Beautiful

Just wanted to share this picture of a beautiful little girl with her loving Daddy. She truly is an angel. More to come..........

BE STILL!!

If you know me at all, you know that the words "be still" are not familiar to me. I am moving from the time I wake up to the time I lay down at night-unless of course I had a long day at work, then I just confine myself to the bat tub so that I have no choice but to sit there in one place. I am also an avid planner. Not a day goes by that my every move is not planned to a tee. This drives some (J.R) crazy because not all (J.R) beat to the same drum ;). While this busyness aids me in getting a LOT of things done a one time, it also hinders me from listening to God and from experiencing his peace. I realized this morning, as I sat in bed with my computer in my lap, that I was feeding my anxieties in order to avoid the quiet. In the quiet I realize what is going on around me, and it is always much easier to just stay busy than to sit and put things into perspective.

This morning I reached this conclusion after reading a daily devotional from one of my all time favorites, Elisabeth Elliot (www.elisabethelliot.org). She spoke of the peace that comes from God, the peace that passes all understanding, the peace that is not of this world. She defined the peace of God as being "The absence of conflict with the will of God. It means harmony within, concord with his purpose for our lives". It finally dawned on me that I had made it impossible for myself to be still. I misunderstood my responsibilities to be anxieties, which in turn gave me obligation to sit and worry-CONSTANTLY! Yes, I have responsibilities, but all should be done in the harmony of God's will. I am getting married because it is God's will for me to be a wife, not because I am supposed to have a wedding and put on a show for my family and friends. My niece is sick and it is very sad, but it is God's will that we give him glory for all he has done for her thus far and what he will do through her life in the future. It is God's will that I go to work and share his love with those around me, but If I don't have this perspective before I walk in the door my entire day is full of worries and wonders of how I can get ahead in my career. Right now all I can think about is that there are towels in my dryer (go figure), but if I go on with my chores without even a glimpse of peace in my heart, they become anxieties instead of responsibilities-my will instead of God's will.

I realize a lot of this may be ramblings, but it sure did help me put things into perspective. I am going to go about my day now, but with this scripture in my heart and on my mind:

" Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts nad your minds in Christ Jesus. " Philippians 4:7.