P31W Wednesday #6

I'm sorry there was no post on Monday, I had a lot going on, and I didn't feel that God had given me a topic to write about. Today is Wednesday so its time to answer questions from P31W.

In this chapter Sara's task is to be kind as well as patient from the last chapter. She had a hard time with this, especially since her husband started things and didn't finish them. She would usually get mad and tell him to finish what he started, but she stayed calm, she did what she needed and no harm was done. Sara works from home, and has made a promise not to work after her son has come home from school. She had deadlines coming up, so balancing work and family was becoming harder than expected. But she figured if she is patient and kind to her husband, then he will be patient and kind to her, and that is worth missing a deadline.

The questions for this week:

How do you balance work and family? Share some tips that worked for you.

I work 8 to 5, when I get off, I go home, and work stays at work. When I am home it is family time, cooking cleaning, watching movies, and just being with each other. I love spending time with my husband, we usually cook together and we sometimes play games to do something different. The only tip I do have, is to leave work at work, don't go home mad or bring home problems that don't need to be there.

Have you ever put your own desires on hold for your family? How has this made you feel?

I don't really think that I have. I went to college and got a degree, I'm married, we own our first house, I have a good job, everything is great. The only thing I would like to do more is travel, but that's not really sacrificing anything, and those places will hopefully always be there that I can visit one day. The main place I want to go is Disney World......one day.....one day!!


 

I am still working on my patience and now it will be kindness. With {Valentines Day} coming up, do something nice for your significant other, be patient, be kind, just like love is.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

 

 

Last Sunday we had to bring breakfast for our small group class. I decided to make homemade cinnamon rolls and they were a hit, and my pan was empty by the end of class. 

 

I got the recipe from another blog, there are more pictures there. The recipe was super easy and yummy!

 

I hope everyone has a great weekend!!

P31W Wednesday #5

Sara is ready to start the process of becoming Martha31. She knows she can't take on all 21 verses at one time, so she gives herself a year, which is why the book is a year long project.

A good woman is hard to find,

and worth far more than diamonds.

Her husband trusts her without reserve,

and never has reason to regret it.

Never spiteful, she treats him generously

all her life long. 

Proverbs 31:10-12 (The Message Version)

Sara also uses the book The Love Dare, the book used in the movie Fireproof. The first step in this book is patience. She knows she can be impatient, so she tries in certain situations to stay calm before over reacting. 

The questions for this week are:

What tries your patience? 

A lot of things, I guess. My house has to be in some kind of order before I go to bed each night. People saying they'll do something and then they don't. Being unorganized, traffic, waiting and more. Those are the main problems, that can lead into bigger problems. 

How do you typically react to things that don't go your way? 

Not necessarily "my way" but I usually get a look on my face like what in the world, or why are you doing that. I'm not the type of person that will say my thoughts out loud, I'll just tell my husband when I get home, bless him. 

Everyone deals with their patience everyday, some deal with it differently than others. I'm sure Martha31 stayed cool, calm and collected. I am going to work on my patience more, not let little things bother me. Everything isn't going to be done the way I would do it, some patience issues can lead to stress, so I just need to tell myself I'm too blessed to be stressed. 

How do you deal with your pateince? Are you calm or do you over react? 

Talent Show

God has blessed everyone with some kind of talent. Whether is be singing, speaking, leading, a form of art, serving, and so much more. We are to use these talents to glorify God, because he blessed us with the talent.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies-in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 

1 Peter 4:10-11

These verses say just that. If you have a beautiful voice to sing with, thank God. Don't take credit for it, or be cocky. God can easily take that beautiful voice away. I think there are many people that want the credit and the applause for what they do when really God should be the one get a standing ovation. We are to glorify Him, as 1 Peter 4:10 said "EACH has received a gift" that means everyone. I just realized what my gift was not too long ago, I knew God had a spot for me in the talent show, and I knew it wasn't to sing or speak, it was to write and create a blog, to help and encourage others. Each post that I post comes from Him, He narrows down the topics in my head, He gives me the words to write, and He gives me the confidence to do it.

If you haven't found your spot in the talent show, don't worry, God had a plan for you, he already knows your talent he's just making sure it's the right time before He tells you, just pray His Will be done. Here is a list I came up with of talents you could do: singing, speaking, forming a group at church or home, being a prayer warrior, teaching children, serving at local shelters, writing, sending cards, calling people to encourage them, cooking, art, cleaning, and so much more! Whatever your talent is, give thanks to God because he blessed you with it, and he chose it perfect for you! Be confident and know that the talent you are doing is glorifying God, He is proud of you, don't let others get you down. 

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does act of mercy, with cheerfulness. 

Roman 12:6-8

Update

Since it's the last day of January, I can't believe how fast time goes by. Anyways, I thought I would do an update on how my New Years goals are going. 

Here is the list of my goals I posted on January 3rd, and how I'm doing under it in yellow. 
 

-become closer to God 

I have become closer to God, I talk to Him and pray more than I did before.
 

-read the Bible daily

I can't say that I read it daily, but I do read it more than I did, this is one I'll have to keep working on.
 

-be a better Christian

I believe I have, I get excited about going to church and I am happier when I listen to Christian music and I feel like I talk about God more.
 

-be a better wife

I think so, not that I was ever bad.
 

-inspire and encourage people with my blog

I do believe that I have done this, the feedback I have received has all been positive and encouraging to me as well, I makes me feel great and I appreciate it. 
 

-meet new people through my blog 

I haven't yet, but I hope I do. 
 

-for my blog to be successful

This goal will take time, so I will just keep doing what I am doing and if it's Gods will, I'll accept it. 
 

-make healthy lifestyle changes

I have been making healthier choices, but not everyday.
 

