A Case of the Mondays

 
There's nothing worse than a case of the Mondays.  Well, I suppose having a case of the Mondays while fearing the looming Bar exam and contemplating the hours of work that are piling up while you study is kind of worse than just a case of the Mondays.  Oh, and yes, I have been self-diagnosed with this disease.  That said, if you too have the Mondays, you can probably come up with a worse scenario than mine.  After all, that's what having the Mondays is all about--feeling sorry for yourself. 

But whatever your ailments are today, I thought I'd share with you some great remedies that I have discovered that really do cure any case of the Mondays. 

Read Ephesians 1:3-14 and remember the awesome things that God has done for you. 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace  which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight  He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.  In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. 

Turn on some praise and worship music and play it really loudly. 

How can you not be moved by a song of praise?  I might even suggest that you pull all the non-worship CD's out of your car or CD player (or delete them from your i-pod) until spring arrives.  Because no type of song can have the effect on your spirit that a good praise song has.  Today I'm blaring Kari Job through my i-tunes.

Hug a Child.

Ok, for the sake of not doing something illegal, hug your OWN child (or someone else's with their permission).  How can you be a downer when you feel a little life in your arms?  Then think about the fact that God's arms are ready to give you a hug whenever you need it.  Just ask Him.


Eat some fruit.

I don't know why this works, but eating some kind of summery, tropical fruit like a pineapple, watermelon, or strawberries seems to lift the mood.  Don't believe me--try it!

 At this point if you still have a case of the Mondays. then you might as well go bury your head in the sand until Friday.  Because for you, it's going to be a long week.  Hope your Monday gets even better!

Channeling the Creative Genes

I know that parents are supposed to encourage creativity with their children, but I'm finding that this push for creativity does not come naturally for me.  I like my house to be clean.  I like crayon markings to stay on paper.  I like children to color "within the lines."  And I like music to be in rhythm and on key.  Yes I know, I sound like a boring, jerk of a mother, but so far my ability to live inside these safe and natural boundaries has served me pretty well.

That said, the other day when I caught my youngest pouring barbeque sauce on our puppy and my oldest "painting" his hands with markers, it occurred to me that maybe I need to make a little more effort to "foster creativity" in my home.  My children are very creative (I mean have you ever seen a barbequed puppy?)  But I think it's time to start channeling their creative genes and their energy into a more appropriate direction. 

So I've made it my goal to find some new creative and fun activities for my guys.  I'm also hoping I can find some great family activities that do not involve things that give me nightmares--paint, glue, BBQ sauce, scissors, ketchup, 1000 little pieces, etc.  But coming up with out-of-the-box, non-crafty boy activities isn't as easy as it sounds!

Today's project, however, worked out pretty great.  We created our own rail road.  And it was a big hit!  My oldest was quite excited to watch Mommy and Daddy work like engineers to build our very own tracks.  And he spent quite awhile pushing his train around the bends and making it whistle. 

Who knew that a couple rolls of painter's tape could produce such splendid results?  Our track is made completely of painter's tape, which means that it comes up easily! And of course, with tape, you can make your track go anywhere and in any direction!  Pretty great.  Someday when we have more time, we'd like to create multiple tracks that run through the kitchen and down the hall.  But I think this first attempt turned out pretty well.

Anyway, our first attempt at a "creative activity" appeared to be a success.  Now I've got to start thinking up a great idea for next week.

Baby News

Haha! You probably think that the title of this post means that I have some exciting personal news to tell, but that's not the case.  Instead, this post is about the "Baby News" I received from someone else.

When I sat down at my computer this morning, I found a cute surprise in my e-mail inbox.  My sister-in-law, the proud mother of my first and only nephew, sent out her first ever "baby newsletter."  In the newsletter, she wrote about my nephew's birth, included pictures, and gave his current 1 month update.  The newsletter is such a creative way to keep the family up-to-date on the little guy (who lives over 4 hours away.)  I love this idea! 

So to all the other mommies out there who (like me) are uncomfortable plastering your little one's face and business all over the internet, think about sharing your little one via a newsletter!  Although I love following up with peoples' kiddos via their blogs, the newsletter provides a little more privacy through which you can share the more intimate details of your life.  Then you can save the really great photos and funny stories to post on your blog for everyone else to see!

