Good Morning Girls!  You know, for the most part I think I am doing pretty good job with the life God has blessed me with.  I believe I work very hard to be a good wife, mom, daughter, sister, and friend.  There is always room for improvement and growth of course, but I'd like to think that I am doing the best I can. 

Of course, the enemy will tell me every day that I am not doing a good job.  He will point out the fact that my living room has garage sale stuff all over it and my floor hasn't been vacuumed in two weeks.  He will point out the fact that I have not cooked dinner for Tom in a week and have eaten more cinnamon goldfish in the last two weeks than any person should have in a lifetime!  He points out the struggles my kids face, and whispers where I went wrong in their early parenting that has lead to these problems.  He is relentless.

I have learned a thing or two over the years.  One thing being that the enemy wants us Girls to roll over and play dead.  He wants us so exhausted and frustrated that we no longer try.  He wants us to surrender.  He would love nothing more than to see us wave our white flag in surrender and defeat (but seriously, how's that going to happen when I am so behind in laundry and the chance of even finding a white surrender flag would in itself be a miracle!).

He exhausts us by pointing out all of the "things" in our life, mostly within the four walls of our home, that are wrong.  He keeps us so busy and distracted trying to be Martha Stewart that we miss out on being Mary (lame Bible humor, but it made me laugh).  Ask any of my close friends, they will tell you that I have always prided (is that a word?) myself for having a clean house.  Then they would most likely smile and say "But come to think of it, it's been more messy than usual the last year".

Is it a sign that I am giving up?  Am I less disciplined?  Do I care so little about anything any more?  The enemy tells me that.  but I know the truth.  I know I am trying to move over to the Mary side of life.  I am trying to get my priorities in order.  First Jesus, then family, then "stuff".   Have you ever cleaned out a closet, or a big space?  You know how in order for it to get clean and organized, it first goes through the stage where it looks like a tornado went through it?  That's kind of where my life is right now.  I know I am on my way to a clean, organized, life.  A life where my priorities are in order.  I believe that I can and will have it all: time with the Lord, time with my family, AND a clean and organized house (and body for that matter).  It's just that I am currently in the tornado stage of it all!

There are mornings when I look around and feel a little overwhelmed.  i want to run back to my old routine.  My old way of doing things.  A way that had my house clean clean, and my workout in by 9am each day.  But I don't.  I am seeking the Lord first.  i am letting the tornado run through my life and letting Him put things back in order, in EVERY area of my life.  My way of doing things may have produced results, but at the end of each day, I was exhausted.  I believe the Lord has a better way.  A way that will give me the desires of my heart, and bring no sorrow or exhaustion with it!  Until then, let the wind blow!!!!!!!!!

Psalm 127:1-2  Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted.  It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat, for God gives rest to his loved ones

Love, peace, and tornadoes that blow you into the Mary way of life,
Jen