Nisi Dominus Frustra

Oh, how I love it when God shouts at me. Do you know what I mean? Not the still, small voice that can be quieted, but the same message heard over and over until you've no doubt it's your Father speaking. I've been in a pit. I know many women can relate. Although life is good, I just have been feeling yuck. I've felt my days were unproductive to say the least. I thought maybe I needed to add something to my life. After reading a blog entry by a few Christian women, I realized my thinking was quite flawed. (31 days to clean is about WAY more than cleaning.) I don't need to add more, I need to do what God calls me to do well.

So I began redirecting my thinking by making a list of all my current commitments first being a daily pursuit of God, followed by my marriage, and then my children. My list ended at #11. Next I listed my goals: daily quiet time, time of limited distractions with my husband, floor time with my kids, contentment, humility, etc. Have you ever looked at your commitments with your goals in mind? I suggest you take a few minutes to do this exercise. It made me realize just how much I am doing and which things I may be doing in vain and may need to let go of when the time is right. My last list (my biggest take away from 31 days to clean) was/is "the six list". Each night I take a sticky note, my to-do list, and my calendar and write out the 6 things I realistically want to accomplish the following day. One days list: 1. Bible study 2. Laundry 3. Cleaners 4. Plan meals 5. Organize Pantry 6. Pack kid's bags for going out tomorrow. So these are things above must-do's like feeding my family, bathing, etc, that could be put off if I'm not intentional. This has helped me to focus and also has given me a tremendous feeling of accomplishment.

Today I sat down for my Bible study and was blown away by the reinforcement God provided me. Our scripture was Ps 127. "1 Unless the Lord builds a house, its builders labor over it in vain; unless the LORD watches over a city, the watchman stays alert in vain. 2 In vain you get up early and stay up late, eating food earned by hard work; certainly He gives sleep to the one He loves."

Nisi Dominus Frustra : Without the Lord, Frustration.