Friday SHINE.....
Today's Reading: Acts 28
Happy Fun Friday, SHINE girls! Want to know something FUN? We will have our SHINE weekday give-away drawing this afternoon! Yay!
I LOVE give-aways!
Today ends our reading in Acts. I'm a little bummed. I love Paul. He's a rock star in my book. Wouldn't you have loved to hang out with him and just let his fire and fervor rub off all over you?
Me too.
So, as I was driving my little dumplings to school yesterday, I call my sweet Lem. I am telling him to have a good day, and blah blah blah, and then BAM.
He starts bringing up money, and the gas card, and some other stuff that I cannot recall because my mind kind of went fuzzy.
If there is ONE thing that I do not ever want to talk about first thing in the morning, it is MONEY. Bottom line, it's not the best way to start off a day.
I like rainbows and sunrises and red birds and butterflies.... not talk of spending money, or to be more specific, me spending too much money.
The kids were all squished in the car, so I was trying to respond kindly back to him. Before I said something that I would definitely regret, I hung up on him. YES, shamefully, I did.
Joseph said, "Mommy, you didn't tell Daddy good-bye. What happened?"
I lied and told him that we got disconnected. (shame on me!)
Let me clarify something about my wonderful marriage: Lem likes to save, I like to spend. End of story.
Before I go further, let me just say that I was in the wrong. I knew I was in the wrong. Shoot.
As soon as I hung up on him, I knew I should not have done that. I knew I should have bowed my head in humility and owned up to my poor stewardship.
Not 2 minutes after me hanging up on my darlin' husband, I get an email notification on my phone. I'm still driving at this point, so I wait to check it when I get to the carpool line.
Lo and behold, it was an email from a precious SHINE girl telling me how much SHINE encouraged her each morning and what a blessing it was to her.
I could feel the Holy Spirit prompting me to make amends with Lem. This email was my reminder that although this online ministry is wonderful, if my home life is all out of whack, then everything else will be out of whack as well.
Are you following me? Sometimes, I have been so spread thin, and so bent on doing things "my way", wanting to make others think that I can do it all--and do it all well, that my family has gotten the left-overs of me. NOT good.
Girls, I know it's hard when the world is pulling you to be involved in this, and be a member of that, and be the president of this, or the organizer of that. It makes my head spin to think of all of the things beckoning for our time and attention. There is nothing wrong with being involved. Nothing.
But, girls, the Lord has put some very specific people in our paths to take care of first and foremost. For me, it is my Lem, my Joseph, my Presley, and a handful of others in my very inner circle.
It's not always a very glorious position. Especially to the world. To the world, tending to our flock just isn't quite enough. Often we believe the lie. We then spread ourselves thin, because the world says we should. We should be super-woman, according to the world. We should be able to do it all, and do it all perfectly. With a glossy little smile!
It's a lie. God never calls us away from our flock. Our flock is our treasure, girls.
With all my heart I believe that if I am taking the best care that I can of my little flock, then I will have the Lord's overflow to be able to minister to others. BUT, if I am helping everyone, always available for everyone, doing this, doing that, and volunteering for everything under the sun....guess who will suffer??
My family will suffer. My flock.
When I get to Heaven and get to meet Jesus, He will ask me how well I took care of my sheep. My flock.
Friend, you may not be a momma, you may not be a grandmomma, or you may never be. However, we ALL have some very specific "sheep" in our paths. God has put them in our care very purposefully to tend to.
Maybe your flock includes a sibling, a grandparent, a parent, a neighbor, a co-worker, a friend in your path....maybe it's your husband.
Ministering to others, serving those in our little circle, that is what we are called to do, girls.
When we are doing this the very best we can, I believe He then can broaden our circle. (if He chooses)
Again, it's the narrow road to be able to find contentment (as Kim so wonderfully posted about on Tuesday) and joy in pouring ourselves into those God has placed in our paths instead of stretching ourselves so thin that nothing is really done well. When stretched that thin, we are really not good for anything. Just tired, worn-out, and exhausted.
(i know this from experience!)
Our Friday Challenge:
Pray today about the sheep in your care. If you are not sure who they are, ask the Father. He will gladly point them out to you. Ask the Lord to show you how to best take care of them. If you have neglected them in any way, ask Him to forgive you and then move on. I challenge you to hone in on the sheep in your path. Minister to them, tend to them. Out of the overflow of His Love pouring out from you, you will be refreshed and able to give more. Isn't that cool?
tending sheep,
jill
Happy Fun Friday, SHINE girls! Want to know something FUN? We will have our SHINE weekday give-away drawing this afternoon! Yay!
