Monday, September 26, 2011

So Long Summer...

It is hard to believe that summer is over already. So much has been going on I feel like I missed it. As I look back on it I see that there was so much going on but there was also so many memories made and so many small blessings that normally get taken for granted.

296. Camping trips filled with laughter
297. Seeing new places



298. safe travels to and from
299. a handmade card
300. sore hands from working in the garden
301. playing pinochle
302. blue wildflowers by the roadside
303. growing gourds (all different shapes and sizes!)
304. morning serenades from early bird risers
305. the power of water



306. hot dogs on roller grills
307. picnics with family
308. moonlight peeking behind clouds
309. sunflowers bursting



310. Daddy's who hug
311. rainy days for staying in pj's
312. learning to live like this:
Don't cry because its over....smile because it happened.
313. dragonflies slaying the heat in the yard.
314. roadside fruit stands
315. Sunday drives to no where
316. remember that God is in control:

-in earthquakes
-in hurricanes
-in floods (all of which we encountered within the last month and a half)

317. a husband who reminds me to just breath when I am overwhelmed
318. much needed reminders of Who I Am
319. reminders that this is only temporary
320. dinner with friends
321. helping out parents who are slowing down
322. fresh cut flowers from local farm that hubby brought home just because
323. Committing verses to memory
324. stars that shine so bright and fill the sky
325. embracing the changing of the season


So thankful that I have been doing my best to write down the small things that I am learning to see as blessings. Had I not been writing them down...I would easily forget where all the time has gone. Please join in the gratitude community with Ann @ A Holy Experience...and learn not to take the little things for granted!



Choose Joy....

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Not Me! Well maybe.....

I recently had the opportunity to enroll in a bible study titled So Long, Insecurity by Beth Moore. When I first signed up I thought it would be a great opportunity to dig deeper into God's word. However, it never dawned on me that I would ever need to learn about insecurity. In my eyes, I was not insecure. I mean I like meeting new people...I am ok with how God made me...I don't think I have any problems with the way God made me.

Oh how naive I have been.

Joseph Nowinski (author) defines insecurity as this:
"Insecurity refers to a profound sense of self-doubt--a deep feeling of uncertainty about our basic worth and our place in the world. Insecurity is associated with chronic self-conciousness, along with a chronic lack of confidence in ourselves and anxiety about our relationships. The insecure man or woman lives in constant fear of rejection and a deep uncertainy about whether his or her own feelings and desires are legitimate."

Yep..that is pretty much me in a nutshell lately! There has been some big changes this last year. I have been struggling to find my place and as I read over this....the very reason I am afraid to move forward is because of how insecure I am.

Steven Furtik recently said, " We struggle with insecurity because we compare our 'behind the scences footage' weith everyone elses highlights reel'" After I heard that I realized just how true that is. We think that the person standing next to us has it all put together....but we don't really know what is going on on the inside of that person. We are comparing everything we know about us (good and bad) with what we only see of them from the outside.

We also set up False Positives. Thinking that if I could just fix this....I would be at peace or then everything else would fall into place. Problem is when we do accomplish fixing one part...there is always another "if I could just fix this".

Check out this list and see if any bells go off:

"They are married to the most fabulous man in the world."
Prominent false positive: A great man would make me secure.

"Girl, look at your house! You never have to worry about money"
Prominent false positive: Financial success would make me secure"

"She has got the best personality of anybody I know...everybody likes her"
Prominent false positive: Popularity would make me secure"

"They are so young and in the prime of their life!
Prominent false positive: Recapturing my youth would make me secure.

"They run this whole company. Look at how people jump through hoops for them!"
Promininent false positive: Power would make me secure.

"Look at all the degrees on their wall...they are the smartest person I know."
Prominent false positive: Credentials would make me secure.

"They have nothing to worry about...the have tenure!"
Prominent false positive: Job certainty would make me secure

The list goes on but you get the idea. I challenge you to take a small note pad and start righting down all the thoughts that go through your head during the day. From the time you get up until the time you go to sleep. Many on my list start with such a negative mind toward myself. From clothes not fitting to worrying about things happening to my family and friends. Its amazing how the enemy bombards our hearts and minds with such a negative mindset.

Right now I am learning to turn that negative mindset over to God. Exploring the bible to find out what He says about me. The Bible is truth and that is where we should bank our trust and find our worth.

I am starting with Ephesians 2:10
"We are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the things he planned for us long ago."

How about you? What verses do you carry in your heart to beat down the negative thoughts that pop up in your mind?