You'll Find a Gift in the Present!

How many times have you been so riddled with anxiety you couldn't think straight? I've been down that road more times than I care to admit. The best way to describe the root of anxiety is "the mind going in 2 or more directions at once."

What does that look like? Well, that often times looks like our daily life. We have kids that need to be fed, laundry, dishes, cooking, shopping, occasional bathing ;). The problem is, there is constantly "one more thing" to do before we can "relax."

How do we fix this? First, we recognize that what we're feeling is in fact anxiety. Then we identify the different "directions" in which we're being pulled. Then, STOP! SLOW DOWN to a snail's pace. Come into the "present." Make an effort to stop thinking...you will find peace, and comfort there. You will also find God there!

The best way to become "present-minded" is to go out into nature. Nature is very present; it cannot help but be present. Watch the ind blow through the trees and consider the source of the wind. Watch a bee collect pollen from a flower. Watch the ants...you can never, not find ants here in sunny Florida. You will find that for just a brief moment you won't be thinking about anything but what you're seeing...everything pressing will melt away. This is the gift of the present.

I have realized God resides in the present! A lot of times we get stuck in the past...past hurts, pat hang ups, past habits. The past is a dangerous place for Christians to hang out. Reminiscing about past hurts just brings about anger, pain, and judgement. We have to remember, "there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ."

Even more often, we have a tendency to be future-minded. "I'll be happy when..." Or, I'm worried about this, this, and this. I've learned a valuable lesson about living in the future. First of all, as I said before, God resides in the present, not the past, not the future. Worrying about what's going to happen later today, tomorrow, or at the end of the week or month is not only anxiety-provoking, but it's ungodly. The Bible says,

"Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God
what you need and thank Him for all he has done. Then you
will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can
understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in
Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

So, stop reliving the past, stop trying to control the future, and start living here and now...in the present.

Just Stay Out Of It...famous last words!

You have to read my last post to understand this one. The plot thickens...I'm trying to stay out of it, but I think the Lord has some things to say...which have all been encouraging, but not for my sister. I haven't been able to talk to her...she won't answer my calls. We all know the darkness hates the light for the light reveals what's hiding in the darkness, and there's shame in the darkness.

I have some kind of genetic defect that causes me to want to fix all things that cause anxiety for me because I think that by fixing the problem the anxiety will disappear...but, when can we ever fix someone else's problems? NEVER! I know this and still I forget to remember it.

Thanks to a wonderful workshop at church this past weekend, I am encouraged about my walk with the Lord. I feel confident in who I am in Him. I am reminded to TALK TO HIM about all of this rather than myself. I just need to do some spiritual "vomiting." Those of you who were at the workshop know what that means...those of you who weren't, check out this link: www.saltandlightgroup.com and on the left, click on Freedom Workshop and download it to your computer or Mp3 and listen to it...it will change your life!

Sophie's Birthday

Last Sunday was Sophie's Birthday. The fact that it was also Easter complicated things for me. I wanted to have a party for Sophie, but it was Easter. I'd decided to postpone the party for a couple of weeks but then had an epiphany...Adam and Katie's Birthday is 6 weeks to the day after Sophie's Birthday. I realized the longer I postpone Sophie's Birthday the closer we are to the twins' Birthday. oh. my. So a last minute decision...I had a small family party for Sophie on Easter.

Sophie's arrival into our lives was bittersweet for us at first. The twins were 14 months old when I realized I was pregnant with Sophie. I questioned the Lord and His will for me. I had just experienced the toughest year of my life having had two babies at once and here I am pregnant again. How would I do it? How would I survive three months of morning sickness with two active toddlers? How would I take care of a newborn in the middle of the night when I had a toddler (Adam) who wouldn't sleep through the night?

It wasn't until she was born and the doctor exclaimed, "wow, she's a round one!" and the nurse called out her weight of 8 pounds that I knew everything was going to be okay. Since April 12, 2006 there has not been a single day of my life that I haven't thanked God for Sophie! She is such an incredible gift! Her smile lights up my life, her laughter tickles my spirit, and her love warms my heart. She's precious! Happy Birthday Sophie!

This is the Barbie cake my precious Sophie enthusiastically requested for her Birthday. I was adamant that I wasn't paying Publix $47.99 for their Barbie cake. So, I googled it, and made this myself. I have to say that this was one of the easier cakes I've made and I was thrilled will the results. So was my Sophie!

Here she is! The Birthday girl! Such a sweet little doll!