For The Love Of Everything

See Ya in 2011....Oh, and My Five!

So. Have you listened or watched the message from last week at Highlands? The new series Five? If not you can read my thoughts in the two posts below. You REALLY need to!

So I have been thinking of my five....it did make me feel better hearing Pastor Chris say that these five may change and need to be tweeked over time, so that gave me a little comfort, knowing that these were not set in stone.

My five are as follow.

1. My relationship with the Lord

Of course this is just a NO brainer. It's the most important. It's at the top of the list. I'm just wanting to really KNOW the Lord at a deeper level this year. To have a relationship that has never been closer. I am excited!

2. My relationship with my family/friends

Another obvious one. There will be a major focus on the "friends" category. I'm the first to admit that I'm a TERRIBLE friend. I know it. I've even been told it, lol...but I am focusing on some Godly friendships this year. You are who you "hang out with", or as Jeanne Mayo use to say, Show me your friends and I'll show you your future. I am just wanting to work on those Iron sharpens iron friendships!

3. Teaching my girls. (Homeschooling/Life)

This is VERY important to me. One of the major reasons I have cut back from a lot of my blog posting. To me, this is so much more than teaching a curriculum, but really making learning a part of life and ABOUT life.

4. Organized and Frugal Homemaker

I want my house to be a "home". Decorated. Warm. Peaceful. No chaos. Organized. In order. Warm meals. Laughter. Inviting. I want to continue to save money and create margin in our life, pay off what is left to pay off. Who doesn't want all this, right? :)

5. Preserver of My Family Memories

I am passionate about my family's memories being recorded and preserved. Period. I don't give a flyin' flip about the latest and greatest product out right now, GASP. There. I said it. My number one goal in this area is to simply get my pictures organized and printed over the course of this year. Oh, and trust me, it will take the WHOLE year. So sad. Maybe then I might have a desire to "scrapbook", but I don't see it in the immediate future. 

This new series is exactly what I needed to hear. It's exactly what's been going through my mind that I needed to do. So there will be a LOT of things being cut out of my life....much will be during the 21 days of prayer and fasting that begins tomorrow, but to be honest, I feel like I am suppose to cut out a good bit for the remainder of the year. One of the main things is the blog. I LOVE to blog. I LOVE to share my thoughts, and inspire and encourage others....I don't think this will be a FOREVER thing...but I do think for the rest of the year.

I know FOR SURE that facebook and twitter will be gone for a while for me. I've already turned off all things going to my phone, and will probably keep it that way for the remainder of the year. I am sure it won't kill me, 10 years ago I didn't even know what facebook and twitter was.

Now, before you go and think that I THINK cool scrapbook supplies, blogs, facebook, and twitter are demonic and from the pit of HELL itself....I DO NOT. Can we just make that point VERY clear. I do not think one of the 10 commandments says THOU Shalt Not Twitter, or Thou Shalt have no other Blog before me....are we understanding this fact? I just listed things that consume my time every day...and these are what made the list, and that COULD be cut out....to make room for "my five".

I am believing for BIG things this year! I hope you are too! I was thinking about all this the other day at work and really in a way questioning God with was HE really wanting me to give a bunch up to get closer to Him, (lol, find that funny, why would He not, but anyway) this twitter came across my phone from Kari Jobe.

God is creative..He's just waiting for us to ask Him. He doesn't withhold information..He just loves us to PURSUE Him for the answer!!

I want to REALLY REALLY know Him at a MUCH deeper level, so bad that I'm okay with breaking away from things, giving up things, changing my focus, I believe those things are different for EVERYONE. What are you willing to break away from to get more of Him? I dare you to do it. 

So here is to a GREAT GREAT 2010 for you! May you experience the Love of the Lord like NEVER before. May His paths and ways be made known to you. My prayer is that you experience His peace and find rest in Him in all you do. I pray His Word becomes alive in your life and that you find a relationship with Him that has never been closer. I really mean all of this from the bottom of my heart. The Lord is the ONLY one who can bring you TRUE peace and contentment....I hope you give Him a try, He will not let you down. I promise!

Monique

My Thoughts for 2010...

The one word that just keeps playing over and over in my mind for 2010 is "Contentment".

Plain and simple. Contentment.

Nothing fancy.

No big dreams.

No bright ideas.

No huge goals.

Just a nice dose of "contentment".

My goal is just to do the best job I can at "where" I am at...my "today", and be "content" with that.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a dreamer. I believe my strength is that I'm a dreamer. I believe my weakness is, that I'm a dreamer. :) I have REALLY been trying hard to just sit back, be content. Enjoy the NOW. Enjoy the TODAY. Not always having to look at tomorrow and regretting the yesterday.

Isn't this what we all strive for? Don't we just all want "contentment"?

Well, it's my goal. My aim. 

I've been trying to weed things out. What is important. What is not. So how fitting that the new series at Highlands is about JUST THAT...."FIVE".

I encourage you to scroll down to the post below and find the link to watch the first message in this series. I am anxious for the remainder of the messages. I can't wait.

We can ONLY find TRUE contentment through Jesus. He is my focus. My desire is just to know Him in a deeper way this  year.....

Soooo, my five....that is the question. Hmmmmm.

Five. A New Highland's Series!

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Wow. Wow. Wow. Did I just say WOW? I did. Why don't you just sit back, grab and pen and some paper and enjoy this message by Pastor Chris.

I am actually listening to this for a second time while I am posting this post! My goodness. WOW! So VERY VERY life inspiring.

So hurry. Go HERE and watch the first message in the series "five". 

