Pondering.... again

I was pondering this morning when I woke up.

I thought, "I have 1/3 of my life left yet to live."

I wondered what they would be like.
Would they look the same as they do now?
Would I wake up each morning thanking the
Lord for the day, and His love?
Reciting His word, as I stretch out my stiff back?

Would my next thoughts be the list of things
that always need doing at the store?
Would I still have the store?
Would I still be crafting?
Would my 90ish year old hands still enable me to craft?

Will I have done anything exceptional for the Lord?

Hmmmm. "Exceptional".
What is exceptional to the Lord?
Does He expect that we will each do some exceptional,
earth shattering thing for Him?
Or is 'exceptional' something we put on ourselves?
Our expectation of us?

Or is exceptional us living every day for Him.
Sharing His love wherever we are,
whatever we are doing,
with whoever He puts in our path.
Doing our best in the mundane schedules of life.
Is it growing to know Him more, and accepting
more of His love and grace each day?

Yes, I think that is exceptional.

Lord, Help me to be exceptional for you today.

More pondering another day.

blessings to all

barbara jean

I've done it again

Yep, I've done it again.
I've let myself be sucked in to all the commersialism of Christmas.
I've ended up with last minute running around.
I'm focusing on what to get the kids,
and grand kids, that will make Christmas special,
and who is bringing what to Christmas dinner.
(wonder what Mary and Joseph ate?)
I've been sidetracked from what it is all really about.

A CELEBRATION OF OUR LORD AND SAVIORS BIRTH!!

Jesus, What can I do to make this a special time for you?
What can I do to reach out to a hurting world?

Thank you Father, for the gift of your love,
presented in the birth of your sin.

My prayer for us all is that we may focus on Him,
and why He came.

Christmas Blessings

barbara jean

Morning Thoughts

GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY!
I've been up since 4:30 this morning, so it seems like half the day is over now.
It's a good thing it's not though, since i have a list long enough for 4 days to take care of today.
Seem familiar?

I called an office to find something out this morning, and couldn't figure out why the lady came in so late. (It was only 8:30.) And can't these electric and phone companies come in early so i can get the bills paid before i go off and forget again?

Now, this is being written by the lady (me) who used to sleep till 9 or 10 every day! I can't even imagine how i did that and got anything done! But I did seem to get it all done, and I don't remember it being such an effort. My neighbor and i used to have our work done by 11 in the morning, and sit around in the afternoon and watch our kids play, (3 each) and drink ice tea. Now even getting up at 4:30 doesn't give me enough day. And i stay up till 11 most nights, later others. Mind you, I do not get up early to get things done, it's just when i wake up, and can't go back to sleep, so i get up.

So, what has changed. There are still the same number of hours in a day, still some of the same responsibilities, (minus the 3 kids, but add back in 4 grand kids). Gotta love that math!!
There are still bills to pay, yard work to be done, cars to be fixed, friends to help, church to serve at, errands to run, and pretty much the same things we had years ago. (won't say how many years).

There is the added element of opening my own business, but it seems i was busy before, just busier now. (a great kind of busy, meeting new people, creating new things.)
My husband is more helpful than he was years ago, (or maybe I've just learned to appreciate it and him more.) And he is trying to maintain 2 properties for the last 13 years.

Some of you are sitting there saying, "Yes, but you are older now. You've slowed down."
I DON'T THINK SO! You may be getting older, but I'm staying at 35, thank you very much!! =)

OK. Seriously, if I can't figure out what is going on, or how to change it, I'd better just figure out how to deal with it.
I can tell you right off the bat, that running around in a frenzy is not the answer! Nor is adding more things to the mix. That frenzy thing can just make us grumpy and hard to live with, and we just get more stressed in that frame of mind. No one can move fast enough or in the right direction when we are like that. Traffic is too slow, the signals aren't set right, the person in the grocery line is causing problems with her coupons, and the clerk doesn't know how to do things.
What in inept world anyway!! Can't anyone do anything right except me?

WHOA! Hold on there. I'm getting in a frenzy just thinking about all that!!

Back to the answer. Going faster doesn't work, so how about if we try slowing down??
Sounds crazy doesn't it? But I'm going to try it. I'm going to take a deep breath, fix myself a cup of tea, maybe even look at a magazine!! Or better yet, bask in the presence of the Lord, and thank Him for His many blessings.
HAVE I LOST MY MIND? No, Ive just found it. That list of things we deem so important,
how much of it really is? How many pumpkins do I need to make to sell? Who is gong to notice if my curtains are 'fluffed' just right at the store? Will anyone even care if my area rugs match?
Will my frenzy make me any friendlier when people come in for a visit? Should that letter of complaint wait till I'm not so upset?

Bottom line for me. I have to reevaluate my priorities. And here's a really hard question I've had to ask myself: What of all these things, all these pressures i put myself under, all my expectations of other people, makes me any closer to the Lord? What am i doing of any real eternal value?

With that in mind, I'm fixing that cup of tea now, and instead of a magazine, I'm just going to ponder that very hard question: what of all the things i do, has any real eternal value? It may be time to reevaluate some things in my life.

Blessings on your day. May it be peaceful, full of joy, and of eternal value.

Barbara jean

This is a reprint of a post I did in Oct of 09.
Just want you to know, I still evaluate that very thing:
What am I doing that is of real eternal value?

Holy, Holy, Holy