Anyway, I love getting ideas from other mommies!  Hope you enjoyed this idea as much as I did.  My nephew sure is cute!  And no, that's not his picture at the top of this blog post.

Choose Your Leader

"Do I not hate those who hate Thee, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against Thee? I hate them with the utmost hatred; They have become my enemies." Psalm 139:21-24

I'm kind of a political junky.  I love to watch political debates.  I actually try to educate myself on the candidates.  And if you asked me to explain who you should vote for, I could give you the pros and cons of each candidate--on both sides of the political aisle.  That said, I've also learned a few things about choosing a political candidate.
 
For starters, there is no such thing as a "perfect" candidate.  Because candidates are human, they all of carry around some type of baggage.  And they've all made mistakes.  In my opinion, the best way to get past these mistakes is to see who is willing to admit to them; who will be transparent; and who is willing to correct their missteps.  Trust me on this, ALL candidates have some missteps.

Next, you have to realize that you're not going to agree with your candidate on all issues.  I don't care if you go to the same church or went to the same college, odds are there are some issues upon which you will disagree.  And that's OK.  If you're like me and live in the USA, we're blessed to live in a country where we can have our own opinions and disagree.  We just have to be sure we choose a candidate whose differences of opinion we can live with, even if we disagree on minor matters.  If we disagree on major matters, that's when it's time to look for a new candidate to follow.
 
As much as I love politics, I'm so thankful that my God is not a politician.  He is consistent, pure, and ALWAYS on the right side of every issue (and I'm not saying "right" as in "right leaning" but I mean absolutely right!)  When we choose to follow God, we can have confidence that He has no baggage or alternative agendas.  God is love.  He is good.  And God stands for everything that is pure and perfect.  That means, that if we "disagree" with God on an issue like we do our political candidates, we can be sure that we are WRONG on that issue. 

During my Bible time this morning, I noticed a note in my Bible that I wrote in high school.  It said this: Do I love what God loves? Do I hate what God hates? Intimacy with the Creator/Loyalty with the Creator.  In other words, to be intimate with my Creator, I have to be loyal to Him and love what He loves, while hating what He hates.  Basically, to be on God's Team, I have to be 100% on His side of every matter.

I have to wonder, am I 100% on God's side of every matter.  Do I live like I completely agree with Him?  Do I truly hate what He hates?  And Do I really love what He loves and who He loves?  Or do I treat God like He's one of my politicians who I agree with only a percentage of the time? If I truly want personal intimacy with God (which is something I'll probably never have with any of my Presidents,) then I need to live a life of loyalty to Him.  

I'm so thankful that God has made the decision-making process easy for us spiritually--choose Him and all things good or choose all things evil.  It's too bad the political decision-making process will never be this easy.

The Come Back Kid

As is typical after church on Sunday, my family had a big discussion about what we were going to do for Sunday lunch.  I know that there are families out there who have a fancy homemade Sunday dinner planned out every week, but somehow I doubt that will ever become a reality in our house.  In fact, I actually prefer "going out" on Sunday afternoons so that I can have my day of rest and let someone else cook.  Apparently my family has grown accustomed to this weekly tradition too, because this Sunday the discussion was solely a discussion as to WHERE we were going to eat--not just WHAT we all wanted to eat.

This Sunday, my 3 year old informed us that he wanted to go to McDonald's.  Unfortunately for him, nobody else wanted McDonald's.  My husband explained to him that Daddy was going to choose somewhere else to eat.  After all, Daddies get to make important decisions like this, because that's all a part of being a Daddy.  This explanation didn't appease my son at all.  Naturally, he asked my husband why we couldn't go to McDonald's and why Daddy didn't want to eat there...

This was about the point in the conversation where I checked out.  I mean, my son wants an explanation for everything, all the time.  And as is the norm for lawyers' kids, he wants to debate everything.  So at this point, a debate of some sort ensued.  And I decided not to take part in it.  From what I remember, my husband was winning.  Until my son found a way to get what he thought was the last word. 

