4th started. I wake up and realize that the chicken stock I had been letting stew for hours yesterday, I left overnight on the stove. It had four, very large, chicken breasts in it to cook away and kill 2 birds with one stone. It had enough chicken breasts in it to feed our family at least 6 meals. Plus, enough chicken stock to make at least 3 large batches of soup. It all ended up in the garbage because I completely forgot it on the stove and it stayed in the danger zone too long. So disappointing. I just wanted to kick myself.
I came downstairs to start my day in the usual way that I do, making coffee, checking email, and facebook and LF Jewelry. Oh, wait, let me back up.
All day on Thursday, I worked on getting digital photos ready to finally have printed. I picked my favorites, had them sized for the perfect wall on which I would hang them and made wallets of the ones that I thought were most fitting to send to family. Did I mention I worked on this all day? I was getting ready to head up to bed and thought I should spend an extra 10 minutes double checking my order but thought I could do it in the morning after I sleep on it.
So, back to starting my day in the usual way...I sit down to get on my computer and the screen stays black. "Oh, that's weird, I didn't turn it off last night." I try to turn it on thinking it had l turned it off or it got turned off when the power went out in the night. It's not turning on. At all.
I have Kendal try and help me. He calls Apple and they can't fix it either. Craaap.
The reality that I may have lost all, I repeat, ALL of my photos of all my children is starting to sink in. Not to mention all LF photos, family gatherings and outings, of our homes and pets, old friends and new. My heavy heart is sinking so low it causes my stomach to ache.
I knew it, I knew this would happen. Well, not this in particular, but stuff, stuff would happen. Why? Because I declared this month, Joyful January. Without fail, when I stake my claim in Jesus, stuff happens, the hard stuff.
The kids are out of control, I run out of stamps for LF jewelry shipments, I can't print off stamps because I don't have a working computer, Someone really-really ticked me off, I have pain to contend with, and blah blah blah...all before noon.
This January has now become more than just doing tangible things to enjoy this month, like keeping Christmasy lights up and painting my fingernails. I now have to choose to be joyful and that's hard work. It's not just scribbling down a handful of things in my Gratitude Journal or taking a walk to clear head and lungs. I now have to choose, with each crummy thing I am faced with, to choose Joy. To choose Jesus, and recognize that it's all grace, even that crummy stuff.
It shouldn't be hard, but it is. I am grumpy and I want to be validated in my grumpiness. I want Kendal to hug me and understand my frustration and I want Apple to fix my computer with one small touch and I can get back to my computer habits, I want to give 'what for' to that person that ticked me off and so on and so forth. Can't someone just fix all of this?
So anyways, I knew it was coming, the frustrating, crummy stuff again, because I claimed this month for Joy. Now I am being tested and am hoping for an A grade because I won't let these things deter me. Continue on Joyful January, continue on.
To press on towards Joy I will be reading through and hoping to hide in my heart the Sermon on the Mount. There was a post written by Ann Voskamp in regards to this and I feel compelled to join in on the challenge.
So add to my running list of things to do in January to push for Joy, I will read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) starting today, with a focus on the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), daily. Allowing it to course through my veins, sink into my bones and live in my heart. My desire is that the outworking of meditating on these verses will become second nature in how I walk through life. I desire to have an understanding of these verses so that I can stop in my tracks and remember the promises He has for me, His Daughter. How can there not be Joy when I realize His grace for me.
"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule."
"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you."
"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are-no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought."
"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat."
"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for."
"You're blessed when you get inside your world-your mind and heart-put right. Then you can see God in the outside world."
"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family."
"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom."
"Not only that-count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out of speak lies about you to discredit me. What if means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens-give a cheer, even!-for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witness have always gotten into this kind of trouble."
Matthew 5:1-12 in The Message.
So even though yesterday was a rough start, and today hasn't been all roses either, I can turn to these verses and align myself with His truth. That my right response to the crummy things in life will be blessed. And I'm sure Joy will be soon to follow.
