I'm going to try to make this quick. I'm tired. Here's how last week went.
-- Ran a little over 11 miles all at one time. It was an amazing time of worship. I think I finally hit my "runner's high." I think my "runner's high" involves sobbing. I have to work really hard to control my sobs because running and sobbing don't mix well. Running and sobbing don't mix well because sobbing and breathing don't mix well. Running and breathing? They mix much more better, yes.
--Ran in the Quintiles Girls on the Run 10th Annual 5K. Last year's race was the first 5K I'd ever run (I'd walked one other one before that). It was the one I originally started training for, the race that eventually caused me to enjoy running. I thought about wearing my Second Wind shirt, but since my race registration was free because Right Time Kids (one of my employers) was sponsoring the race, I thought it best to represent them. But just because my shirt didn't have Isaiah 40:31 posted on the back, that doesn't mean my hope wasn't in the Lord. The Lord has worked all these circumstances together to shape me into who I am now. I'm still very much in awe of all that He's done to change me physically, mentally, and Spiritually in the past year--and running has been a HUGE part of that transformation. I'm not a fast runner. I ran this 5K in 32:38--which was my fastest 5K time yet. And that's not a fast time. Little girls were passing me like I was barely even moving (I'm like a turtle--slow, but cute). But running isn't a time for me to display my awesome athletic ability, because I don't happen to have any of that. Every time I run, the Lord is revealing His strength in my weakness, giving strength to the powerless, renewing my strength. My hope is in Him, and I can boast in my weakness because He is my strength.
--I received three pairs of new socks this week. New socks are a pretty big deal to me. One pair was even argyle!
--Played the guitar. Twice. Realize how horribly I stink at it. I enjoy it anyway. Good worship.
--Finished reading a book. Not sure what I'm going to read next. I need to reread a book for a review, so maybe that. ...or Blue Like Jazz, since the movie is out and everyone is talking about it again. I tried reading it once and never got into it, but I still own it. It's been sitting on my bookshelf shooting me plaintive looks for over three years....
--I ate way too much food. I was feeling really convicted about it Saturday night, but then I pigged out again on Sunday. Hopefully I'll stop being a glutton this week. It seems like something so minor--especially when I'm burning off so many calories with my half marathon training, but it's not a calorie issue. I'm eating junk food when I'm not at all hungry, and it's gotten out of control. And the Lord is good enough to have convicted me about it. It seems so small, but God is too holy to allow even seemingly small things to slip by. I've been using food for fulfillment--even if just a little. And when I'm seeking fulfillment in ANYTHING besides God, that thing is my idol. And that's just not good enough. So I'll be trying to get back on track this week--reminding myself that my hope is ONLY in the Lord. I'm grateful the Lord is good enough to show me even the failures that seem innocent.
This week:
--Hopefully will eat better--in ways that nourish my body and fuel it....
--...because I'm aiming for another 11 mile run this week.
--Yeah...I'd better reread that book I need to review so I have something to blog about on Fiction Friday. Lol.
--Figure out some financial/job/grown up type stuff. I'm a slacker.
--Really try to put my hope in the Lord (and only in the Lord) in all circumstances. It's hard.
I'm glad He gives us grace.
Happy Monday!
Showing posts with label idol. Show all posts
Showing posts with label idol. Show all posts
Monday, April 16, 2012
Monday, September 20, 2010
Work and Worship
I'm a working girl. I have three jobs (supplimented with other sporadic babysitting opportunities and other random childcare gigs). I also am in the process of trying to balance these jobs with writing/editing--and maybe even some more querying in the near future. I know what work is (even though I'm not nearly as busy as the average stay-at-home mom). At least, I thought I knew.
Lately I've been thinking a lot about how God gave Adam and Eve work to do, how that was part of the perfect world before The Fall of humanity. After Adam and Eve sinned, work became toilsome. I wonder what it was like before; I can only assume it was a pleasant thing. It was something God intended.
I love working with kids. I love my coworkers. I love my jobs. Please don't get me wrong there. It's just that sometimes when that alarm clock goes off in the morning, I don't like the idea of work. Sometimes when that child is throwing a tantrum (or throwing something else--AT MY HEAD!!!) I don't like the idea of work. Sometimes when I want to go do something fun with my friends and I can't do it because I'm a slave to someone else's schedule, I don't like the idea of work.
But work was never meant to be something we dreaded. Work was something God gave us. Right now, my problem isn't with my paying jobs. I'm LOVING all of them at the moment--even if I don't always want to do them. I'm blessed with amazing coworkers and precious children and wonderful parents--some of whom I think love me as much as I love them. I'm still adjusting to the stress of having three jobs pull at my time, but all in all, I'm very blessed in this wretched economy to have three jobs.
