Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Make new friends but keep the old...

Make new friends,
but keep the old,
one is silver
and the other gold.

I remember singing this song in girl scouts, but I don't think I fully understood. As we have moved around over the last 18 years, I think I grasp it a little more each move. This last weekend we were blessed to have friends visit us that are stationed in Germany. We met 6 summers ago sitting at the Millbrook YMCA with our boys. I can honestly say we never thought we would be sitting in Slovenia with our families, seeing the sights and enjoying the food, especially not staying at our home. One thing I love about the Air Force/military is that friends are family wherever you are stationed. There have been special friends at each place we have lived and the Millikens were one of those from our Alabama season. I have come to see that God has something different at each assignment fo us. It hasn't always been easy for me to see that though. There are places that have been so comfortable, it can be hard to move on. I have stayed stuck before trying to make the new place just like the old one. You can't imagine my frustration! God had to show me HE likes to do new things sometimes. They may be new and different (which can be scary) but there are blessings waiting. My walk with Him can be the same. When I am in a comfortable place, I don't always want to move on. If I have had a good season and that is changing, I try to do whatever I can to resist the change. I try to think of what can I do to make it like it was. Change can be scary! I love that our Father in Heaven knows us though. Just like He brought us together with old friends last weekend to encourage us, He also knows what encourages us in our walk with Him. So make new friends, wherever you are in life, but keep the old. In the same way, let God take you to new places with Him, while remembering what He has blessed you with in the past! One is silver and the other gold, but they are both priceless!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

I had no idea!

I realize that as a 40 year old mom raised before the age of computers and digital technology I still have a way to go to catch up to all that is out there. Today as I was talking to a friend, I was told that you could see on your blog how many people went to your blog each day and where they were from. So out of curiousity I looked. I had no idea! Who knew? I enjoy reading others' blogs and being encouraged, but could I have things to share as well? I had to wonder why I am so inconsistent about blogging. I pondered this today and I think I have narrowed it down to two reasons....my perfectionism and feeling overwhelmed. I have a tendency to be perfectionistic in my approach to things...if I can't do it great and well, then I sometimes don't even start. Flawed I know, but real none the less. I also have so many things I want to share, I have a hard time narrowing it down and it seems overwhelming. So, I figure it is best to just come back to it later (which as you can see, doesn't usually happen). Sometimes I wonder if my prayer life doesn't reflect this same thinking. If I can't do it perfectly, then I have a harder time starting. If I don't have a huge chunk of time or a great quiet place or I am not "feeling like it" I can tend to just go on with my day. On the otherhand, there are other times that there is SO much I need to discuss with Jesus that I don't know where to start so I feel overwhelmed and just don't start. What flawed thinking on my part! God desires for us to come to Him all the time and share our heart with Him, not for His sake, but for ours! He never expects perfection. He knows better than I do about my imperfections. He knows we feel overwhelmed, but only He can take what seems like a mountain of "stuff" and sort it out and lift our burden! So with these realizations today, I am going to take the advice my husband shares often ...to "Lighten up" and not take myself so seriously and not let perfectionism and feeling overwhelmed slow me down. Be looking for more updates on what our family is doing, what God is doing in our family and what it is like living in this great country. But first I must go "lighten up" in the area of prayer. I have a feeling He will spiritually lighten me up as I lay my concerns at the cross of Jesus. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 Want to join me?