Something New!

Hey, Friends!  I recently opened a little on-line shop called Handmade by HappyGirl.  I sell handmade crocheted items (like hats & head wraps).  I'm having so much fun!  I'll be blogging over at Handmade by Happygirl from now on.  Come on over and check it out.  Here's how we can keep in touch: 

My Shop

Follow me on FB

Follow me on Pinterest

I look forward to seeing you there!  

Being Purposeful

There is a little devotional I like to read every morning.  The devo I read today kind of kicked my butt and got me thinking about living life with purpose.  I’m going to type it out for you because I think it’s worth the read.  If you get a chance I’d encourage you to pick up any of Sarah Young’s little Jesus books.  They are great for a quick dose of Jesus to get your day started. 

(Side note: In case you’ve never read any of Sarah’s books, she writes them as if Jesus is talking to you.  Keep that in mind as you read on.)

“In everything you do, put Me first, and I will direct you and crown your efforts with success (Proverbs 3:6 TLB).  Putting Me first sounds so simple and straightforward.  But the world, the flesh, and the devil war against your efforts to do this.  You can easily justify letting other things creep into the space and time you had set aside for Me.  If this happens only occasionally, it is just part of being human.  However, if you see it becoming a pattern in your life, watch out!  Your priorities may have been gradually shifting – until I am no longer your First Love.

Putting Me first is not an arbitrary rule; it is the way to live vibrantly, joyfully – close to Me.  It is also the way to live purposefully, letting Me direct your steps.  When I am your top priority, other things fall into their proper place.  So delight yourself in Me first and foremost.  As you walk in the Light of My Presence, I open up the path before you – crowning your efforts with success.”  

After I read this I started thinking about what it looks like to live life vibrantly, joyfully, and purposefully. 

When I first started out as a mom and homemaker, I tried having a schedule.  I would write down when I was going to grocery shop, do laundry, scrub the bathroom, or any other responsibility that would consume my time.  Mondays would start out well, but by Friday the schedule was just a forgotten piece of paper.  Then the cycle of guilt would begin.  I constantly felt like a failure for not getting my list completed.  While making lists works great for several of my friends, it’s just not something that worked for me.  I always ended up feeling like I didn’t measure up.  I definitely didn’t feel vibrant or joyful.     

Nowadays, I scrub the toilet when I see it needs it (which ends up being once a week anyway – so stop cringing at my declaration.)  I do laundry when we run out of clean underwear, and I do things when it’s most convenient for my schedule.  This works for me and my family, and it brings a lot of freedom not be tied to a to-do list.  (If you’re wondering, my house is typically clean and organized.  You may be picturing a mountain of chaos, but that is not the case)     

HOWEVER, there are things I need to be more intentional about.  After reading the devo this morning, I started a list of things I needed to be more deliberate with.  I thought I’d share it with you as an encouragement or a way to spark some ideas for you and your family.  With my list of topics, I’ve included why they are important and how it helps me be intentional.  (this list is in no particular order)

Meal planning :: It’s important for our nutrition, and it provides deliberate family time. 

Exercise :: It’s important to be an example of health to my family, and my body is the temple of God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  I have to be responsible with it.  Exercise also puts me in a better state of mind (blessed endorphins), builds my confidence, and keeps my body healthy for service to God. 

Home Care :: Taking care of our home is a way to bless my little family, and creates a heart of gratitude within me for the blessings God gives us. 

Friendships ::  I love my friends and they love me.  I’d be lost without them.  It’s so important in our lives to have friends who will be honest with us and hold us accountable. Not to mention, enjoy a good margarita from time to time!

Devotional Life :: This one is pretty obvious.  God is my identity.  Apart from Him I am nothing.  If I don’t cultivate my relationship with God, I can’t walk out what He’s called me to do.  Our identity in Christ is the core of who we are - everything flows out of that.  If I’m not filling up on Jesus, I have nothing good to give those around me. 

I know that God has a purpose and plan for our lives.  But life is what you make it, right?  I often find myself drifting on the waves of life – no direction, just going where the busyness takes me.  But if I can take hold of life, with God’s help, I can live with purpose! 

What can you do in your life to be more intentional about the way you spend your time so you can live a life of purpose? 

  

Blessings,

Heather

Halloween is this week and my kids have been getting their costumes ready.  My girls are 10 & 11 and I wasn't sure if they'd still want to go trick-or-treating.  I don’t know when kids start thinking they are too cool to dress up and ask for candy. But once again, the desire for candy won out… shocker!   

This past year we've been working towards a healthier lifestyle. One of the ways we've been doing that is by eliminating processed foods and reducing our sugar intake. So Halloween causes a dilemma for me: do I go with the flow of the sugary celebration or do I stick with what we've been working hard to accomplish all year?  

