when I have nothing to rush about and get ready for. I love laying in bed until 5AM or so, taking my time to get up and make my way in here. I love hubby has started making pots of coffee on weekends and I can take a break and go get a 2nd cup without using the k-cup (they can get expensive!). I love being able to come back to my room and shut the door for another hour or two and just be alone. I love Saturday mornings. Once I leave this room, busyness sometimes starts. And I have a long list for today!
Yeah, first I will need to cook breakfast. Then, being filled with food, I will talk myself out of the things I want to accomplish today and sit down and crochet or sew. Or read. I should just sit down and catch up on my New Testament reading. I'm reading for I Timothy this morning; about 3 days behind schedule. But at least I am continuing to read.
God is so good. You probably don't remember but a few years back I had a woman at work that had turned on me. I may have mentioned this before a couple times, but hear me out. She avoided me over something I had confronted her about. This went on for a few months, then she took a year's medical leave for heart issues. When she came back to work, I left her alone; I did welcome her back, but that was it. She started speaking to me again. Then COVID hit and we were sent home. After a bit, she started sending me emails and asking me questions about church, the Bible, and God. I responded to her and we began to chat on occasion, especially since we both covered for each other when the other was off work. She has said this a few times and I've not let it give me a 'big head' or anything, still haven't. But it just amazes me how God takes things and changes them for good.
Yesterday I got a message and she asked if she could call me. I said 'yes', and she did call me via the Teams on the work computer. She even had the camera on and she didn't have any make-up on! LOL I usually keep my camera off if I don't have makeup on. Anyway - she asked how my hubby was doing as she is covering for me next week when I take a couple days off work for his surgery. Then she tells me about an issue she is having with one of the women who occasionally attends the women's group in her home. We talked about it, and my mind is praying as I talk "Lord, help me give her wise advice!". As we talked, she said this.... "Some of the women ask if I have a mentor and I tell them yes. I talk about you all the time. You have mentored me and helped me learn more about God; you bought me a Bible; you give me help when I need it....." Wow. No, I didn't let her words go to my head. I'm actually humbled that she would think I would be her mentor; I was just trying to be a friend who loves God and help her when she contacts me. God took a difficult situation of her being angry with me before she was a Christian, and helping her to become a Christian, to where now she is leading a group of about 20 women in her home each week. It made me feel humbled that she would think that I would be her mentor. I just want to help her follow Jesus.
I don't tell you that to build myself up. I'm just sharing that God can take impossible situations and turn them around for His good. He gets all the glory, all the honor, all the praise. And it takes OUR patience for it to happen.
I told hubby last night that I have decided what I want to do with my gift cards from Christmas. I am going to go to Big 5 and get new gym shoes to work out in. When I went to Brooks Running (besides them being so expensive) and had my feet measured, the clerk determined I needed wide shoes. Now, granted, narrow ones I can't wear as my feet has spread over the years of walking in heels. I loved that I had plenty of room when wearing the shoes. BUT. There's that word. BUT. When working out and trying to do lunges and walk with weights and lunging, my feet 'slide' within the shoe. Does that make sense? I don't run, and right now I don't see running in my future unless it is on a treadmill, which is also doubtful. One may need 'wide' shoes then. I want to go to Big 5 and pick up a regular pair (or two) of tennis shoes and have one for the gym and one for regular wear. I do have to buy inserts for my arch is high, but I can use my gift cards for something I need. And then I may go buy some more yarn.
That could be one of my organizing tasks today as well (providing I get to it). I have so much yarn - truly! - but most I have only one or two of a specific weight and color. Usually I can make a blanket using those two colors - and I do. But I need to get it out and in order. Groan. I even have yarn in the garage in a box. LOL I only have so much time to crochet when I am still working. And I'm wanting to read more. Haven't been doing much of reading except my Bible this year. I have a long ways to go to meet my 50 goal. I need to figure some things out. I moved my cookbooks to the top two shelves of the bookcase in the 'craft/exercise' room so I have lots of yarn in bags too. I need to find another place for my cookbooks so I can have more room to put my yarn. I'm getting excited to rearrange things again. But I still may need to buy a couple baskets to put yarn in and place strategically around the room. LOL I can do one baby blanket - by crocheting every evening - within about 3 evenings, I think. But I have other things I want to do too in the evenings. Like read. Or sew. Yes, I still have the two baby quilts I need to finish. Maybe I need to make that my first project. After I get my yarn off the floor and put in baskets or shelves. So many ideas of what to do. Got to press on!
Philippians 4:8 (NIV): And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your eyes on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
How easy it is for us to watch things or look at things that are not true and honorable, and right and pure, and lovely and admirable. Reminds me of a video I saw last night on Facebook. Yes, I was wasting time before bed doing the Facebook scroll.
If a pastor on Sunday morning is preaching, and then takes God's name in vain, continues preaching, and then takes God's name in vain, preaches some more, and then takes God's name in vain again.... would you keep going to that church? Would you not take notice?
On Saturday night do you go to a show or watch a movie that the actors/actresses take God's name in vain and you don't think anything of it? Do you keep watching?
What if, on Saturday night, you continue to watch this movie and a male and female start kissing, then touching, and then start tearing the clothes off each other.... do you keep watching?
And what if, on Sunday morning, a couple comes up on the stage and starts kissing, touching and taking their clothes off - would you not protest and leave or try to stop it? What if it was your daughter?
Do you have double standards for loving and obeying God? Do you protest when someone uses God's name in vain..... and yet will watch it in movies? Will you criticize how women dress in church with high skirts and low necks to show their cleavage.... and yet will go watch a movie or program where the women are wearing even less?
I heard a woman speak one time about this issue.... and it kind of stuck with me. Women of God are called to be modest, not 'women of the world'. Our boobs should be viewed by our spouses only; not by the world. Our body should not be put on public display for the world to see; it should be for our spouses only. Do you agree? Do you disagree? I don't care how good you think you look in a low top and a barely covering your butt skirt... save it for your husband in private.
Don't come against me for saying that - I used to wear the low tops and short skirts many years ago. I wore the hot pants. I liked the looks I got; I looked 'hot'. But God impressed on me that I shouldn't dress that way when I became His; my body was not to be put on public display, but only for my husband. What are your standards for yourself? Are you watching movies that are full of taking God's name in vain and sexuality? What do you think God thinks about that?
Something to think about....
And with that.... I think I'm going to get off here and begin my day. I have a list of things I want to get done today - and know I won't even make a dent; yeah, my list is that big. But - at least I can get started. Breakfast first.
Have a great day!
Blessings!
