I had much difficulty falling asleep last night. We went to bed around 9:30PM I think and I started the toss and turn routine. My mind would just not shut off. So I prayed. And prayed. And STILL, it would not be quiet and let me sleep. My 'sleep monitor' (watch) tells me that I slept a total of - are you ready for this - 3 hour and 8 minutes - last night. And yet, when I look at the breakdown, it has 10 minutes awake; 24 minutes in REM, 2 hours 1 minute in Core and 43 minutes in deep sleep. So how could I only have 3 hours and 8 minutes asleep. I tell you, these monitors are not right! But asleep 3 hours and 8 minutes could possibly be right. I'm sure what it is showing 'REM and Core I am actually just laying there, still, trying to sleep. Trying to not wake hubby up. I finally got up at 3:30AM and came in here; couldn't stand laying down any longer. Hope the lack of sleep doesn't affect my day too much.
I have a board meeting prep this morning and then will be leaving to go with hubby to his doctor's appointment - the kidney doctor. All the labs are normal now but he already had this appointment so we'll go and ask if he needs to go back and do labs next month as suggested. This kidney doctor told us on the first visit that everything was fine; he didn't know why hubby was sent to him. If we get the same report from him today, then we're 'good to not go'. After that appointment the next is at 5PM when I hit the gym - Morgan is back in town. She said she could only get me in one time this week and tonight is it. After that, we have our bible study on Revelations at church and then we're home for the evening.
Somewhere throughout the day, I will be drinking more coffee, due to the lack of sleep/rest during the night. I wonder if I can sneak a nap in somewhere.
I can't believe it is 'only' Wednesday this week. Yesterday was kind of slow at work in the afternoon. I did have a few meetings during the day, and I do have other things I need to do (learn more about PowerPoint for one) but I just sat there and went through work emails and made sure I had completed tasks I am supposed to. I even did a few exercises while sitting in my chair with my 5 lb barbells and the weighted ball I have - working on the core. I don't know what Morgan will be doing tonight - this week should be legs and core - but I'm only going once this week so I think it may be legs. I'm still doing my 50 squats each morning. Just because I want to. It's been over 30 days now. I wonder how long I will keep it up - when will I get to the point of 'I don't want to'? I figure it is at least 'something' that I can do without equipment and it does work the butt and legs - 'items' that I think are way too big.... just saying.
James 1:22 (NIV): Do not merely listen to the Word, and deceive yourselves, Do what it says.
Or we could say, don't just read the Word, and then shut it up and put it back on the shelf. Living with Christ in you is more than just reading, or listening, to what He says. It is acting on what He says. Life is hard, I will admit it. You know how often I fail. I am so grateful for a forgiving and loving Heavenly Father who pours out His grace when I confess my sins and He restores me to Himself. And He does that for you as well.
When was the last time you sat down and had a talk with Jesus? Jesus is God's Son, but as I was growing up, it was all about God. Does that make sense? I learned more about Jesus when I took a discipleship class many years ago. I learned that Jesus was not only God's Son, but to get to God, I needed to go through Jesus.
John 14:6 (NIV): Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
In other words, Jesus is our Advocate. He is our 'attorney' who fights for us. When we are sick, or if we have problems, we can go to Jesus and seek Him and ask Him to fight our battle for us, to take it to our Heavenly Father, and ask Him to make right what is wrong. Sometimes, for older people like me who were brought up that it is all about God, and all our prayers were Dear Father, or Heavenly Father (and many pastors still begin prayers that way; nothing wrong with that) - we sometimes 'forget' that we can go through Jesus as our Advocate, to get to the Father.
But, if there is sin in our life, God does not 'hear' us. That's why we are often told to pray according to 'ACTS.
Adore - tell God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit how much you love them; worship them. Praise them.
Confession - confess your sin(s) and ask forgiveness. Ask for help in overcoming those things that hold on to you.
Thanksgiving - thank God for His mercy and His grace; thank Him for saving you, praise Him with thanksgiving for all His gifts to you. Thank Him that He will give you what you ask for (providing it is in line with what we should be asking for!).
Supplication - ask for what your need is. Ask for help with finances. Ask for healing of relationships. Ask for healing of your body. Ask for..... whatever is on your heart, you can ask for.
and then thank Him again for what He is about to do in your life. The answers may not come right away. Sometimes they take a lot longer than we want them to. But when we push in to Jesus, we find that we have the strength to endure all that comes at us, because we know that He is walking the journey with us. Hallelujah.
Many times I have been on my face before God, crying out for mercy and grace for those I love. I may not always see or hear the answer for what I ask, but I know that in all things, God is at work, and whether I ever hear my request has been answered in my lifetime, I know that He is God and I am not, that He is in control of all things.
I actually heard of prayers being answered this week that I have prayed 20 years ago. Won't go in to details, but I praise God that in His time, He answered. Reminds me of the song, In His Time....
In His time, in His time. He makes all things beautiful, in His time. Lord, please show me every day, as You're teaching me Your way, that You do just what You say, in Your time.
Be patient. God is working in you and through you - and He isn't finished yet.
Blessings!
