Why I'm Addicted

I find so much good information on the internet... it's funny how God uses my "addiction" to speak to me! Yes, I know that I spend too much time reading blogs and conversing on social media... but when you find nuggets like these, it makes a little more sense!  So today I'm sharing 10 blog posts (in no particular order) that spoke to my heart recently...



1. Starting with this one from Theresa on Allume... all about serving others in blogging, but it can relate to many areas of our lives!  So this post is me sharing the love and being a servant.

2. over at Oh My Handmade Goodness, there is How to stand up to mean girls (the ‘self’ edition) ... she sucked me in in the first paragraph, with her reference to the "coveted waterfall bang," but she kept me with the encouragement to stop putting your self down. This post works for handmade, crafty things and also in the blogging and writing, and my inner mean girl can be loud in both of those areas!!  and I'm not all about self esteem and all, but her points are valid, especially the encouraging others, which is what I'm doing today by sharing all the goodness I've found lately!

3. and then there is Lisa-Jo... She can totally read my mind! I love all of her posts, but this one, When Your Week Crashes Downhill, was just perfect... She talks about hot fudge sundae runs at midnight, and having an ache that you can't explain, and saying words that you want to take back, and pushing in all the chairs and vacuuming...AGAIN! Seriously, go read it, but then come back here! :)

4. and I found permission to enjoy my messy house from Finding Joy. She wrote me a note, dear moms with a messy house, encouraging me in my mess! BUT she keeps it real, you don't have permission to live in a chronic messy house. and she gives some tips for controlling the mess. What I want to do is to work on the ONE THING that keeps the mess in check. For me, it's going to be the kitchen (just don't look at my kitchen right now)  "So work hard. Don't give up. It is good to aim for neat and tidy - just remember this is a season."

5. I enjoyed this post by Mommy on Fire on choosing relationships over discord. It's amazing to me when God uses life circumstances (even animals) to teach us something in our own lives. Go read the whole thing, but know that what I got out of it is this... I hide in the corner when things make me upset, and I have a tendency to come out swinging... even if it's just in my head. But I want to pursue peace and come humbly to situations that make me squirm.

6. On that same note, I'm a people-pleaser and tend to compare myself and my kids with everyone else around me and that can be exhausting because my friends and family are diverse and have different beliefs/standards/opinions which can be unpleasant when you are trying to please them all... after this guest post by Brenda on Joyful Mothering, I am no longer competing in the Mommy Wars.  No more parenting in fear, now it's believing this "Our worth comes from Him and Him alone. No longer do we have to prove it. The Cross proved it for us."

7. As a preacher's kid, who grew up in the church, made a profession of faith at a young age and often struggled with doubts, this fanastic article really spoke to me. Should We Stop Asking Jesus Into Our Hearts? | Christianity Today  It comes down to belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, completely sinless, dying for me... and repentance of my sins... past, present, future... Thank heavens for eternal security!!

8. Every day is a battle for joy for me... and this reminder (I’ve got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy) from Amanda at Impress Your Kids was just what I needed... She mentioned Psalm 63:1-3 and I love those verses and have memorized them, but it's always good to be reminded... and then she said this... "But really, it was a prayer for me: Don’t allow YOURSELF to be stuck with a sad, depressed, angry, moody or difficult personality. PRAY YOURSELF OUT OF IT."  such a great encouragement to me and some days I just want to say "Just Keep Praying, just keep praying!"

9. and then there was another reminder on prayer from Crystal Stine on the Allume blog again. Unlocking my Inner Nehemiah.  I just love when other people say what I'm thinking... plus she's gonna be my roomie at Allume!! and she gave this encouragement..."to remind me that He is doing a good work in my heart, whether I recognize it or not." and He is working and I am so thankful it!

10. and then this beautiful post on friendship from Kristen Strong, posted on the (in)courage blog. Seriously, go read the whole thing... but THIS right here is what I needed "I will forgive you when you make a mistake. While I can’t control how you behave towards me, I can control how I behave towards you. And I’ll do my level best to err on the side of grace and love. Because heaven knows I need to receive it as much as I need to give it"

So that's a lot of good stuff that I found this month... and there was more, but be sure to check out some of these great posts, and let me know what you learn!!



Linked up to Top Ten Tuesday (hence the 10 posts)

 
and Works for Me Wednesday, because great bloggy friends works for me!!