Sunday, October 31, 2010

Simple Blessings

As another weekend draws to a close, I am sitting here thinking about God's simple blessings. In the midst of a challenging life storm, I am choosing daily to look for the rays of sunshine. I find they are always there if I am looking for them. This weekend my sunshine rays included a visit from my WVa family, watching my oldest granddaughter get ready for her senior homecoming dance, sharing candy and taking pics of three grandkids as they had fun with trick 'r treat, and simply enjoying a restful Sunday afternoon with no agenda (no cooking either, it's leftovers tonight!)

Everyday God showers me with simple blessings. But I have to look for them and then take time to savor them. It is easy to let my focus stray to the storm, to hear the wind and see the waves. But just as children's fears and anxiety can be removed by drawing their attention away from the storm, so are my fears, worries, and anxiety removed when I place my attention on God.

If you are in a life storm right now, won't you join me in looking for God's simple blessings every day? Our storms may not go away soon, but we must remember that God is in control of the storm. He wants us to allow Him to complete His work while we rest in His love.

What simple blessings did God bring to you today?

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Mid-week or "hump day"?

Which of these terms do you use to describe Wednesday? For many years I have viewed it as 'hump day'. My favorite local weatherman describes it as "huuuuuuuuuuump day"! No matter what term we use, most of us look at Wednesday as the halfway point to the weekend. Halfway through our work week and looking forward to time off. Making plans for all that we are going to do once Friday evening rolls around.

Today, however, I had a different thought. I was reminded of what my high school Spanish teacher told us when we seniors could talk about nothing but graduation. He said, "Don't be so focused on something that is months (then weeks) away. Live today. Don't waste your life by focusing on the future so much that you miss today." At the age of seventeen I just didn't grasp what he was telling us. Sure, I listened but I didn't practice the wisdom he was trying to teach us.

As the years passed, I came to realize the magnitude of what he was saying. I do try to live each day in the moment. But I also find myself longing for the weekend. In times past I rationlized it with the excuse of a stressful job, demanding boss, cranky co-workers. But now I don't have any of those excuses. I have a job with little stress, bosses and co-workers who are kind and compassionate. We work as a team. Yet I still fall prey to the habit of marking my week by how many more days until the weekend.

Ouch! Marking days that will never  pass again. Days that are filled with opportunities that may never come around again. Each day closer to the last day, the last breath. None are to be wasted. As long as I draw breath, God has a purpose for me here. And one thing I am sure of...His purpose does not include a 'living for the weekend' mentality.

So today is not 'hump day'. It is a wonderful Wednesday. Blessed by messages from God through His word and through the small group Bible study I am currently participating in. Blessed by morning coffee time with my husband. Blessed by conversations with my son and granddaughter currently living with us. Blessed by an unexpected visit from my grandson who asked his Papa, "Can we go surprise Mama?" Blessed with opportunities to love and to share.

Every day is a gift. May we live our days fully in that truth.

Hugs,
Molly

Saturday, October 23, 2010

A New Beginning

After much procrastination, here I am! At least in the beginning stages of a new blog space. If you are new to this blog, welcome! You will see  a few changes as I get the design updated and get used to moving around my new site. Kinda like moving to a new town. It takes a few trips to be able to just drive there without carefully looking at each and every road sign and trying to memorize landmarks.

I am planning on bringing some stuff with me from my old blog but right now it's a matter of figuring out how to box it up, move it, and get it unpacked here. Hey, I never professed to be a technical expert. :-)

But right now, I am sitting here thinking about how nice it is to finally be here. Hoping that some of my old friends will stay connected while also excited about making new friends. A new place, a new adventure. A sense that God is up to something. But, then, isn't He always up to something?!  The adventure part is when we get to join Him.

In part, that is the reasoning behind the new blog title, My unCommon Life.  From the viewpoint of most people observing my life they would, most likely, describe it as a common life. You know, middle class, small town, wife, mother, grandmother, job. But God... God takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary. He uses the common to produce uncommon results. The Bible is full of stories about common people and their extraordinary lives. I'll bet that many of them lived every day just like you and me, never thinking that God was using them to impact lives thousands of years into the future. 

I believe He still uses common folks today and wants to show His extraordinary power in our lives. The impact can come when we are willing to share our struggles, our challenges, our every day ordinary lives and how He is leading us up, over, around, and through victoriously.

I invite you to come along with me as I share my common life and how He can make it unCommon. I pray that it will be an encouragment to you.
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