2011- Big Changes!!

I have come to the realization that when God wants to get a point across he never gives up, no matter how stubborn I can be! It's almost as if he threads a needle and weaves it in and out of my daily life and experiences until he has threaded enough pieces together to pull it tight and have a final product......am I making any sense of my jumbled thoughts?

Well, God has been trying to make a point to me for several months and I get it, I really do......it's just been a hard change to wrap my mind around, but change is coming nonetheless!

God threaded the needle several months and got busy with his newest project of change in my life..........

An older woman asked my husband, "does your wife not cook you a hot breakfast every morning." This concerned lady has been waking up every morning for the past 20 or so years to have coffee and breakfast awaiting her husbands waking each morning.

Chris replied, "not really, she is usually asleep when I leave and I usually eat at the field house so I don't have to make noise and wake up the boys." I'm not sure what her response was and I'm pretty positive I want to keep it that way. I thought to myself, I do want to be that wife.....why can't I just get up and do it! It kinda pulled on my heart strings, after all this is his home and he deserves to eat breakfast and not have to tip toe around trying not to disturb anyone. Chris never complained or asked anything else of me as a wife, but it still didn't ease my concern of my shortcoming.

God started sewing a seed........
I thought of the Proverbs 31 woman who is famous for rising "while it is yet night" to provide food for her family.

Did I listen to God trying to make a point.......No, I was stubborn.

Then, there were days that God quickly reminded me that I can't do this on my own, and I had to make it a priority to have quiet time (first thing in the morning) at his feet to refuel my heart and receive the guidance I need to serve my family!

Did I listen? Yes, but did I stay consistent? No, I told you stubbornness can be a flaw of mine.

God continued to thread messages throughout my daily life that I needed to rise early, revel in his word, pray, sit quietly at his feet, prepare and serve my family, but I continue to come up short in this area of my life by making excuses!

I would make excuses to sleep just a little longer, do my devotion later in the day, not prepare breakfast for my husband, but God would get his little needle out and start threading away.....

Jesus himself rose early to pray. Mark 1:35 records, "rising very early in the morning , while it was still dark, Jesus departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed."


Entering the day without a serious meeting with God, is like entering the battle without tending to your weapons. The human heart does not replenish itself with sleep. The body does, but not the heart....we replenish our hearts not with sleep, but with the word of God and prayer.
John Piper

I began to notice our mornings weren't as peaceful as I hoped.....

My alarm clock is Colby's nose literally touching my nose while he shouts, det up mommy, I hunny (hungry) which follows with a dragging me out of the bed and then an inpatient tot whining at my feet because I'm not cooking fast enough, not to mention Chase is on my hip the entire time signing "milk" because he just can't wait one more second to nurse.  It's quite a combination of events that doesn't start the day off fresh as a daisy!

Here goes the threading.......

A friend of mine gave me this book about 6 months ago and I never even took the time to crack it open, kinda ironic since the book is about shopping for time.

After a crazy, busy morning of trying to hit the road and head out of town, God started with the threading again. The bags were packed and loaded and the kiddos were strapped in, so I slumped down in the front seat, let out a sigh, and then noticed this book in the side of the door.

Oh, I remember this book.....I was wondering where in the world I put it. I guess I could read it on the way to our destination. God's needle was probably getting dull at this point because he was threading and threading, and threading some more.............he was sewing together a big change in my priorities, attitude, excuse making, and most of all, my life!

I got an answer to my prayer that I just prayed about the following night....

Hands down, the most important reason to rise early is to make meeting with God a priority. Secondarily, however, this practice has great potential to serve your family. Wives and mothers, here's a question for you: does your husband or children have to wake you up each morning in order to meet their needs because you aren't ready to care for them when they arise?


Aw man, that was a blow to the heart that hurt. To hear that I wasn't ready to care for my children when they arise was very disheartening. What bothered me the most was the truth in it all, and how did I not realize? God gave me a wonderful family to serve and here I was slacking on the most important job I will ever have in my life.....it's time for a change!



I often stay up late to read since it's the only quiet time in my home, and many times I felt like God was saying, "okay enough is enough, go to bed so you can rise early and serve your family without being tired and moody!" God's threading continuing with this excerpt......

I have heard of woman who pride themselves on being "night people." They may stay up till all hours reading, watching TV, or pursuing other interest. The next morning  they are too tired to get up and care for their family......these woman are not "night people" they are lazy and selfish. Who would not rather stay up late to do whatever they please and sleep late the next day? Once a young wife begins getting up earlier than her children and her husband, she will cease to be a "night person". She will be tired at night and go to bed at a reasonable hour so she will be there to serve her family the next morning.

Daaaaaaaaaang God, I know you have been trying to get the point across but....selfish? lazy? Ouch...I guess the truth hurts!

I was only staying up until 11:00 but even at that I wasn't ready to rise at 5:00 and have quiet time with my Lord before it was time to serve my family.

Conversely, choosing not to start my day off in prayer and devotion makes the statement, " I can do it without you. I don't need to pray or listen to your voice. I'm competent all by myself! These are arrogant words and sends an unintentional message to my Savior!

With all that said,  2011 brings big changes in my household!

Early to bed, early to rise!

Devotion first thing in the morning,  sit still and listen, and serve my family better!!


If you feel like God is calling you in the same direction you can read more at GirlTalk!!


                                                                  Bring it on 2011!!

Until Next Time........