January 4th started. I wake up and realize that the chicken stock I had been letting stew for hours yesterday, I left overnight on the stove. It had four, very large, chicken breasts in it to cook away and kill 2 birds with one stone. It had enough chicken breasts in it to feed our family at least 6 meals. Plus, enough chicken stock to make at least 3 large batches of soup. It all ended up in the garbage because I completely forgot it on the stove and it stayed in the danger zone too long. So disappointing. I just wanted to kick myself.
I came downstairs to start my day in the usual way that I do, making coffee, checking email, and facebook and LF Jewelry. Oh, wait, let me back up.
All day on Thursday, I worked on getting digital photos ready to finally have printed. I picked my favorites, had them sized for the perfect wall on which I would hang them and made wallets of the ones that I thought were most fitting to send to family. Did I mention I worked on this all day? I was getting ready to head up to bed and thought I should spend an extra 10 minutes double checking my order but thought I could do it in the morning after I sleep on it.
So, back to starting my day in the usual way...I sit down to get on my computer and the screen stays black. "Oh, that's weird, I didn't turn it off last night." I try to turn it on thinking it had l turned it off or it got turned off when the power went out in the night. It's not turning on. At all.
I have Kendal try and help me. He calls Apple and they can't fix it either. Craaap.
The reality that I may have lost all, I repeat, ALL of my photos of all my children is starting to sink in. Not to mention all LF photos, family gatherings and outings, of our homes and pets, old friends and new. My heavy heart is sinking so low it causes my stomach to ache.
I knew it, I knew this would happen. Well, not this in particular, but stuff, stuff would happen. Why? Because I declared this month, Joyful January. Without fail, when I stake my claim in Jesus, stuff happens, the hard stuff.
The kids are out of control, I run out of stamps for LF jewelry shipments, I can't print off stamps because I don't have a working computer, Someone really-really ticked me off, I have pain to contend with, and blah blah blah...all before noon.
This January has now become more than just doing tangible things to enjoy this month, like keeping Christmasy lights up and painting my fingernails. I now have to choose to be joyful and that's hard work. It's not just scribbling down a handful of things in my Gratitude Journal or taking a walk to clear head and lungs. I now have to choose, with each crummy thing I am faced with, to choose Joy. To choose Jesus, and recognize that it's all grace, even that crummy stuff.
It shouldn't be hard, but it is. I am grumpy and I want to be validated in my grumpiness. I want Kendal to hug me and understand my frustration and I want Apple to fix my computer with one small touch and I can get back to my computer habits, I want to give 'what for' to that person that ticked me off and so on and so forth. Can't someone just fix all of this?
So anyways, I knew it was coming, the frustrating, crummy stuff again, because I claimed this month for Joy. Now I am being tested and am hoping for an A grade because I won't let these things deter me. Continue on Joyful January, continue on.
To press on towards Joy I will be reading through and hoping to hide in my heart the Sermon on the Mount. There was a post written by Ann Voskamp in regards to this and I feel compelled to join in on the challenge.
So add to my running list of things to do in January to push for Joy, I will read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) starting today, with a focus on the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), daily. Allowing it to course through my veins, sink into my bones and live in my heart. My desire is that the outworking of meditating on these verses will become second nature in how I walk through life. I desire to have an understanding of these verses so that I can stop in my tracks and remember the promises He has for me, His Daughter. How can there not be Joy when I realize His grace for me.
"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule."
"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you."
"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are-no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought."
"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat."
"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for."
"You're blessed when you get inside your world-your mind and heart-put right. Then you can see God in the outside world."
"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family."
"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom."
"Not only that-count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out of speak lies about you to discredit me. What if means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens-give a cheer, even!-for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witness have always gotten into this kind of trouble."
Matthew 5:1-12 in The Message.
So even though yesterday was a rough start, and today hasn't been all roses either, I can turn to these verses and align myself with His truth. That my right response to the crummy things in life will be blessed. And I'm sure Joy will be soon to follow.
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