He said, "Well someday when I'm older and I have my own baby (dramatic pause), I'm going to take him to McDonald's EVERY DAY!" 

It was awesome.  My husband was almost speechless until he realized that my son thought he was "winning."  Of course my husband went back at him, and I just sat there and laughed. 

I can't wait to hear stories someday about my son telling his "baby" that he can't go to McDonald's.  And I can't wait until my son starts suggesting places like Olive Garden for lunch.  Maybe then, my husband will listen.

Church Hunting

When I woke up this morning, I was a little anxious about the morning ahead.  I mean, church hunting isn't exactly my favorite past time.  Thankfully, our friends and family have been very supportive during this process.

One friend recently directed me to an article written by John MacArthur about looking for a new church.  He likened the church search to house hunting.  You've got to find a church that fits your style and feels comfortable and is in a great location.  But more importantly, the church has to have a good foundation, a solid structure, and functioning parts.  Thus, there's a lot to consider when looking for a new church besides who is friendly or what pastor preaches well.  Unless you're willing to repeat your church hunt in the next few years, you've got to be cautious and choose wisely.

Today we visited a church that I literally drive by 3-4 times a week on the way to my parents' house.  Over the years, we've watched the church expand into its new buildings.  We've read the catchy sermon titles on their sign.  And we've even witnessed the church's name change.  So I was kind of interested to actually walk inside.

We were pleasantly surprised.  Just about every person we came into contact with greeted us with a smile, a handshake, and an introduction.   We didn't even make it in the front door before someone came out to greet us and lead us around their campus.  It's no wonder that the church congregation has grown from 80 to 200 people in the last year.  Who wouldn't want to go back to such a friendly church? 

Anyway, from the friendliness, to the excellent preaching (you know a real expository preacher when he starts a new book of the Bible and only preaches on the first 2 verses!), to the worshipful music, today was really wonderful. Obviously, we can't know yet if this is going to be our new church home, because we still have to wait for the inspection and survive escrow.  But at least our church hunt has been productive.

And for those of you out there who are trying to market your church to church hunters like us, you should consider the house hunt model as well.  Remember to be friendly and welcome your guests.  Have your church presentable for each Sunday's "open house."  Know what you're talking about and be able to communicate the good features to your prospective church hunters.  And more importantly, be transparent and allow the church hunters to get a glimpse of what their prospective home is really like.  Hopefully, they'll see that the love of Jesus permeates in your house.

Grandma's Blog Post (Guest Blogger)

Please enjoy my first guest blog post, courtesy of my mother.  When I went to pick up my boys from my mom's house this afternoon she had written out the details of her afternoon for me.  All I can say is that I hope you laugh as much as I did.  Her post proves once again, that doing a Mommy's job is really hard work. 

 ____________________________________________

Grandma is Not Super Mommy

Maybe my hour from 2 to 3 today can bring you some humor.  I had little visitors this afternoon.  I had everything all planned out to have them both “resting” by 3 so I could sit in on a conference call.  Everything was perfect from 1:30 to 2:00, then…

We started to make chocolate chip cookies. That in itself is a challenge with a 3 yr old and a 1 yr old.  I get to the eggs and I have none.  So now I am trying to explain that we cannot fix the cookies because I have no eggs.  That does not compute.  So I make mac ‘n cheese.  

In the meantime their puppy – who mommy sent to visit with the boys - comes in the house and starts drinking too much water.  It suddenly dawns on me what is going to happen if I don’t stop that dog.  I go over to pick up the bowl…too late, the dog is barfing it all over the place.  I go to clean it up, and the dog gets nervous and pees, now I have 2 messes and trying to keep the boys out of both.  I grab the dog to put him outside and he pees again on my shoe!! I am cleaning up the barf and turn around to see the 1 yr old with the paper towel covering the pee, he has it up to his mouth!!! I get both cleaned up, sit the 3 yr old down with his mac ‘n cheese (I am now down to 10 minutes before the conference call) and look outside – no dog!  

