Victim or Victor?

James 1:12 - Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor’s] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.

This morning, waking up much later than normal, I felt like my quiet time began with me crawling before the throne of grace with my head held down. It wasn't the first morning of me waking up late, but I was coming off a week of waking up late. I know that the repetition of good habits creates a good habit. The repetition of bad habits, creates a bad habit... and I know just what time I need to wake up in order to complete my whole morning routine before kids start waking up. Who knows, when kids wake up, there is NO looking back!?! :) In a good way, they are a blessing, but any sort of a "quiet time" with the Lord once kids are up would be laced with many interruptions.... and as you can imagine with a 3 year old and 1 year old, would be anything BUT quiet! :)

I know that the Slight Edge in being a mom, running a peaceful home, getting things that are productive done, ultimately HINGES completely around whether MAMA gets her quiet time with the Lord each morning. The mornings when it does not get done, I notice my patience is shorter, I feel like things are more chaotic, and often from a productivity standpoint, I feel like little gets done, short of having kids fed and dressed! Time with the Lord paves the foundation of a solid, peaceful, productive day!

Well, as I journaled I threw up all the "blah blah's"... you know, maybe you've done it too? All of the reasons "why" my actions could be justified. All the excuses. All the buts. I read a quote that was very fitting by Les Brown, "The only limits to the possibilities in your life tomorrow are the buts you use today.*" 

After I was done journaling my "justifications," I decided to listen to see what the Holy Spirit might have to whisper in my ear. Would it make me feel better about myself? Would it be a "that's ok, shake it off" sort of talk? Well... it went something like this...

Are you going to "allow" or "accept" circumstances? Are you going to justify sleeping in? Are you going to be on the fence about working out? You decide. You can be a victim & by doing so, you will give life to symptoms the world wants to give you. Or you can go about being productive, having energy, eating healthy, being fit, making this an amazing year. You decide! Last week was a bit of a funk. You basically fed into symptoms. You were a victim. This week, you decide. 

The Hebrew definition for "crown" is this:  A wreath or garland which was given as a prize to victors in public games.  

My daily actions determine whether I am going to allow life to treat me as the VICTIM to my circumstances or whether I am going to choose to be the VICTOR in my circumstances. My response to how I feel, how I handle good or bad reports, housework that has seemed to mounded up overnight, the "To-Do" list that seems never-ending.... my response to any and all of these things, in part determines whether I will be the Victim or Victor! At the end of the day, I decide whether the victors crown will be placed on my head, or garland around my neck (as it defines in the Hebrew). I decide whether I will win or lose. I decide whether I will respond as the Victim or Victor! Will I tackle the things that need to get done, or will I allow the guilt of not getting them done to tackle me. 

I decide. You decide. Will you be the Victim or the Victor today? You choose. 

________

* Quote 

#190 - Bit by Bit

Good morning! It's cool on the porch this morning. Overcast, but the birds are still chirping. I couldn't help but think this morning that next year at this time we will have an addition. Trinity will be 9 months old! Amazing to think. Last year this time, that was Tyler Junior. Each season just brings adjustments, but equal blessings. God is good. Well, let's get started... are you ready?

Proverbs 6:6-8 - Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways and be wise!-- ⁷Which, having no chief, overseer, or ruler, ⁸Provides her food in the summer and gathers her supplies in the harvest.

Proverbs 31:16 - She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]; with her savings [of time and strength] she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard.

There are lots of types of people out there. Starters, finishers, the detail people who are great at perfecting things - putting on the polished touches, but all are important. Have you ever started a project, but for two weeks later the project to lay on your kitchen table only partially completed? Half done. Cluttered, but you plan to come back to it. In the mean time, it is what it is, an unfinished but started project. What about this.... you are working to complete something good, but then something new catches your eye. Ooooohh! This new idea seems great, exciting, fun. So, you jump ship, leave the first project, maybe even the second project to work on this new thing, this new idea. Now you sit with not one, not two, but three projects, started, but unfinished. Maybe all equally good, maybe even all "God" ideas, but there they all sit, unfinished.

I find myself realizing how quickly that was becoming me. Tyler and I were riding home from church yesterday, talking. It's always good to talk to him because he provides great perspective for things. Upon completing my book in January, I set it aside for 3-4 months to take a break from it. I knew that the draft was completed, but the book was far from complete. I had something to work from, I had 70,000+ words as a place to start. I remember starting the project, getting specific direction "how" to write a book. That directions were to work on it bit by bit, little by little. "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." In my quiet time one morning, the Holy Spirit told me to just write for one hour, four days per week, first thing when I woke up. Even against my "religious" thinking, before my quiet time! The Holy Spirit directed me to write for ONE hour even before I had my quiet time. The funny thing is, guess what? It worked! It's funny how the Holy Spirit know us. He knew that first thing in the morning, I was fresh. First thing in the morning, I wasn't tempted to take a nap, or nodding off.

Well... the last few weeks, as I've been working through the editing process, I thought I would just do things my way. I'm smart, right? I can figure things out on my own, right? So without asking, I determined that I would do my editing in the afternoon during Tyler Juniors nap time. After several weeks, I found myself frustrated. A whole week would go by, and I would not have worked on my book at all. Nothing progressing, nothing moving forward. And even sometimes, like picking up a shiny coin, I would pick up a new thing, a new project.... one more thing to distract me from my goal, completion of my book. SO... on the way home from church yesterday, Tyler mentioned a quote I have heard him say before, it's something like this, "Broken focus is often the enemy to success." He pointed out these several projects I had picked up and gotten distracted with, and he saw it, I was starting to get overwhelmed and frustrated. I was starting to not know how I could get everything done. He reminded me that it would probably be good to FINISH my book and the other projects could follow. I immediately thought about the Proverbs 31 woman. What does she do? She CONSIDERS a field, she doesn't jump in immediately with both feet, she first CONSIDERS it. She expands prudently, not wanting to neglect her current duties, her current projects. Like the Proverbs 6 ant, she progresses little by little, she does bit by bit, until a project is completed and she can take on a new one, she can add to her plate.

