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This week I feel challenged again by the story of Mary and Martha once again.  Interesting that Jesus says her name twice.  It reminds me of a child that you must repeat something multiple times simply to get their attention.  How easy it is to become pre-occupied with many things, when He is only asking me for one thing.

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴²but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42

It is crazy to me how so many good things can consume our lives and schedules.  How often is the enemy of our relationship with the One who made us, busyness?  Today  I encourage myself and you to slow down, sit at his feet, and simply enjoy Him!  For this is the only thing that cannot be taken away from us!

This week I am staying at my sister’s and keeping her 3 little ones while her and her husband get away for a bit.  We are having lots of fun and I wanted to share a bit of our captured moments with you!

I am thoroughly enjoying working with the current DTS here in Tyler.  As I sit through classes again, I am both encouraged and challenged.  So far the lectures have included topics such as the nature and character of God, forgiveness, and servant-hood to name a few.  When one of my girls walked through true forgiveness, she experienced healing.  A heart problem, headaches, and sleep apnea disappeared when she chose to forgive those who have wronged her.  The truth sets us free!

I am hoping to get a new post up soon. My days are so full in this season. I’m not complaining really I’m grateful. I am humbled by the things He continues to bring my way. What a privilege it is to do what I’m doing! Thanks for being patient with me. May you be blessed today.

(there is a new story under the “storytime with anna” link. check it out!)

Tonight I had a burst of ambition and thought I’d make hummus instead of buying it.  Knowing I have placed each ingredient into something gives me a certain peace of mind.  Lately, I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had that luxury.  So, I looked up a recipe, bought the ingredients, and began.   Somewhere in this process of “pulsing” there was slightly bigger pulse.  I withdrew the wooden spoon that was assisting me in the process, and well, a chunk of wood had vanished into the somewhat blended chickpeas.  Hmph….  Intentions.

Honestly, I find this in life sometimes.  I pursue the things that appear to be the best.  But somewhere along the way I loose a piece of something, there’s a bump in the road, or things just fall apart.  The enemy loves this.  He’s on the situation before I even have the time to count my losses, and quickly I feel lost in a sea of doubts.

This week in the Discipleship Training School I am staffing we are studying the character of God.  I’m finding His character is the very thing that I must cling to in these moments where my best intentions seem to turn sour.  Deuteronomy 23:5 boast of Him, by saying, “the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you because the LORD your God loves you.” Wow!  I find rest in this passage because I think ,” if He is in the business of  turning a curses into a blessings, these little disappointments have nothing on my Heavenly Father!”

Look up my friends, because He cares for us!  “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

Last night, I stood in prayer chapel as a new student belted out How He Loves from her tiny body.  I think her guitar might be bigger than she is?  As I stood there, I felt the presence of the Lord, so sweet, so near.  Tears began to run down my checks.  Wow, this Jesus, He loves.  I mean He really loves.  I felt convicted for running to other loves, when this love awaits me.  This jealous indescribable love that gave up everything for me.  How can I stand Him up?  How could I leave Him waiting?  He is a jealous lover.  He continues to strip away even the seemingly good things in my life that subtly steal away my time with Him.

“Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealously unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.”

Song of Solomon 8:6

“Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden.  For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”

Deuteronomy 4:23-24

“He is jealous for me,

Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realise just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.”

-exert from John Mark McMillan’s How He Loves

One more cool thing about Jesus. (A sure sign of love is when you brag about the person right?)  Well, as I sat down to write this blog the radio is gently playing in the background.  Guess what song came on immediately when I began?

How He Loves

Hmm… He loves me.  And He loves you too.

Awaken us Lord to you incomparably great love for us!!

It is one of those days.  One of those days where you wake up with the best of intentions, quiet time, workout, make bed, and off for the day.  The intentions came crashing down.  I made it halfway through my workout.  I looked up at the clock midway through the battle with my hair to realize it was time to leave.  The hair ended up winning.  Lets just say I pulled off the Texan look for sure today.   I walked past my room where I think there must have been another war between my down comforter and pillows after I popped out of bed this morning.  I hate not feeling on top of my day!

