Praise Jesus, it's Friday! That was my first tweet this morning! This week has been BUSY, too busy! Wednesday and Thursday were complete failures for me in the parenting department... so I felt! Thursday night I was wrapping things up, enjoying a few minutes on social media and Lisa-Jo tweeted out that she had deadlines for writing and needed a little sweet talk... I replied that I desperately needed her words for #FiveMinuteFriday... She graciously replied that she was "On it" ... I added a PS... "could you pick a word that can ONLY conjure up happy thoughts?"
My week has been rough and I was/am a little afraid of what might come out on a Friday morning free-write after the week, but especially the day I had! and once again she graciously replied that she was "on it"... and Boy, did she deliver! What could be better than five minutes on REST!!!
Start: Rest
This week was supposed to be my week of rest, in that, it is MY spring break. As a part of my pursuing God-Sized Dreams, I have gone back to college. This semester I attempted TWO classes at the same time, one being an INTENSE online 8 week course on Creative Writing that just about killed me, but I survived. On top of that I am taking an on-campus Brit Lit class that has a TON of reading. So I have been feeling like I was drowning. But this week was Spring Break so I didn't have any homework, didn't have any classes to get to. Just one novel I had to read.
I managed to fill this week up with... a sick kid on Sunday, laundry on Sunday and Monday, a play date for the littlest on Tuesday, grocery shopping on Tuesday afternoon and an important meeting Tuesday night. Throw in a car in the shop and a change of plans Wednesday morning, and preparing and providing a meal for about 40 Wednesday night at church. Then there was the coffee date on Thursday morning that was AWESOME, and the rest of Thursday was spent dealing with bickering, whining, fighting, disobedience, etc from my girls (and if I'm honest, me too). I was and am desperately in need of some rest.
I realized last night as I was falling into bed feeling like a complete failure that somehow, the Bible reading, the Hello Mornings, just didn't happen... and NOW I see why I was falling apart.
But a few perfectly worded blog posts and a reminder that God's Mercies are new every morning, and some sunshine on this fine Friday morning and my perspective is right again.
My Five Minutes is now up... but the story isn't over, so I must keep typing.
I am reading with the She Reads Truth session, which is in the Psalms... I love the Psalms! We are reading the Psalms of Ascents and other Scripture that ties in with it. Being a week behind, I read three days this morning... and God gave me REST with these verses!!
Philippians 4:4-9
Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
and 2 Corinthians 1:7-11
(my paraphrase) ... even when I am despaired of life... and have given myself a death sentence, I need to remember that I can't trust in myself, but in God which raiseth the dead... HE delivered us from so great a death and DOTH deliver: in whom we trust that he WILL YET deliver us!!!
What could be more restful than the peace of God which passeth all understanding, and the rest that comes in trusting the God which raiseth the dead!?
Praying Rest for you today and this weekend!
That sounds like my week...!! So glad you found Him there with you this week Julie Anne - praying for you :-)
ReplyDeleteGirlfriend - you ROCK! There are always going to be weeks like this but I'm so glad you are finding your rest in the WORD. I love you mucho!!!
ReplyDeleteSeems like this kind of week is going around, I can definitely relate. And the reminder about the peace of God was wonderful! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI hear you! I have weeks like this! Bless you today!!
ReplyDeleteIsn't that how it always happens, when we try to schedule rest into our busyness it just never happens? So incredibly proud of you for pursuing your God Sized Dream - keep at it, friend! You are doing an amazing job! Praying this weekend finds you re-filled, rested, and full of joy :)
ReplyDeleteHe does rejuvenate with His Grace!...i see a pattern among many of us today leaning on God's love and guidance :)
ReplyDeleteDon't you just love how God gives us exactly what we need when we finally take a breath and ask. I know I'm so bad about the "being anxious" and forgetting the "With prayer and supplication making my request known" until it just hits me that I need to stop. Thank you for these reminders. I desperately needed them this morning.
ReplyDeleteI love the last sentence: "What could be more restful than the peace of God which passeth all understanding, and the rest that comes in trusting the God which raiseth the dead!?" With all the chaos of life, coming back to this truth is a huge comfort...and gives rest to the soul. I've been meaning to come visit, Julie Anne, and keep getting caught away by the busyness of life. Anyway, you visited me a few weeks ago. Hope you had a great Spring Break and Easter! BTW- I took a Brit Lit class in Junior College and it was SERIOUS business...definitely University level material. It was such a relief when I finally finished. So I could totally relate to that in your post! :)
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