What has worked before? How has the Holy Spirit directed you in the past? This morning is one of those "pat yourself on the back mornings" for me. I feel good. I woke up, wrote for an hour. THEN I read my Bible, now I'm writing this devotion. I'm working towards completion of a project that I started. I completed the book bit by bit, from September to December... it only took 4 months to write 70,000 words, doing little by little. Not overnight. Just a little bit at a time on a consistent basis.

What's a project you are working on? I heard a quote yesterday, "Continuity leads to emotional stability." Maybe it's having a regular quiet time.....if you just got consistent, the same time every day, I would almost bet that all around you would be more at peace, more stable, more solid.

What is it that you may need to look at? What is it that you can begin, or begin again to just do bit by bit?  Take advise from the Proverbs 31 woman, take advise from the ant. Is there something you can do & complete just by doing a little bit by bit?

#120 - Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!
At our Uncle's hanger for the Family Christmas party. 
Santa showed up so we decided to grab a picture with him. 
Doesn't my husband look handsome!!?! :-)

Good morning! I pray you are having a great day so far! Are you ready for Christmas? I would be very interested to know how YOU include Jesus in your Christmas traditions. Would you share in the comments? Now that we have Tyler Jr.... we have really been thinking about what we want our family tradition to be.... and the big question.... what are some fun, unique ways to make sure the emphasis of Christmas be on the birth of our Savior Jesus. Please share your traditions... maybe we will adopt them as ours too!

Proverbs 21:5 - The thoughts of the [steadily] diligent tend only to plenteousness, but everyone who is impatient and hasty hastens only to want. 

Proverbs 21:29 - A wicked man puts on the bold, unfeeling face [of guilt], but as for the upright, he considers, directs, and establishes his way [with the confidence of integrity].

I just have a few comments this morning. Both of these verses just really stood out to me. The power of diligence. There is a book out there called, The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson. It basically talks about the power in diligence. It would have to be the #1 book I read in 2010... and would probably rank in my Top 1-2 life-changing books I've ever read. It applies to everything in life and encompasses Proverbs 21:5. The thoughts of the steadily diligent tend only to plenteousness. I would anticipate that the steadily diligent also put action behind their thoughts. They make their thoughts a reality to progress forward in life. Because of their daily, steady diligence, they reap PLENTY. They reap abundance! That is my goal for 2011. To continue in steady diligence. To steadily progress in my walk with the Lord. To steadily progress in operating with a LISTENING ear to HIS Voice. To steadily progress in helping people, offering a business to them that can help change their finances. Offering an opportunity that can bring mommies home from work to be mommies! To steadily progress in filling a need in people's life with products that they can use, that they need & that can help them..... an ultimately change their life. Like the Nutrilite products have changed my life with my weight loss. I have lost and kept off 30-35 pounds!!! My goal is to be steadily diligent in helping people experience FREEDOM! Freedom in whatever area of life they need! Financial freedom. Freedom from the bondage of weight challenges. Spiritual freedom. Freedom in their relationships. My goal is to be steadily diligent in 2011 to HELP people! 

What is your goal for 2011? Have you been thinking about it? 

Then... check out verse 29. Wow! That is good stuff! The upright, he considers, directs and establishes his way with the confidence of integrity. Wow! That is powerful! The upright establish their way with the confidence of INTEGRITY! They know that they are going to be blessed, they know that God is going to work in their favor because of their integrity. They have CONFIDENCE in the blessings of the Lord because they walk in righteousness & integrity. That is good stuff! His way is established with the confidence of integrity! 

Well.... so much to think about as we enter into Christmas... a time of being thankful. A time of praising God for sending his son Jesus into this world. What a time to be joyful & thankful. I pray that as you are in this season... over the next few weeks you would really meditate on all the things that you have to be thankful for. That you even list them out, verbally or on paper and just tell God what all you are thankful for. Even the little things, a car that runs, heat, food, clothes. The blessings that your NEEDS are provided for! We live in such abundance and it is only God's desire to bring us into further abundance. The blessing of the Lord, IT maketh rich and He adds NO sorrow to it! (Proverbs 10:22) I pray that during this season, see where you can be a blessing. Whether it be just listening to a friend in a time of need, blessing a family with gifts or money, prayer for someone you know needs it, joy of a smile to a stranger. May Jesus shine through you this Christmas season and always. May YOU be the light of your world! May YOU be like the light on a hill to those around you. May they see Jesus in YOU today & this year! 

With that.... I am going to be signing off for 2010. I am going to enjoy this time and season with my family.... call it hibernating. Hibernating from posts, but NOT hibernating from my time with the Lord.  I look forward to diving into 2011 with you and the Word! Come back and visit then... bring your friends with you, your thoughts & comments. 

Praying blessings upon you and your family! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Tyler Jr wasn't a real fan of Santa Claus. 
I guess that's OK since Santa isn't the "REAL" 
reason for celebrating Christmas.

Yes... Tyler Jr did NOT want to sit on Santa's lap. 
LOL. So funny.  

Uncle Marvin & Aunt Val do things up right! 
They even had a couple bouncy's for me the kids to enjoy! 
So fun!

Merry Christmas!