I LOVE give-aways!
Today ends our reading in Acts. I'm a little bummed. I love Paul. He's a rock star in my book. Wouldn't you have loved to hang out with him and just let his fire and fervor rub off all over you?
Me too.
So, as I was driving my little dumplings to school yesterday, I call my sweet Lem. I am telling him to have a good day, and blah blah blah, and then BAM.
He starts bringing up money, and the gas card, and some other stuff that I cannot recall because my mind kind of went fuzzy.
If there is ONE thing that I do not ever want to talk about first thing in the morning, it is MONEY. Bottom line, it's not the best way to start off a day.
I like rainbows and sunrises and red birds and butterflies.... not talk of spending money, or to be more specific, me spending too much money.
The kids were all squished in the car, so I was trying to respond kindly back to him. Before I said something that I would definitely regret, I hung up on him. YES, shamefully, I did.
Joseph said, "Mommy, you didn't tell Daddy good-bye. What happened?"
I lied and told him that we got disconnected. (shame on me!)
Let me clarify something about my wonderful marriage: Lem likes to save, I like to spend. End of story.
Before I go further, let me just say that I was in the wrong. I knew I was in the wrong. Shoot.
As soon as I hung up on him, I knew I should not have done that. I knew I should have bowed my head in humility and owned up to my poor stewardship.
Not 2 minutes after me hanging up on my darlin' husband, I get an email notification on my phone. I'm still driving at this point, so I wait to check it when I get to the carpool line.
Lo and behold, it was an email from a precious SHINE girl telling me how much SHINE encouraged her each morning and what a blessing it was to her.
I could feel the Holy Spirit prompting me to make amends with Lem. This email was my reminder that although this online ministry is wonderful, if my home life is all out of whack, then everything else will be out of whack as well.
Are you following me? Sometimes, I have been so spread thin, and so bent on doing things "my way", wanting to make others think that I can do it all--and do it all well, that my family has gotten the left-overs of me. NOT good.
Girls, I know it's hard when the world is pulling you to be involved in this, and be a member of that, and be the president of this, or the organizer of that. It makes my head spin to think of all of the things beckoning for our time and attention. There is nothing wrong with being involved. Nothing.
But, girls, the Lord has put some very specific people in our paths to take care of first and foremost. For me, it is my Lem, my Joseph, my Presley, and a handful of others in my very inner circle.
It's not always a very glorious position. Especially to the world. To the world, tending to our flock just isn't quite enough. Often we believe the lie. We then spread ourselves thin, because the world says we should. We should be super-woman, according to the world. We should be able to do it all, and do it all perfectly. With a glossy little smile!
It's a lie. God never calls us away from our flock. Our flock is our treasure, girls.
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Matthew 6:21
With all my heart I believe that if I am taking the best care that I can of my little flock, then I will have the Lord's overflow to be able to minister to others. BUT, if I am helping everyone, always available for everyone, doing this, doing that, and volunteering for everything under the sun....guess who will suffer??
My family will suffer. My flock.
When I get to Heaven and get to meet Jesus, He will ask me how well I took care of my sheep. My flock.
Friend, you may not be a momma, you may not be a grandmomma, or you may never be. However, we ALL have some very specific "sheep" in our paths. God has put them in our care very purposefully to tend to.
Maybe your flock includes a sibling, a grandparent, a parent, a neighbor, a co-worker, a friend in your path....maybe it's your husband.
Ministering to others, serving those in our little circle, that is what we are called to do, girls.
When we are doing this the very best we can, I believe He then can broaden our circle. (if He chooses)
"If you are faithful in little things,
you will be faithful in large ones. "
Luke 16:10
Again, it's the narrow road to be able to find contentment (as Kim so wonderfully posted about on Tuesday) and joy in pouring ourselves into those God has placed in our paths instead of stretching ourselves so thin that nothing is really done well. When stretched that thin, we are really not good for anything. Just tired, worn-out, and exhausted.
(i know this from experience!)
Our Friday Challenge:
Pray today about the sheep in your care. If you are not sure who they are, ask the Father. He will gladly point them out to you. Ask the Lord to show you how to best take care of them. If you have neglected them in any way, ask Him to forgive you and then move on. I challenge you to hone in on the sheep in your path. Minister to them, tend to them. Out of the overflow of His Love pouring out from you, you will be refreshed and able to give more. Isn't that cool?
"Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers-not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be, not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away."
2 Peter 5:2-4
tending sheep,
jill
