Hubby has his Bible study this morning at which he is gone a couple hours this morning. As I have mentioned before, I love the quiet of the house and the time I have alone, albeit I am working. But, like last Saturday, unless I have critical work I need to get done, I plan to 'attack' the top of the freezer and hopefully the refrigerator as well, and get both cleaned off and straightened up. I hate that I feel I need to sneak around and clean, but he fusses at me so much or watches me (which annoys me) and asks questions (which annoys me more), so it's easier to do it while he's gone. Hey- at least it gets done, right? He told me yesterday our 'house cleaners' are to be here Thursday. Now the last two months I let them skip this room as I had Christmas things all over it. I have two days to clear off the bed, remove the Christmas quilt and put another comforter on it, and get the boxes on the floor moved out. I can do it. Not a problem, right? And I don't necessarily need hubby gone to do this room - he knows better than come in here except to get his clothes (his closet is in here, but the rest of the room is MINE).
I fixed chicken vegetable soup yesterday for lunch - and dinner. Made enough that I took some over to Ms. Vicky in a small crockpot and even a bowl over to Ms. Diane. We finished it up last night - and 30 minutes later hubby was telling me MY soup made him (in my words) 'run quickly' (and then basically it's my fault for giving him vegetables twice). LOL Whatever. He does have a sensitive gut... me, I can eat just about anything. I hope I never regret making that comment!
Work kept me busy yesterday... I did get to mark several things off my list of things to do. For work, anyway. After dinner it was to watch the news and then read... only my eyes were bothering me last night and I was so sleepy I couldn't stay awake. So I ended up knitting instead of reading. Until my sister called and then we chatted for a short while. It would have been longer, but I stayed on the couch so we cut it short cause I wasn't talking much. (wonder why) And then of course I got the comments and questions. Oh well. Some things will never change.
Philippians 2:14-16 (NKJV): "Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain."
That is a scripture that I have to work on a lot. As you know, I seem to do a lot of 'complaining' at times... not that I mean to... but sometimes it gets to be more than just 'sharing' - in spite of what I may think. I try not to complain... and try not to argue.... but I let life get in my way a lot of times and it doesn't take long to find a sympathetic soul who asks the right questions to get me talking and blah blah blah. You do it too, you know! Maybe not so obvious to yourself.... but I don't want to be known as a complainer, nor a disagree-er (is there such a word?). I want to love and be loved. I want to help others, exhort others, encourage others, help them choose rightly. I want them to know they are loved by God, even when I find it difficult to love them. Make sense?
And it isn't just complaining to others... how often do we make comments to ourselves and complain about others? Just perhaps a comment or two. "What an idiot!" "Doesn't have a lick of sense." Isn't that still complaining, same as "They didn't do what I told them to do!" "I should have done this instead of that; I know better; what's wrong with me?" "I'm so stupid; what am I doing?" Yeah - we capture a lot, don't we?
So how can we improve on that? When those 'down' thoughts come to mind - whether about ourselves or others - how about if we catch ourselves and decide instead to say something positive? You know positive words, right? Praise them for what is done right! Praise yourself that you finished a day's work; a special project. (Yay me, I got the laundry counter done - and it looks great! Good job!) It is the words that come out of our mouths that either build up or tear down - whether it be others or ourselves,
And, if you think about it, the words we speak and the things we think about others and about ourselves, shape us. It becomes our 'attitude' and how the world looks at us. Do they think one is a 'grumpy old man' (we all know them!) because all they do is complain and gripe about things? Do they suggest one is a 'mean old woman' because she insists things be done her way or not at all? We all tend to put labels on others and even on ourselves.
Lord, keep us humble, and not think more highly of ourselves than we are. You made us in Your image. You gave us choices. Help us to choose rightly. Guide our decisions; guide our words; that we build up and not tear down. May we allow You to speak through us to others and choose rightly. It's the little things that bring joy to the heart of our Heavenly Father. Pause and say a kind word as your spouse or child walks by you. It may shock them; or it may make their day.
Make time to do something you have put off doing. Send that email. Write that note. Fold those clothes. Set out food for dinner to thaw from the freezer. Why not YOU plan to make that meal and surprise your family. (who said it had to be the woman of the house to do all the cooking?)
I'm going to try and make time to get the refrigerator and freezer tops cleaned off this morning... depends on my work... but surely I can sneak away and check the computer periodically, right? Got to put the extra shelf together first.
What can you do today that you need to make time for? Why not find that one little thing you keep putting off... and just do it. If you are like me, you have to write those things down cause you keep 'forgetting' about it until you don't have the time to do it... then it goes on the backburner again.
Let's be intentional today! Make the time!
Blessings!
