21 Days to a More Disciplined Life!

I am linking you to a blog called Money Saving Mom today. She has a great post about how to develop the habits you want to build in your life.

21 Days to a More Disciplined Life: Implement One Habit at a Time

I have been working on diet and exercise for the past 2 months, and I have those conquered. I have lost 21 pounds and have a habit of regular exercise that I miss when I have to give it up for a day! Yay me! It's way overdue. I was on my way to fitness when I got pregnant with Isabella. I didn't gain with my pregnancy; I gained after it, sitting around nursing and eating to make sure I had a supply. I ate my way to 40 more pounds. I already needed to lose a lot, even though I had lost 20 pounds before I got pregnant. So this was a big priority for me.

It;s only fair to admit that my house is a wreck since I have been exercising daily! But the dirt will still be there for me to clean up when I can add that back to my list of great habits! Maybe when Isabella is older!

I have been doing regular bible study for the past 2 or 3 months, also, but I have yet to conquer a DAILY quiet time. When things are busy, I have catch up days. A DAILY quiet time  and prayer time are next on my list. I may have to do them before I go to bed, but it's going to be daily. My goal will be first thing in the morning.
Join me in developing the habits you want! We CAN have the lives we want to lead!

Here's the link!


http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/11/21-days-to-a-more-disciplined-life-implement-one-habit-at-a-time.html

Sorry I can't get the link to work. Just copy and paste!

The BIggest Rocks First!

The Biggest Rocks
This is a list of the most important tasks I want to accomplish in my life.
1. Have a close, vibrant relationship with God by having a regular quiet time and time in the Word every day.
2. Have a prayer life that is on fire! Keep a prayer journal.
3. Be the witness of all that He has done for me. Blog regularly.
4. Have the marriage God calls me to have.
5. Find and accomplish all the He has for me to do. This includes reaching out to the poor and lost in tangible ways. This includes sharing my story.
6. Have family devotional times at meal time.
7. Memorize scripture at meal times. To do this we need nightly meals around the table.
8. Have monthly parties to bring others into my home. (To do this, we need a regular routine for keeping the house clean and the laundry done.

9. Continue to exercise and diet to regain my fitness.
10. Lead my children to have an impact for the Lord.

The Unveiled Wife made a list of tasks to accomplish in her marriage. I am going to copy her list for you. It's great!

10 Commitments To A Better Marriage – The Marriage To-Do-List

1.   Love Intentionally
2.   Pray For My Spouse
3.   Be Content
4.   Bless My Spouse
5.   Read Scripture Together
6.   Respect My Spouse
7.   Initiate Intimacy
8.   Be Transparent
9.   Give Thanks
10. Affirm My Spouse

Read more - > http://unveiledwife.com/10-commitments-to-a-better-marriage/

Colossians  2: 6-7  Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,  having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

 

We received our Precious Lord Jesus Christ.

Oh how I pray that we all would walk in Him

firmly rooted

being built up in Him

established in our faith

overflowing with gratitude!

Colossians  1:28-29  We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.  For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

I keep coming back to this verse!

It just makes me cry...

Grateful to proclaim Him!

With a goal to admonish and teach every man with all wisdom

Grateful that His power works mightily within me!

Colossians 2:8-10 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. ⁹ For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;

How many times do we let worldly philosophy guide us? 

I catch myself when reading the blogs of sister's in Christ realizing that my actions and thoughts are worldly and need to be changed. 

I am grateful for their transparent sharing of their faults and troubles, for it helps me to see mine the way God would have me to.

The world says... Don't let anyone run over you! Stand up for your rights!

The scriptures have this to say about it..

Philippians 2:1-8

2 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, ² make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. ³ Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; ⁴ do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. ⁵ Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. ⁸ Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

 

The scriptures also say to speak the truth in love.

If you have issues with someone in your life, communicate the truth in love, yet put them first, in love...

God works in ways that we can't see or imagine. Pray. Trust Him. Seek Godly counsel. The help is out there. But don't turn to the world's ways. They won't take you where you want to go. Only God can help you be who He wants you to be, where He wants you to be, doing what He wants you to do. 

And in the end, I think it is more about who you are, wherever you are, whatever you are doing. When we are allowing Him to breathe through us to others, letting His lights shine through us, reflecting Him because we have been in His presence, then we can accomplish what He has for us to accomplish.

Don't turn to philosophy to guide you, turn to Christ. Put Him first! In Him we are complete!

It's all Christ! 

⁹ For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;

 

 In Him we are complete. All the treasure of wisdom and knowledge are there, available to us if we choose. So often, and I catch myself at this all the time, I know what He wants me to do and it is a battle of His will and mine. I have to choose to do His will. WE WANT TO BE IN CONTROL! IS THAT BECAUSE WE THINK WE KNOW BETTER???????

SILLY HUMANS!!!!!!

It's called obedience. He is the head of me. 

He is the head over all rule and authority. If there is an authority in your life that needs to change, He is head over them. Pray first! 

