Saturday Sabbath

Get Fit Friday - Firming Up My Faith - Quiet Time

I mentioned "having my Quiet time" to someone a while back and they were all  "what?" and I actually struggled to explain what "Quite Time" is! Okay... it's not complex or complicated. Just to clarify:

"Quiet Time" is simply time alone with God. No (or at least as limited as possible) distractions. This is not time in front of the TV reading your Bible, but rather time focused on God. Again... no distractions... hence the term QUIET time. It consists of prayer, reading the Bible, journaling (if you do that sort of thing) and meditating on God's Word. (this isn't the same as Eastern Meditation) I'm trying to use non-churchy words here... but somethings are just churchy things, so please just bear with me.

I have challenged people for years to set time aside daily to spend time in God's Word and in Prayer.

I've taught entire classes on how Satan distracts us and makes us busy so that we "don't have time" for this.

Still, I have not consistently practiced this myself. I feel like a hypocrite. I don't want to make light of it and say "Well, I just don't spend time with God," because that is NOT my heart! I am convicted, challenged even, to adopt this practice and make is part of my daily life.

The things that take up the time that I could be spending with God are not productive or even necessary.

I am removing some time-wasters from my days and replacing that time with "Quiet Time." Again, this is simply time with God. Stopping to take time to focus on God, His Word, and prayer.

As with the other disciplines I've discussed these past few weeks, I have no intention of being rigid or legalistic about this. I am not creating a "Good Christian" check list.

My desire is  to be closer to God. I want to be more like Jesus. I want others to stop seeing me and see Christ in me. I want to be more and more like Christ.

I cannot KNOW what "Looking like Christ" is supposed to look like apart from studying God's Word.

I truly believe that one reason I don't successfully have a habitual Quiet Time is that I over complicate it. I get an image in my head of what it should look and feel like and I struggle to bring that to reality. SO, I thing that next week I'll share some tips on setting yourself up for your Quiet Time.

I am excited about this!

Much love and Big BIG BIG hugs!

K

Thursday Thoughts on... my need to be loved

I think that, if I could sum up the first 45.5 years of my life, that phrase would do it.

In my July 19 post about all the things that have changed in the 12 months since my failed suicide attempt, I mentioned that I've realized not everyone I want in my life, nor everyone I think "should" be in my life, really wants to be there. I want to elaborate on that today, because the realization was life changing for me.

I suppose my definition of love is skewed. I identify "love" as wanting to spend time with someone, understanding someone, and valuing their uniqueness. I realize now that these 3 things were missing from key relationships in my childhood. It makes sense that these are the things I would seek as I grew up.

When I was a young girl, I told outrageous stories in hopes of being good enough to win the affection of adults in my life or to make those relationships appear more meaningful than they really were. Looking back on it now, I see that I was trying to compensate for what was missing... meaningful relationships with key people in my life.

For as long as I can remember, I tried to earn the love of people who couldn't (or wouldn't) see me as someone worthy of their time, understanding, appreciation and affection. I denied myself the right to be upset, hurt, or angry when I felt disrespected, misunderstood, forgotten or neglected. I believed that people did not value me it was because I was flawed, not because of anything broken in them.

Today I am in a very different place.  I'm no longer sacrificing myself in order to pour into relationships that continue to empty me out and cause me pain.

Sadly,  I have allowed a few unhealthy relationships to overshadow the numerous healthy relationships God has given me. I've allowed a few unhealthy relationships to define me, allowed them to determine my perception of my value and worth, and, most of all, I allowed people who are unable to love make me feel unlovable.

I'm letting go of the expectations I have of relationships. I'm allowing them to just be what they are. I have no intention of rejecting anyone, nor do I intend to remove myself from anyone's life. In some relationships, I have been expected to make up for other's poor choices; to insure against the natural consequences of their actions.   I'm just not going to do that anymore. I'm setting up some healthy boundaries. I no longer believe that I am solely responsible for making relationships work, and  am accepting the realization that not everyone I want in my life wants to be there... and that's okay.

This feels good.
This feels freeing.
This feel positive.



Much love and big hugs
K

Wednesday's Weekly Recipe - Grilled New Potato Skewers

"New potatoes coated in a rosemary and garlic marinade then skewered and grilled."

Ingredients

• 2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup dry white wine

• 2 teaspoons crushed dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Directions

1. Place potatoes and water in a microwave safe bowl. Cook potatoes in microwave on high until just tender, about 15 minutes, stirring half-way through. Drain potatoes and allow to steam for a few minutes to dry.
2. In a large bowl, stir together mayonnaise, wine, rosemary, and garlic powder. Mix in drained potatoes and toss to coat. Marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
3. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate.
4. Remove potatoes from marinade, and skewer. Grill, covered, for 6 to 8 minutes, brushing occasionally with marinade, turning half-way through. Remove potatoes from skewers and serve hot.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2018 Allrecipes.com 
Printed From Allrecipes.com 7/19/2018

Tuesday Tips and Tricks -How to beat the heat in the South

Truth.

Monday Motivation

When I feel worthless; when I feel like a burden; when I feel like I have nothing to offer...
These verses give me so much hope. God Himself thought it necessary to allow me breath. Surely there is a purpose in my being here taking up space! Until I know what that purpose is, I'm just gonna keep seeking His face!

There is a little saying I saw on Pinterest that goes along with this Scripture...

The same One who created the mountains, oceans, birds, flowers, animals, and all the people also decided that the world needed YOU.


Have a great week!
K

Sunday Scripture: Psalm 139: 1-6

Psalm 139

1 You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.

How wonderful to know that the Creator of all the Universe KNOWS me. In times when I have felt horribly misunderstood, I have been comforted by the faith that God knows me. He knows my intentions. He knows what I'm gonna say before I say it. He knows my thoughts. He knows everything I do and is FAMILIAR with my ways. 

He KNOWS me. 

There have been times when this scared me. Sometimes it still does. I mean seriously, there are things about me that I don't want ANYONE to know, let alone GOD! 

As I have grown in my relationship with Him, even this brings me great peace. God DOES know me. He knows the good, bad and ugly. He knows my kind thoughts and my mean ones. He knows the things I do in public and private. He knows me better than anyone else...

And He LOVES me more completely and totally than anyone else ever could. 

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.