I wish things were going as well with my writing. I just started writing and editing again after a month or so of taking a break. It's been a lot harder to get back into it than I imagined. I'm not sure exactly what the problem is. I think that a part of it is just that I'm so busy working at paying jobs that I have little time to write. But that doesn't exactly excuse me. I get home from work and what's the first thing I do? I get online. I check my email. I check facebook. I check my blogs. I check twitter. I check facebook again. I check twitter again. I write a blog (or two). I check facebook again. I take a short break for dinner. I check facebook again. I check twitter again. I check my blogs again. I go back to facebook. It's amazing how I can waste 2-3 hours online and not even realize it.
The thing is, there is nothing wrong with social networking or blogging, just as there is nothing wrong with watching an occasional tv show. Nothing at all. The problem with it for me is that I spend too much time doing it when I could be doing more important things. Honestly, I've come to the realization that the reason I spend too much time online is because I'm very much interested in seeing what other people have to say to me or about me. I'm building MY kingdom.
...and all the while there's my writing. I believe God has given me my writing. I believe He's called me to it. It doesn't pay anything now, but it's important. It's something that God has given me to do, and I have faith that He will use it to build HIS Kingdom. Wasting time on the internet (furthering MY kingdom) is stealing time that could be used doing something that God's given me to do (furthering HIS Kingdom). How I work has a lot to do with how I worship.
This has been on my mind for some time. God has an interesting way of sending the same message to His children over and over and over until He gets it through our heads. I'm finally listening.
I ask you to pray for me as I learn how to balance my time. I ask you to pray that I make a concious effort to serve God with my time and talents. I ask that you pray that God will convict me when I try to further my kingdom instead of His.
Lately I've been thinking a lot about how God gave Adam and Eve work to do, how that was part of the perfect world before The Fall of humanity. After Adam and Eve sinned, work became toilsome. I wonder what it was like before; I can only assume it was a pleasant thing. It was something God intended.
I love working with kids. I love my coworkers. I love my jobs. Please don't get me wrong there. It's just that sometimes when that alarm clock goes off in the morning, I don't like the idea of work. Sometimes when that child is throwing a tantrum (or throwing something else--AT MY HEAD!!!) I don't like the idea of work. Sometimes when I want to go do something fun with my friends and I can't do it because I'm a slave to someone else's schedule, I don't like the idea of work.
But work was never meant to be something we dreaded. Work was something God gave us. Right now, my problem isn't with my paying jobs. I'm LOVING all of them at the moment--even if I don't always want to do them. I'm blessed with amazing coworkers and precious children and wonderful parents--some of whom I think love me as much as I love them. I'm still adjusting to the stress of having three jobs pull at my time, but all in all, I'm very blessed in this wretched economy to have three jobs.
I wish things were going as well with my writing. I just started writing and editing again after a month or so of taking a break. It's been a lot harder to get back into it than I imagined. I'm not sure exactly what the problem is. I think that a part of it is just that I'm so busy working at paying jobs that I have little time to write. But that doesn't exactly excuse me. I get home from work and what's the first thing I do? I get online. I check my email. I check facebook. I check my blogs. I check twitter. I check facebook again. I check twitter again. I write a blog (or two). I check facebook again. I take a short break for dinner. I check facebook again. I check twitter again. I check my blogs again. I go back to facebook. It's amazing how I can waste 2-3 hours online and not even realize it.
The thing is, there is nothing wrong with social networking or blogging, just as there is nothing wrong with watching an occasional tv show. Nothing at all. The problem with it for me is that I spend too much time doing it when I could be doing more important things. Honestly, I've come to the realization that the reason I spend too much time online is because I'm very much interested in seeing what other people have to say to me or about me. I'm building MY kingdom.
...and all the while there's my writing. I believe God has given me my writing. I believe He's called me to it. It doesn't pay anything now, but it's important. It's something that God has given me to do, and I have faith that He will use it to build HIS Kingdom. Wasting time on the internet (furthering MY kingdom) is stealing time that could be used doing something that God's given me to do (furthering HIS Kingdom). How I work has a lot to do with how I worship.
This has been on my mind for some time. God has an interesting way of sending the same message to His children over and over and over until He gets it through our heads. I'm finally listening.
I ask you to pray for me as I learn how to balance my time. I ask you to pray that I make a concious effort to serve God with my time and talents. I ask that you pray that God will convict me when I try to further my kingdom instead of His.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)