I run outside and frantically search for this puppy calling his name. Fortunately and by God’s grace the dog hears me and tries to come back under the fence.   I go out the gate to get him and bring him to the back yard where my dog is surprisingly waiting – someone had let my dog out! We all go back into the house to find mac ‘n cheese all over the floor and in one of my tennis shoes – now 2 pairs ruined, one with mac ‘n cheese the other with dog pee.   The pup starts eating the mac ‘n cheese; I yelled at the dog  because I don’t want want him getting sick again.  The 1 year old just stands there saying over and over “uh-oh” the 3 year old tells me that we shouldn’t use our outside voice in the house!  Oh my gosh!!!

I did manage to get the baby down for a nap and the toddler watching Thomas all before 3:00!

Snack Time

I attempted to study this afternoon without the assistance of a babysitter (aka one of the grandparents), but somehow the distraction of the Cars 2 soundtrack and my 1 year old's constant begging for "juice" resulted in my ability to study for only about 50 minutes.  Since I used nap time to get my actual legal work done, it looks like I'll be using bedtime to get my study hours in.  Thank goodness for coffee...

So while I was sitting at my computer this evening debating whether I should turn segment 2 of my Evidence lecture on or just give in to the urge to play with the boys, I heard some unexpected activity in the kitchen.  As it turns out, my 1 year old appreciated his afternoon snack of Hot & Spicy Cheez-It crackers.  (Don't judge me--I know it's not exactly a healthy, toddlerish snack.  But I haven't been to the grocery store yet!)  Somehow, he decided to get himself a refill all by himself.  As a result, he dumped a large pile of Cheez-It crackers on my kitchen floor--and my kitchen smelled like Tabasco Sauce.

When I first saw the mess, my little guy was actually sitting right in the middle of it.  But since he was happy, I left him there to chow down on the rest of the crackers in the box.  I was surprised, however, when I re-entered my kitchen a few minutes later and found this:

Hallelujah! I have a child who actually understands the concept of cleaning a floor!  And he's even happy about helping.  I just hope this enthusiasm for cleaning sticks with him.  If it does, he's going to have a happy wife one day.

Don't Mess With Margaret

If you've ever wanted to see a great woman at work, you must watch this clip.  I heard the clip on the radio yesterday and was so inspired, that I found it today on You Tube and decided that it was a must-post kind of video.  Not only is this a video of truth (message is right on the mark), but it's also delivered by a classy woman in a suit and heels.  So without further ado, let me introduce the great Margaret Thatcher...

And yes, she makes an excellent point.  Making the gap smaller between the rich and the poor does not help anyone.  Rather, it makes the rich poorer and the poor poorer, thus resulting in a less stimulated economy and a loss of wealth for everyone. 

I know this is a kind of random post, but I felt like I had to share this.  It's not every day that we get to witness a powerful woman say brilliant things in a suit and heels!

My Superman

Yesterday when I got out of bed I was physically ill and mentally spent.  Somehow, I've been bitten by the January bug--the one that gives you a cold and makes you go slightly insane at the same time because you're overwhelmed by what you've gotten yourself into.  So after sleeping and then sleeping some more, I sat in front of my computer with a box of Kleenexes hoping that I could get some studying done.  That's when I started to cry.

I don't know why the impending Bar exam is getting to me.  This is not my first rodeo when it comes taking licensing exams.  In fact 7 years ago, I banked on the fact that statistically I was going to pass my nursing boards so much so that I barely studied.  And even though I essentially winged my nursing boards, I still passed.  Statistically, I think I have a higher chance of passing the Bar exam than I did my nursing boards, but for some reason I can't seem to let myself rely on the statistics this time.

Why?  Well, let's see...

I spent four years in law school and during that time never studied at least 7 or 8 of the subjects I'm going to be tested on (there's approximately 19 or 20 subjects on this exam).  So when I read questions out of my review book like "What is the rule in Texas?" I'll admit that my heart skips a few beats.  A week ago I would have answered that question by stating that the rule is "don't mess with Texas."  But since then, I've learned that apparently the rule is a real rule and if invoked by a lawyer means witnesses for a trial don't get to sit in and listen to the trial before they give their testimony.  I mean, this isn't exactly an intuitive answer.  Thus, I'm realizing that I'm going to have to spend the next month memorizing rules and definitions that I've never heard of before. 

