01.23.09
PS Desk Calendar
Just thought I’d share something that I’ve been enjoying lately.
My Paper Source Desk Calendar
Guard Your Heart
As a single female, the concept of “guarding your heart” is an important one. It’s something that I’ve had a hard time doing, or even understanding how to do, but am starting to wrap my mind around. In fact, about a year and half ago, I had an idea to write about the concept, but honestly, didn’t even know where to begin, how to do it for myself, let alone how to explain it to someone else. It’s amazing how God has opened my heart and my eyes to what His word says.
Above all else guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. ~Proverbs 4:23
This is the passage most often referenced in regards to the concept. I’ve always been familiar with it, but recently, I discovered that it’s not the only place in the bible where the phrase “guard your heart” is used.
Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again, rejoice! Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, 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 understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Did you catch that, the peace of God will guard our hearts. Nice! Sometimes I find it helpful to break scripture up into I do and God does sections. Helps me see the correlation and encourages me to be faithful to do my part. So…
I do:
- Rejoice, or in some translations Celebrate in the Lord
- Be reasonable with everyone - that is a challenge! other versions say let your gentleness be evident to all. Essentially, treat people with respect, and dignity, with love.
- Don’t be anxious
- Pray - but there’s some more specifics here, plead, petition. Do it with thanksgiving, but go ahead and tell God what you want.
God does:
- He’s coming, ready to be by your side
- Gives amazing peace to us
- Through His peace our hearts are guarded
- And not only our hearts but our minds too!
I don’t know about you, but it makes the process so much less overwhelming to break it down like that.
01.21.09
2009 Focus
You can check out my 2008 and 2007 focus if you want.
I’m gonna keep it brief and simple this year. There are some things that I’ll continue from years past, but I’m not going to post them again, this is just the new stuff.
Spiritually:
Selflessness - I’m working on trying to take myself to the next level of giving and serving, and think less about myself
Read through the Bible in a Year - I’m not always the best at being disciplined at stuff like this, but I’m giving it a try, doing the YouVersion.com one year reading plan, and trying to make a point of journaling what God speaks to me as I read each day. I really don’t want it to be or become something I just check off the list, that would really defeat the purpose.
Missions - help my brother go to India again. I was really thinking about going again myself, and really wanted to. My brother is already slated to go on the October trip, and I thought it would be awesome to go on the trip as well. However, the more I thought and prayed about it, the more I felt like God was telling me that he could use me more by helping my brother go financially, and being here to help my sister-in-law with the kids while he’s gone. So that’s what I’m going to do.
Relationally:
My small group is going so well, and I love the girls that are in it. We are at about 10 right now, and that’s really all my apartment can hold, at the same time I know there are other women out there who still need to connect, so I’m hoping that during this year, my group can somehow start another one. I don’t have a plan yet, but I’m confident that God will provide a way.
I’m also determined to continue to connect and grow relationships with other singles, through my blog here, and in “real life”.
Personally:
Pay off my car!
Buy a guitar, and start playing it again.
01.08.09
The Pink Bubble Gum Medicine
I think everyone remembers this from being a kid. Even I do, because I was always bummed that I couldn’t have it, as I’m allergic to penicillin and sulfa, so I always got some kind of weird antibiotic, but in my mind, it was the most amazing tasting medicine ever.
And it’s still around. I gave some to my nephew just the other day when I stayed the night with them.
My “magic mouthwash” kind of reminded me of it, just the consistency really though, cause it certainly didn’t taste like bubble gum. It did also have a pinkish hue, but again definitely not the pink bubble gum medicine.
Despite the lack of the pink bubble gum medicine, the Z-Pak that they gave me seems to be working. I was able to return to work today, which was AWESOME! I was so tired of being stuck at home.
So was the pink bubble gum medicine as delightful as I’ve always thought?
01.06.09
Starting off with a Bang
My new year is starting off well. I’ve been sick the whole time. Well the first few days I tried to pretend like I wasn’t, after all it was just a little bit of a sore throat, so I went about my business… and my sore throat went about it’s. Which has lead me to the Dr. yesterday, and day #3 (today) and #4 (tomorrow) of being at home.
Apparently everyone and their dog is sick right now. I knew I was the last appointment of the day (at 4pm). I didn’t get to see my Dr. until 5:15. She was very apologetic, and clearly had had a busy day. I’m not sure if the lab was closed already, or if she just found it completely unecessary to find out for sure, as obviously something is seriously wrong in my throat - but she didn’t run any tests, just called it strep, and sent me on my merry way with antibiotics and “magic mouthwash” which is not as magical as I would like it to be.
So far the antibiotics haven’t done much, I’m still waiting hopefully. We’ll see.
Even though I’m not getting off to the best start, I am looking forward to 2009, and everything that God has in store for me this year. I’ll write more about it later. Hope your year is going better than mine!