Some of my favorite verses and quotes of this message are.....

1. Your yesterday ended last night.

2. Don't make your life about events, but processes.

3. An Intelligent person aims at wise action, but a fool starts off in many directions. Proverbs 17:24

4. You can never change your life until you can change something you do everyday. Not ALL day, just EVERY day.

5. We completely OVER exaggerate yesterday, Completely OVER exaggerate the power of tomorrow, and forget to make the most of the RIGHT NOW. Don't worry about tomorrow, focus on TODAY.

6. FORGET THE FORMER things. DO NOT DWELL on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18:19

7. This is what the Lord says: Stand at the crossroads and look, ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest in your souls! Jeremiah 6:16

8. “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may
gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12
9. If you have not found the joy in the "Christian life", it's probably because you are doing it a "religious" way and not the "JESUS" way.....how, He didn't focus on the activity itself, but the JOY of it!

10.“The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life.”

Romans 8:13 Message

11. Don't turn over a new leaf, but a new life.

12. Christians have something else available to them, the WILD CARD, THE X FACTOR, we have HIS POWER TO HELP US. God, the GOD who pushed up the Rocky Mtns with His finger, WANTS TO HELP YOU. Who hung the stars...WANTS TO HELP YOU.

13. Only God can give you a BRAND NEW YOU. He can give you a life better than you ever DREAMED of.

Well, I could actually keep on posting some of my favorites, but I will stop for now.

I feel like I need to listen to this a few more times, take a few more notes, and really meditate and think on these verses. This is just good good stuff, and I hope it has been as life changing for you as it has for me. :)

Love you guys. I am trying to find where my "blog" fits into these "five"....I have been putting LOTS of thought into what my "FIVE" are...it's funny, my original five I came up with, each had sublists of five, not sure if that is where he was going with this, lol....soooo, I will keep you posted.

Hope you have a FANTASTIC Tuesday!

What An AMAZING Decade!!!!

Wow. I love a new year! I love thinking back over the year, seeing the highs and lows, planning for the future....but this year is special. A DECADE to look back over. Ahhhh.

I remember exactly 10 years ago getting my Y2K stuff all set out and ready. You KNOW I had a stock pile of can goods together. ;) Jer and I were newly married. Not even married a full year yet. Ahhh, young love. I was 23 years old, just a youngin'. We had a golden retriever puppy and in just a few months would be finding out that we were expecting our first little girl. 

I wish I could remember what I was thinking. I need to go pull my old journals out. I would have NEVER thought I would have two little girls 20 months apart. I can PROMISE you that I would have NEVER thought I would go through nursing school and better yet, BE a nurse! That's just so funny to me.

What else? Well. Opening Scrap Etc....Wow! It was just like the birth of another child in a way. So much fun, lots of work, big dreams, mess ups, life lessons, money made, money lost. Seeing my strengths and weaknesses in a whole new light....no regrets though, I am glad that chapter was there.

Beginning to attend Church of the Highlands. OH MY GOODNESS, and then Jer getting a job there....HELLO! Feeling like our relationship with the Lord has just deepened in so many ways. Truely understanding that it's NOT how much we pray or how much we read our Bible, that we can just go to Him whenever, wherever, with whatever. I have COMPLETE trust in Him, knowing that whatever happens He will not fail me. He is FOR me. He loves me for me. He loves me despite my failures, my weaknesses. He is full of grace and mercy. I just look at Him in a whole new light.

Homeschooling the girls. I can PROMISE you that was not on my list of things to do when I rang in the year 2000. Wow. About as funny as me being a nurse. But OH MY GOODNESS, how I know that it's right for us now.

I knew we would be HUGE Disney fans and love to travel. That's about the only thing that's not a complete shocker of this past decade.

On a low note for the past ten years. We lost our home and a car. Talk about a MAJOR pride killer. That'll do it every time. But I think it's one of the best things that happened to us in the last ten years, besides having our two girls....and I'm being serious!

So many things. This post could be quite lengthy, so I will stop here. I am happy with the last ten years. I can't think of anything I would change...not even the low points. Not one single thing.

I have lots of thoughts for the new year, the new decade. I shall share them tomorrow....and depending on if I get cancelled tomorrow, I am REALLY wanting to share a tour of our new home. But, I would REALLY love to work and get that time and a half. ;)

I hope you all (and i am probably just talking to my grandmother and maw maw), :) have the most fantastic start to your new year...your new decade!!!!

Live. Laugh. Love.

First. I have to say that I am in LOVE with the graphics for this sermon series at Church of the Highlands! I love the whimsical letters, I love the red and green, anything with a combination of red, green, or white right now is my weakness. BUT. Most of all. I LOVE the message behind this series. OH MY GOODNESS. Such and AMAZING series. You ReALLY ReALLY need to make some time in your schedule to watch the first two that we have had so far!

The first message. "Live Well", ahhhhh. This message...I tell ya. So what's been on my heart and mind here lately. Wow. Wow. Wow. The Lord really knew I needed to be reminded of all this! YOU MUST watch this...promise it will be worth your while!

LIVE WELL Part One of Live. Laugh. Love. series!

After you have watched that one...get ready to laugh a LOT. Today's message was OUTSTANDING. I was SO glad that they played  a clip from a comedian that entertained us at the Dream Team Banquet this past week! I laughed so much that night...ahhh, laughter is good for ya, you know it?

Laugh Often Part Two of Live. Laugh. Love. series!

Okay. Just wanted to pop in and share that with ya! I hope it blesses you as much as it has blessed me!

Hope you have the most FANTASTIC week ever!

Monique