I think the anxiety is made worse by the fact that my Bar review course couldn't just send me 1 review book for this exam.  Instead, they've given me 10 different books, online practice problems, and a 3-9 hour video lecture for each Bar topic.  For a type A personality like myself, having too many study options drives me crazy.  I can't possibly get through all of them, and nobody really expects me to.  But just having these books sit on my desk untouched kind of creeps me out.  I feel like I'm not doing enough.

Thankfully, my Superman (aka Dear Husband) came through and saved me yesterday.  He sat down with me and talked me through my schedule.  He assured me that when he took and easily passed the Bar exam, he didn't do all of the reading and practice problems.  He then created a special study schedule for me, and he promised to do more housework!  He then followed through on this promise by grilling an excellent dinner and by changing the litter box. 

I must say, that I'm a lucky girl, because my husband is wonderful.  Not only has he been very understanding about my blank stares and looks of panic, but he's also been a huge encouragement.  He's been helping me coordinate our family dinners.  He's allowed me to get some extra sleep lately.  And he even went so far as to book our family a post Bar exam celebration trip to Hawaii!  He's pretty great.  Thank you Dear Husband for being my Superman.  I'm so glad that I don't have to do this without you!

He Wants to Get Married

My son informed me this morning that he's interested in getting married.  But he came to me, because he was hoping I could explain how he can go about getting married.  I suppose at some point in my life, this will be a wonderfully exciting conversation to have with my son.  Unfortunately, at the moment it's a little premature considering that he's only 3 years old.  So what are you supposed to say to a 3 year old about marriage?

Well, first I explained that he needed to be old enough to get married, and preferably be out of college.  This rule, of course, sparked a debate as to the proper age for marriage.  He's convinced that 5 years old is old enough, but I assured him he wouldn't meet his future wife until way in the future--probably college.  So no, 5 years old is not feasible.  Nor is it legal under the Texas Family Code. 

Next we talked about the fact that he can't get married until he meets the girl he wants to marry.  And of course, he can only marry her if she wants to marry him.  After pondering this statement, he asked me if I thought girls would think he's handsome.  I assured him that girls would find him to be a handsome, smart, athletic, and wonderful boy.  But, I explained that what girls think isn't that important at the age of 3!!!

Finally, I explained that when he is old enough and does find the right girl, he and that girl are going to have to tell their parents and their pastors so that we can help them with the formal ceremony--in 3 year old terms, the getting married party.  And of course, he and his beautiful girl will then have to fill out paperwork and make promises to each other in church to prove before everyone and the State of Texas that they are married.

I was definitely baffled by this line of questioning.  Who would have thought that I would be laying down our family rules for marriage so early?

Well, I suppose I should have seen it coming.  Earlier this week, he and I had a chat about babies and their mommies.  I made the mistake of explaining that I was his mommy because he used to be in my belly.  And that completely grossed him out!  Of course, this statement had to be followed up with an explanation about how God gives babies to married people by placing a baby in the mommy's belly and by allowing the doctor to take the baby out.  He informed me that he doesn't think I really know what I'm talking about.  He said there's no way a baby is going to fit inside my stomach. Somehow, this statement actually made me happy and feel slightly skinnier...

Regardless, he has informed me that he still wants to get married so that he can have his own baby and become a Daddy.   Oh, and he also wants to drive a car...

Motherhood has taught me that you must always be prepared.  Sometimes the little ones ask the unexpected questions, so you better have an answer.  And if you don't have a good answer, just make up something gross.

The Next Day--You're Out

"To be rejected by the world is not pleasant, but to be deserted by fellow workers in the service of Christ is particularly painful. To have those you have spent your life spiritually nurturing turn away from you, and sometimes even against you, is heartbreaking in the extreme." ~John MacArthur

I've been feeling rather down lately--and slightly flabbergasted. Only one of my "friends" from my former church has bothered to call in the last 5 weeks since we've been gone.  Other than that person, no one else seems to care or notice that we've been gone.  One friend even cancelled a coffee date and has conveniently not yet rescheduled... 

