#143 - Continual Growth

Good morning. :) Or.... HAPPY THURSDAY! :) It's a great day! The boy is enjoying watching Miss Pattycake right now! Any parents out there? Miss Pattycake is a great DVD/CD series that sings songs, teaches kids about God & Bible stories, as well as the basic things they need to know about using manners,  numbers, ABC's, colors, hygenine, healthy eating, etc. It's a great DVD series with a lot of energy. Tyler and I find ourselves walking around singing the songs... it's pretty funny! But if your in the market for some good Bible Based, high energy DVD's that teach great principles... Miss Pattycake is a winner! :) 


Ok... well, let's get rolling. :) 

Proverbs 17:28 - Even a fool when he holds his peace is considered wise; when he closes his lips he is esteemed a man of understanding.

Proverbs 31:15 - She rises while it is yet night and gets [spiritual] food for her household... 

Well.... it's amazing how the Word is a continual source of instruction and correction! Sometimes it's not fun... but as we are on this journey to become all God has created us to be, I guess it's good. ;) I know it's good! Have any of you talked when you should have just been quiet? Or have you been around people that ALWAYS are talking and you can't get a word in edge wise? Or those people that always change the subject when you are talking to them.... and they change the subject to, guess what? Themselves! I know I have been guilty of it too! But, as it says in Proverbs 17, even a FOOL is esteemed as a person of understanding when he CLOSES HIS LIPS! 


A couple of practices for the week:

1. When you (and I) are talking to people this week... when we are tempted to change the subject or BEGIN a sentence with the word "I".... let's take a second and stop ourselves! Can we NOT focus on ourselves? Can we keep the focus on them? Allow them to talk not us?
2. Practice Humility - When we are tempted to tell someone... "Well, let me tell you what I did...", or "Well, I actually went there AND I went here too...." - Let's practice the art of not trying to "out-do" someone else's story. AND.... if we feel tempted to brag about something we've done, let's take a second and just CLOSE OUR LIPS. 

Have you ever said something, sent an email, text or something and then your corrected by the Word? Or later when your not "in the moment" you think, "Man, that was kinda stupid." I know I have.... and I continually find things in my life to work on and fine tune. Here's just another one. 

What about Proverbs 31:15? Our Proverbs 31 friend "rises while it is yet night and gets spiritual food for her household." Do you ever wonder, "Am I ever going to get this whole thing down?" The whole being a good Christian, diligent, disciplined, etc. With a growing family, I am learning this. Tyler Junior is 15 months, so his schedule seems to evolve as he grows. So for me, my schedule changes too. Our routines change. I had my main quiet time before he woke up this morning. Spent some time meditating on some specific scriptures... then, the boy woke up. Pull out the "Mom Card" and do breakfast, etc. Well, after breakfast, Tyler Junior watches a short DVD called "My Baby Can Read", and then he watches "Miss Pattycake." So, as I'm reading through Proverbs, I'm listening to this song, "Fruits and veggies in your tum tum tum, Fruits and Veggies yum, yum, yum!" And OTHER fun Miss Pattycake songs, but songs that are NOT too conducive with having a QUIET "Quiet Time." 

So... I don't know if your schedule and life is changing, but if it is.... like me, do you need to figure out how to allow your Quiet Time to be what it needs to be? QUIET. An atmosphere that is inviting for the Holy Spirit to be present. Praise God that we are on a path of continual growth, that we will be forever learning and we don't "arrive." 

So THANK YOU as you are on the journey with me that you allow me the latitude to grow! I pray as I'm growing, God is doing things in you for you to grow. 

Would you share? What are you learning? How are you growing? I'd love to hear your voices out there! :)