-randomly mail cards to others 

I need to buy some cards so I can do this!
 

-not to compare myself to others 

This is still hard, I am working on it, but it will take time.
 

-cook new recipes 

I haven't tried any new yet, but I'm sure I will. 
 

-visit new places 

This hasn't happened, maybe soon. 
 

-learn to sew on a sewing machine

Not yet, I need a sewing machine, lol.
 

-take more pictures
I have started to take some more, but I think I need to take even more, for memories.
 

-worry less
I do find myself giving my worries to God rather than worrying, so yes I do worry less.
 

-smile more
Yes, I do :)
 

-be more adventurous 
I haven't really had the opportunity to be more adventurous yet.
 

-try to be less shy 
I would say I'm still working on this., it's hard to break out of a shell.

Did you mew new years goals? How are you doing on your now that the first month of the year is about to end? Todays post was simple but it made me realize that I need to work harder at some of these goals, and take some of them more seriously. I hope everyone has a great weekend!!

 

P31W Wednesday #4

Homemaker, a word that Sara, the author, hated to hear. It was something she did not want to become when she got married. She thought it meant you have to give up all of your goals and dreams and you stay at home cooking and cleaning. She soon realized that you do sacrifice some things in a marriage and you do, do homemaker things. She consumed herself with work, school and a baby and she was then scared that she actually missed out on being a homemaker.

Questions for this week:

What is your definition of a homemaker?
A person who takes care of their home and family.

Growing up, what was your perception of a homemaker?
When I was younger I would associate a homemaker with what I saw on TV. A cheerful lady in a dress with a cute apron, her hair fixed perfect. She cooked breakfast, lunch, and dinner from scratch. She did laundry and cleaned the house, all while taking care of the children.

What about now?
Now, I would say, a person who cooks, cleans, takes care of children (if any). I think now it could be a man or woman depending on who earns the paycheck and who stays home. I don't necessarily  think the homemaker has to stay home all day, you can still do the same tasks once you get off of work.

Do you consider yourself a homemaker? Why or why not?
I would say yes, not fully. I do have a fulltime job, but when I get home I do cook, clean and do laundry. My husband also helps, so you could say we both are. I usually take the inside cleaning, while my husband takes on the outside, like yard work, and washing the cars. We make a good team!

I think I could be a stay-at-home homemaker if I could. It sounds good in my head anyways. I couldn't wear a dress all the time but I do have a cute apron. I like to craft and do DIY projects {which I hope to post soon} so I think I could keep myself busy with little projects. Martha 31 did it all, so I'm sure I could as well with a little practice.

What are your thoughts on the definition of a homemaker? Are you a homemaker?

Be-YOU-tiful

I have debated about this post topic all week. I can't get it out of my head, and I'm not sure what I would post if I didn't choose this topic. So, I'm going to listen to the whispers from God and do it. Some things no one knows only God does, but I hope this post will help someone through their hard times.

Being myself was hard to do through out school. I just wanted to be accepted. In elementary school I was fine, it wasn't until middle school that I found myself loosing friends because we didn't have classes together or they changed and made other friends. I tried to be apart of the popular group, they were nice at first, but then I started to notice the dirty looks and when I would walk up they stop talking, so it was really awkward. I have always struggled with my weight, and I would just think to myself "maybe if I was skinny, I would have more friends or more people would like me". I cried a lot, I'm crying now writing this. Remembering at lunch time classmates moving more chairs to a lunch table just so they didn't have to sit with me. I don't think I was weird, I was very quiet, I never understood why classmates acted the way they did, all I knew is that it hurt. 

High school wasn't much better, 9th grade, again I just tried to fit in and find friends. In 9th we had to take PE, I hated PE. Having to dress out in front of others, I'm not athletic, never have been. One day we were walking around the track, and to older guys came up to me and asked "if I wanted to be his girlfriend" I said no, with a weird look on my face, but deep down I was happy that they noticed me, but as they walked away I heard them say "let's go find another fat girl to ask". I was immidiatly crushed, those happy feelings I felt were completely gone and I was ready for class to be over. All my friends had boyfriends and I could never get a guy to look at me. I just wanted a guy to like me and to talk to me. During these times I did think about suicide, and inflicting pain on myself because of the pain I felt, not seriously, but it did cross my mind. I didn't think anyone would notice that I was even gone, but I knew I would hurt my family. 

I never drastically changed, I just hung out with people and tried to be something that I wasn't. I wasn't popular, or athletic, in 9th grade I hung out with the punk/goth crowd just because they were nice to me. As I got older I found different people to hang out with. I tried to be more of myself, rather than something I'm not. If I could go back, I would try to teach myself to love who I am. I am still insecure to this day and I probably always will be. I wish I had the "I don't care attitude" but I don't. I would tell myself to find true friends that liked me for me, that didn't judge me. My husband, whom I met junior year in high school was my saving grace, he truly does love me no matter what, he has been here for me since day one. I would tell myself to trust in God more, and give my worries to him, and to have a closer relationship with him. I felt alone a lot in school, I know now that I wasn't ever alone he was always there, and so was my family, but I didn't talk to them about any of this. 

If I could tell someone else anything it would be to; BE{YOU}TIFUL, worry about your relationship with God before your friends, trust in Him, and you are never alone!! 

But The Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on outward appearance, but The Lord looks on the heart." 
1 Samuel 16:7

People are always going to judge each other, just treat others the way you want to be treated! 

I don't want anyone to feel pity towards me, I chose to write this in hopes to help others that could be going through the same things. It was very difficult to write this and share things that no one knows happened. Jesus, the sweetest name I know, now gives me comfort, I lean to Him whenever I have doubts or fears! 

 

I love this song and it fits in perfectly with my post.

{You're worth more than gold!}