It appears that we have been successfully excommunicated from our former church--even though our reason for leaving was completely legitimate and reasonable in light of the fact that the church is planning to relocate itself to a location that is too far for us to drive to every Sunday.  So despite honesty and doing what is best for our family, our former friends have completely deserted us.  And it hurts.  It's not surprising though.  This appears to be how churches work.  You're in one day, and the next day you're out.  (Ok, I did steal that line from Project Runway, but it applies here!)

Anyway, I'm sad that Christians do this to each other.  We shouldn't.  We're supposed to be united by our love for Jesus Christ and our desire to share Him with the world.  We're supposed to rise above the pettiness of disputes and we're supposed to exemplify forgiveness and compassion.  

I've really been struggling with my response to the whole situation.  I really want to reach out to my former church friends, but I fear that the entire situation will be awkward.  What if those friends don't want to hear from me?  What if there really is no place for us in their lives?  Will they ever speak to me again?

For weeks, I've been wrestling with my response to my former church family.  But as I started reading Paul's letters of greetings to various churches throughout the New Testament, the answer became clear.  I'm supposed to pray for my friends.  I'm supposed to ask that God will further their ministry so that they can reach out to the lost.  Even if they're located an hour and half away in a small town, I hope that my former family of believers can bring light to the darkness in this world.  So to you my dear friends, this is my prayer:

"To this end also we pray for you always that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power; in order that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."     

II Thessalonians 1:11-12

Mommies Need Toys Too

It's always interesting to see how long my boys are attracted to their toys after Christmas.  Some toys are lucky enough to become permanent staples in their world of "make believe" and some toys are just destined for the toy box.  Either way, every January, there's new sounds and activities in our house as the boys are trying out their newest possessions.  I think it's healthy for the guys to explore new things and to try new kinds of play.

It occurred to me that sometimes Mommies need to try out new things too.  Sometimes we need to get ourselves motivated to do the seemingly mundane.  And sometimes, getting ourselves mommy "toys" is a great way to get ourselves going.  For some mommies, it takes a big toy like a new washing machine to get excited about doing laundry.  For some super brave mommies, new yard equipment will motivate them to plant their spring garden.  And for other mommies, it might just take a new curling iron or a box of make-up to motivate them to put themselves together each morning.  For me, I need kitchen toys to make myself want to cook.

Every year for Christmas, I put kitchen gadgets and cookbooks on my wish list.  I'm sure it puzzles everyone who is buying for me.  Because honestly, no one knows me as much of a cook.  But my husband will probable attest to the fact that every January my meals get a little bit better and we find ourselves able to "eat-in" a little more.  For whatever reason, my new toys help me enjoy my unfavorite (it's not a word, but go with it) task for at least a few months--at least until my husband's grilling season picks up in full swing.

This year, between Christmas and my loyalty points at my grocery store, I really scored some new toys.

 

Who knows, maybe in some future posts I'll be brave enough to  share some pics of my kitchen experiences.  Or maybe I'll just enjoy pretending to be a Top Chef in the privacy of my own kitchen.  Either way, the family should be eating well for at least a few more weeks.

If you don't think this type of motivation works, go out and get yourself a new toy.  You might be surprised how much fun it is to play with a new gadget.  Think of it as an intellectually stimulating experience that can make you a better person.

Promises for a New Week

 

We're only 1 week into January and I've already had a nervous breakdown.  Ok, it was actually just a crying episode during a day when I was utterly exhausted and in need of some encouragement.  Regardless, it's way too early to be having these types of moments.

It occurred to me that I get overwhelmed because I try to be that perfect juggler who manages to keep all my balls in the air and in place at the same time.  Just when I think I'm putting on an impressive show, one ball gets out of my reach and all of them come crashing to the ground.  Then I sit there and cry--which of course does nothing to help my cause and only makes me feel worse.  Why do I have those moments when I forget who is actually holding my life in perfect balance?  Why do I forget that God is making everything happen in His timing for a reason?

Well, I've decided that I really need to adjust my attitude for week 2 of 2012. So these are the verses that I'm claiming this week.  Please feel free to claim them as your own and to meditate on them this week too.

Therefore, do not be anxious for tomorrow; for 

tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of our time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16

     

Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God who is our salvation. Selah. 

Psalm 68:19

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7