December Daily Challenge

Ok I'm a dork. I like lists. I like to challenge myself. And I like something that is concrete. (Don't know where Algebra fits in there.) So this idea is the intertwining of a lot of that in my life. I got challenged at church a week ago with "what if we were connected to God all the time?" And then church was just an extension of that rather than a "re-charge" (Thanks Shelley :)) And since Christmas is the celebration of God with us, I love that we can take time to celebrate that more and celebrate the consuming of stuff less.

So with that thought here is what I am going to shoot for this month.

3 things each day intentionally.
1. How did I connect with God.
2. How did I connect with my family...my Jeremy and my boys.
3. What I did to give today.

Today (even though it is offically still November)...
1. I prayed with my cousin and sought God's peace for her when she needed to be reminded of truth.
2. I swang them upsidedown and just had fun (the boys, not Jeremy :))
3. Used my free underwear coupon for a gift for somebody instead of for myself. Strange but true.

Rescue.

Been trying to find the words to speak my heart after the last week. Wanting to journal the story but just haven't had it in me. It's hard retelling and retelling...sometimes just the facts, sometimes the whole emotional side. Depends on who and the situation. Last weekend I must have answered to 10 different doctors "so tell me what happened"

What happened was best captured beyond the facts...it was a call for a rescue and an answer from our Crazy Faithful God. And Hillsong has it right here. So close to home today.

Prayer and Faith in Desperation

Isn't it funny how we can over christian-ize prayer? All of these fancy things we feel like we have to say, all of the christian-speak that we may have learned after years in the church. At best it might be a combination of truth and repetition of things that mean little to us anymore, at worst it is all repetition with not an ounce of faith.

While I was holding Micah and waiting for the ambulance, I found that prayer got really simple and really easy, because it was all heart. It wasn't a "fox hole" prayer, I wasn't bargaining with God, I was petitioning. Looking back I remember several basic things I was praying:

1. Please save Micah's life

2. I know you love Micah more than I ever could

3. Please save Micah's life

Now I know everyday prayer probably isn't so basic and focused, but why not try praying what is actually on your heart rather than the same thing you've been praying for years. If we're honest, we may not even be sure why we are saying the words anymore. And if the things we should be praying for aren't on our hearts, maybe we should be praying for heart. Of course, here's what Jesus told us to do:

"This, then, is how you should pray:
'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.' "

While we are talking prayer, thanks to everyone who was praying for our Micah. right now I am rejoicing in watching him eat pizza and watch a movie without any wires, tubes or IVs connected to him. I have a feeling that everyday monotonous events are going to be a cause for celebration in our house for awhile.

Complete.

Haven't posted in a while. And found that my mind kind of gets backed up when I don't. My life is so FULL now that I am examining the heart of what to pour into. And it's been laid on my heart to "nurture that which God has entrusted to me". And finding what that LOOKS like not just some cute Rachel idea has challenged me to new depths. My house is no longer the papers filed, dishes done, laundry put away (ok never have been so great at that) house that it once was. It's appearance is definitely more un-kept. My running has gone from 6 miles at a time with spinning and lifting to 2 miles with some push-ups. My grading is rarely done. My Christmas presents aren't started and (possibliy complete) but the heart of it is...we are thriving as a family. (Yeah despite evertyone actually physically being sick right now.)

I have faced more fears in the last 3 months than I knew I could. Here's some hard core honestly...appearing to be all together has something that was vital to me. Coming from a home where I was poor I did whatever I could to make sure nobody knew that...found some great reasons why I had tickets for lunch when really the reason was that I got them reduced. I faced a lot of my fear of apperance when dealing with my mom's death. Explaining an overdose isn't excatly an easy one either. I want more than anything to look like I have it together and so having this house so imcomplete has been a constant struggle for me to "explain away the remodeling". But funny thing is I don't anymore. I invited Aidan' entire class and their moms over for a Haloween party and faced my fear that my house is incomplete and yet we are celebrating anyway. (God was gracious and dumped so much snow that nobody saw our incomplete lawn and debris.) My heart was more complete having him have friends to invite over than to worry that the bathroom is gutted.

I have gained 3 lbs. My laundry is sitting in a basket. I left papers at school. I don't feel ready to teach" competing the sqaure". Which is the next fear I need to face...taking the math certification. I already have faced the fear of people finding me out that I'm not a "real math teacher". And yet the side I chose to celebrate is an amazing conference for Aidan at school, a boy soaring in his speech once again. And hearing...

"mommy I don't want anything on my Christmas list. I am blessed."

Sweet. So am I.

(Inspired by: http://mollyirwin.typepad.com/mollyirwin/2009/11/thankful-november-13.html)