The next step was walking into a home full of teenage girls, who are about to bring children into this world.  This is the kind of thing which you might want to prepare to enter.

Needless to say by 2PM, I found myself a grump desperately in need of that overdue quiet time.  Have you been here?  Have you every had one of these days?  If not, you are free to move on to stocking another blog.  Wait!  Actually leave me a comment telling me how to avoid these days altogether before you go on.

Finally, before getting on to my to-do list.  I decided to nestle into the couch pillows for a little bit and ask Jesus for some help with this heart.  “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”  Ezekiel 36:8

Then I went on to spend some time reading a bit of Paul’s letter to young Timothy.  I personally think it’s possible that Timothy had some of “these days” too?

This is where contentment comes in.  “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” 1 Timothy 6  I started looking up some definitions of content.  And this one stood out to me.

CONTENT, n.

1. Rest or quietness of the mind in the present condition; satisfaction which holds the mind in peace, restraining complaint, opposition, or further desire, and often implying a moderate degree of happiness.

Hmm…  If I seen contentment as something valuable, I have job to do.  I must

restrain “complaint, opposition, or further desire.”  In doing so this will “often” imply a moderate degree of happiness.  What a divine concept.  One of the definitions of contentment is simply one word “gratitude.”

Sweet Jesus, help me to restrain my complaints, and embrace you and the good things you have done in my life!

I wanna be content in any and ever circumstance.

People are continuously telling me I laugh a lot.  In fact I think some are just friends with me, because I laugh so easily.  I would say I am kidding, but actually I know it’s true.  They’ve told me so.  Okay, so that may not be the only reason.  My absolute favorite thing in the world to do is to laugh until my sides begin to ache.  Oh, even though painful, it is the most healing thing in the world.  Sounds like an oxy-moron?   This girl LOVES to laugh!

I’ve been thinking on this whole joy thing lately.  I truly believe that it is one of the enemy’s favorite things to steal in our lives.  One of his favorite methods seems to be comparison.  We begin to focus on all that others have and all that we don’t.  I also believe that by choosing a grateful heart, we can overcome the schemes of the evil one.  Sometimes when I start to feel lifeless, I begin the thank God.  I thank Him for whatever comes to mind, no matter how incredible or trivial it may seem.  As I thank Him, I find my joy returns.

Today in my devotional I came across this scripture in Deuteronomy.

For the LORD your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.   Deuteronomy 16:15

When we co-labor (work) with God our joy becomes complete!  When we are working and productive it is not only good for our wallets, it is good for our souls.  God desires for us to enjoy the things we are doing, and He longs to bless our harvests, whatever they may be.

All of this to say I think I’ve finally narrowed down a life verse.

Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”

Psalm 126:2

I pray that my life be filled with such abundant joy that the nations will wonder about my incredible God.  I pray the same for you as well…

This is long overdue!  I haven’t sat down much since I got back from Mexico.  We had our annual YWAM Tyler Staff Conference 2 weekends ago, and a wedding last weekend!  Two of my teammates from last year got married on the Father Heart property.  My worlds colliding!  Mom and dad’s turned into a Bed and Breakfast for my friends and myself.  So, grateful they are beautifully Southern and hospitable.  Dad is ever gracious as he is often outnumbered!!  Two of my closest friends from last year came all the way from Canada and Hawaii!  I felt like a kid on summer vacation on the way to pick them up.  This week I am getting life back in order and trying my hardest to make wise decisions about my next steps.  Please pray for me in this process.  Today was filled with meetings, as I seek wise council.  I am blessed with a couple great opportunities, and basically need to decide between two.  I am hoping to reach a conclusion this week.  More to come soon…

This is the only way I can describe the feeling inside me right now. My heart feels so full. I am overwhelmed by all the I have to be grateful for. I got to hold a sweet little newborn today, visit a dear friend, and squeeze each of my nieces and nephews. Does it get better than this? I am grateful for my time in Mexico, the precious friends I made, the clarity I feel from hours with the Lord, and the new things God is doing in my heart.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2