Friday, October 9, 2009

Day 7: 358 days left….98 books to go!


  • Personal Status:  Blessed to be holed-up, cozy in my house on this wintry day!
  • Baby Status:  20 Weeks & 1 day along today!  Excited to take this baby belly home to see family for Thanksgiving tomorrow!  

READING!!!  
  • Genesis 25-26  Reading Complete!
  • Matthew 8: 1-27  This reading contains story after story of the peoples' faith in Jesus and how God chose to heal so many people through Him during this time in history....the story of the centurion who didn't feel worthy to have Jesus come to his house to heal his servant but believed that on His word alone, it would be done is incredibly inspiring...."Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.  But just say the word, and my servant will be healed"  Verse 8  and Jesus' reply, "'I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith...Go!  It will be done just as you believed it would.'  And his servant was healed at that very hour."  Verses 10 & 13
    • The famous occurrence of Jesus calming the storm is also in this passage...when even after all of these miracles...the disciples are afraid for their lives during the storm...Jesus says to them, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?'  Then He got up and rebuked the wind and the waves, and it was completely calm.  The men were amazed and asked, 'What kind of man is this?  Even the winds and the waves obey him?'"  Verses 26 & 27  What kind of man, indeed?........
  • Simple Abundance  Coping With Stress  Today, Sarah provides a list of suggestions one would likely receive from someone claiming they don't suffer from stress.....it's a beautiful list that I almost entirely agree with....except for a few points...I'll highlight the ones I agree with....


        • Cultivate Gratitude.
        • Carve out an hour a day for solitude
        • Begin and end the day with prayer, meditation, reflection.
        • Keep it simple.
        • Keep your house picked up.
        •  Don't overschedule.
        • Strive for realistic deadlines.
        • Never make a promise you can't keep.
        • Allow an extra half hour for everything you do.
        • Create quiet surroundings at home and at work.
        • Go to bed at nine o'clock twice a week.
        • Always carry something interesting to read.
        • Breathe- deeply and often.
        • Move -walk, dance, run, find a sport you enjoy.
        • Drink pure spring water.  Lots of it.
        • Eat only when hungry.
        • If it's not delicious, don't eat it.
        • BE instead of DO.
        • Set aside one day a week for rest and renewal.
        • Laugh more often.
        • Luxuriate in your senses.
        • Always opt for comfort. 
        • If you don't love it, live without it.
        • Let Mother Nature nurture.
        • Don't answer the telephone during dinner.
        • Stop trying to please everybody.
        • Start pleasing yourself.
        • Stay away from negative people.
        • Don't squander precious resources: time, creative energy, emotion
        • Nurture friendships.
        • Don't be afraid of your passion.
        • Approach problems as challenges.
        • Honor your aspirations.
        • Set achievable goals.
        • Surrender expectations.
        • Savor beauty.
        • Create boundaries.
        • For every "yes", let there be a "no".
        • Don't worry; be happy.
        • Remember, happiness is a living emotion.
        • Exchange security for serenity.
        • Care for your soul.
        • Cherish your dreams.
        • Express love every day.
        • Search for your authentic self until you find her. 
    • I don't believe in always opting for comfort...sometimes the greatest rewards in life are found in sacrifice and this can mean giving up a piece of comfort to benefit someone or something else...such as eating less luxuriously, spending less on furnishings, flying coach, etc.
    • I believe the world is FAR too focused on Pleasing Yourself...Ultimately the focus should be on Loving God & Loving your neighbor....that may not always be terribly pleasing...but I believe you'll find true joy in it....
    • I do believe that "bad company corrupts good character"...but I also believe that negative people can be molded into positive people if they are friends & loved ones who invest in them, encourage them & pray for them to find true joy...I wouldn't always give up on someone simply because they have a tendency towards negativity....I have a tendency towards many useless character & personality traits at times and I'm grateful there are those who choose not to give up on me...!
    • I don't entirely disagree with Surrender Expectations... but I am not satisfied with mediocrity and excuses which are far too easy to fall into....sometimes placing expectations before yourself gets your acting!
    • Instead of Create Boundaries how about break through them?!!!  Refuse to live in a box, refuse to live according to the confines of society, refuse to believe something simply because you're told to.....search for truth, search for justice, seek out those who live outside the typical boundaries of your comfort zone and find what you can do to enrich them...!
    • I don't so much believe in having a "no" for many things.....I DO choose to cut negative influences out of my life, such as inappropriate media or un-healthy foods, etc.....but I can't envision my advocating for always having a "no" on stand-by.....
    • I don't believe as much in happiness as I do in JOY.....but I do believe that Joy is alive!
    • I don't know how much I can do to care for my soul....but I know Who there is who can.....
    • I'm all for dreaming....but again, the idea of Cherishing your dreams is very self-centered and I'm on a personal campaign to turn my focus heavenward and outward rather than so much inward all the time....
    • I refer to the words of Elizabeth Elliot to negate Sarah's last suggestion of "Search for your authentic self until you find her...."  How about this instead:
      • "In order to learn what it means to be a woman we must start with the One who made her."  "Real satisfaction and joy come in response to acceptance of the will of God and nowhere else."
      • Don't spend your life searching the world for your authentic self.....get to know the One who made you and in Him you will find....everything........
  • The Love Dare  Love is not jealous


              • Today I get to burn the list of Negative Things I don't Appreciate about Jay and instead tell him about something I'm proud of him for.....Rejoice in his successes!

        • Charlotte's Web  Book #3 begins!!!

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