Colossians 2:11-12

  ¹¹ and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; ¹² having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

 

He has done what we could not do ourselves. He has removed our bodies of flesh by the circumcision of Christ, buried us with Him in baptism, and raised us up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Christ from the dead. Because of this, we are capable of being obedient to Him in our actions. We are capable of actions that glorify Him and are pleasing to Him.

Ephesians 2:10
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Revive Your Marriage - Revive Your S*x Life

 womenlivingwell.org

 tolovehonorandvacuum.com 

unveiledwife.com  

 TimeWarpWife.com

 O.K., I feel really inadequate to post on this, even after 30 years of marriage. These girls, listed above, have covered the topic really well. And to be honest, all I feel is convicted right now. I have my two year old co-sleeping with us. There's not much going on.......Obviously, I need to do some work.

I will say this, I believe God created s*x as a gift for us. These girls recommend some really good books and if your s*x life is not what you want, do go and get one. I did several years ago, and I think that is how I ended up with Isabella! LOL!

• The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex

29 Days to Great Sex

 

I believe in a great s*x life!

It's important, and if you don't see a way to revitalize yours, talk with a counselor. 

 

 

Revive Your Marriage- Week 4

 He is before all things and in Him all things hold together. Colossians 1:17

He holds it all together. Everything!

My life, yours, our world, our universe.

Whether we acknowledge Him as Sovereign Lord of all creation or not, He is that!

In Colossians, He says that we are strengthened with all power according to His glorious might to steadfastly walk in a manner worthy of Him with all patience, joyously giving thanks!

That means we have His power to accomplish His will!

That is some power, girls!

We have no excuse!

We started week one with praying for our husbands, then we addressed our attitudes, and last week we worked on friendship. This week, we will address showing our husbands appreciation.

Do you ever feel unappreciated? It makes us grumpy and hard to live with sometimes if we feel that no one appreciates our efforts. I often have to take that to God and remember that I am living for Him and not the rest of the world. (Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, Colossians 3:23)

We don't want our husbands to feel grumpy and unappreciated. That makes them hard to live with. Not only that......

We are admonished in scripture to respect our husbands! If we are failing to show our husbands appreciation, we are failing to show them our respect. Part of respect is admiration and appreciation for the qualities and actions of that person.

I know, some of you feel that your husbands don't deserve your admiration and respect, but it is really a function of your obedience to God. Thank goodness God doesn't always give me what I deserve.

We have God's power to accomplish this task. It is simply a choice between our will or His for our lives.

We want His will. 

 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55: 8-9 

His ways are higher than ours and take us where we want to go!

Take the challenge this week and think of some creative ways to show your husband that you appreciate him.

                                                                              

Don't forget to visit the blogs below for their encouragement and insight into your efforts to  have the marriage God wants for you.
OK! I edited this to say you have GOT to read the posts below! I just finished to Love, Honor, and Vacuum and her post is SOOOO insightful!

Rescued, Redeemed, Forgiven

Colossians 1
¹³ For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of  His beloved Son, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He has brought me out of the darkness and into His light.
He has rescued me.
He has redeemed me.
He has forgiven me.

Thank You, Lord!
 
 

Strengthened With All Power According to His Glorious Might

Colossians 1

⁹ For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰ so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; ¹¹ strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously ¹² giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

Studying this verse yesterday, I was reminded that we are (vs. 11) strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining for all steadfastness and patience, while joyously giving thanks,(vs.10) to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work! 
This means that we have ALL the power of God, His Glorious Might, to live the way He wants us to live.

THEREFORE, WHEN I FAIL TO LIVE THE WAY HE WANTS, IT'S BECAUSE I HAVE CHOSEN MY WILL OVER HIS!

People are really hard to get along with. We are all selfish and all want what we want, all the time! Our wants are constantly vying with the wants of those around us. We can't all have what we want. It makes me mad when I don't get what I want!
  
Isn't that embarrassing!
 
There are a lot of hurt people walking around with chips on their shoulders. They want you to be as miserable as they are. They often succeed in making me miserable!

Isn't that embarrassing!

So I struggle with anger and frustration when I don't get what I want and when people are unkind and unloving, which, because we are all sinful, is a lot of the time!

But that isn't the way I want to respond and that doesn't honor God!
I want to stedfastly, patiently, joyously walk in a manner worthy of  Him, pleasing Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work!

I can choose to have His power and choose His will over mine! It really is that simple!
I almost wish it weren't. Then I might have an excuse!

But I'm afraid there is no excuse. I can either choose to love the way He does or not!

He loves me so much! He demonstrates that over and over in my life!
I want to walk the way He wants me to walk!
I want to choose His will! 

Father,
Your theme for me lately has been loving the way You love. I want to be emptied of my wants and desires and desire what You want. I want to live the way and love the way You would have me to. Thank You that I have Your power to do this! You knew I couldn't do it any other way!
I love You!
Cheryl