I've decided to compromise.  I'm going to allow my girls to keep a few of their favorite pieces of candy and sell the rest.  Our dentist, along with several others in our area, is doing a candy buy back. They'll pay kids $1 per pound of candy.  I love this idea!  $1 may not seem like a lot of candy, but our dentist office is within walking distance of a Dollar Tree.  Jackpot!  As for what we'll hand out on Halloween, I haven't totally decided (yes, I realize it's only 3 days away).  I found this on FB and love some of the ideas this Mama is recommending.

Whatever you choose to do, make some great memories!  The time goes to fast.    

Enjoy your Halloween!  

Heather 

PS - A couple of years ago I wrote a post about our thoughts about celebrating Halloween - should we or shouldn't we... Check it out here.    

Chosen

photo credit

I mentioned the other day that I went to a conference called Your Secret Name. I know, it sounds questionable.... a secret name? But let me explain. The idea behind this conference originated from a book called Your Secret Name: Discovering Who God Created You to Be by Kary Oberbrunner. 

Throughout our lives we can get many labels attached to us. Some we put on ourselves and others are given to us. The purpose of the book/conference is to work through some exercises to help you discover (if you don't already know) what labels have been attached to you. Then, through prayer and more exercises, you pray those labels off of you and allow God to place HIS identity (your new name) on you. 

Through one particular exercise, I discovered that some of my behaviors stemmed from my fear of abandonment. So I was walking around with a label of "Abandoned". It became so engrained in me that I didn't even realize it was a part of me. Through prayer, I ripped that label off and put it on the cross (for God to deal with) and took up the new name God gave me = Chosen. Let me tell you, it was SO freeing. To really think about the fact that I have been chosen by God, flaws and all, changed my heart. I no longer felt like the little girl who was wondering if her parents were going to stay or go. 

I know that I am (and YOU are):

Accepted: 

John 1:12 - I am God's child.

John 15:15 - I am Christ's friend.

Romans 5:1 - I have been justified.

1 Corinthians 6:17 - I am united with the Lord, and I am one spirit with Him.

1 Corinthians 6:20 - I have been bought with a price.  I belong to God.

1 Corinthians 12:27 - I am a member of Christ's body.

Ephesians 1:1 - I am a saint.

Ephesians 1:5 - I have been adopted as God's child.

Ephesians 2:18 - I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit.

Colossians 1:14 - I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins.

Colossians 2:10 - I am complete in Christ. 

Secure: 

Romans 8:1 & 2 - I am free from condemnation.

Romans 8:28 - I am assured that all things work together for good.

Romans 8:31-31 - I am free from any condemning charges against me. 

Romans 8:35-39 - I cannot be separated from the love of God.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 - I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God.

Philippians 1:6 - I am confident that the good work God has begun in me will be perfected.

Philippians 3:20 - I am a citizen of heaven.

Colossians 3:3 - I am hidden with Christ in God.

2 Timothy 1:7 - I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. 

Hebrews 4:16 - I can find grace and mercy in time of need.

1 john 5:18 - I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me. 

Significant: 

Matthew 5:13 & 14 - I am the salt and light of the earth. 

John 15:1, 5 - I am a branch of the true vine, a channel of His life. 

John 15:16 - I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit. 

Acts 1:8 - I am a personal witness of Christ. 

1 Corinthians 3:16 - I am God's temple.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 - I am a minister of reconciliation for God. 

Ephesians 2:6 - I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm. 

Ephesians 2:10 - I am God's workmanship.

Ephesians 3:12 - I may approach God with freedom and confidence. 

Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ Who gives me strength.

Now I know this is a lot of scripture and you probably glazed over it (I would have), but I want to encourage you to take time to read through these in your quiet time. This is our identity in Christ!  Imagine if we all walked around in our every day lives in the power of this knowledge.  What kind of world would it be?!  Amazing.

The truth is that God has a plan for each of us.  You may think your life is insignificant or that what you do really isn't important.  It is.  And if you don't know what your "calling" is yet, ask God.  He will show you.  He doesn't want us to waste a moment of this precious time He's given us.    

Are you walking in all that God has for you?  If not, what are you waiting for?  

If you would like prayer or have further questions about anything I wrote about today, please email me.  I'd be happy to chat and/or prayer for you. 

Blessings!

Heather 

Here's another cute pic I found: 

Photo Credit

  

my weekend...

I'm going to a conference this weekend.  

I'll let you know how it goes.  If you want to learn more about this, visit www.yoursecretname.com.  (Bloggers linking is not working again... anyone know why I can't add links?  It seems like it's added and when I preview, it's not linked...)  

I'm leaving that conference and heading straight to a party to see this: 

My friend joined this blog for couponing and deals.  Every once in a while she finds a deal (like this one with Keurig) where they send you free merchandise (like a NEW Keurig coffee brewer!) to keep.  All you have to do is have a party to show off the new product.  They send you the coffee and everything!  She gets great FREE stuff this way.  I'm about to sign up myself!  The website is www.hip2save.com.    

SO, I'll be learning more about my identity in Christ and drinking coffee after 7pm.  

What are you big plans for the weekend?