Daily

Do you have things that you do daily or regularly... habits or what have you...

There are the usual... brush teeth, take a shower, get dressed, do hair, eat, take care of kids etc...

There are the ones that are not so good that we wish we could break... smoking, swearing, yelling, impatience, gossiping, bad attitude, being quick to judge or too quick to speak, over eating
*note I don't do everything listed so stop freaking out...lol*

The ones we wish we would... read bible, pray (like actually get down and pray) do more with our kids, our spouse, our friends, be kind, be generous, be joyful, love more, hit the gym... etc...

I am sure like all of you there are some that come easy and some that don't and some that matter to others and some that only matter to us.

I've developed some new daily things and I can tell you they didn't come easy or really because I chose to do them...they came first out of necessity and now I can say I truly find peace and joy doing them... and yes I sometimes still don't do them but 95% of the time I do...

The first thing I do when I open my eyes is I smile and I ask the Lord to give me a joyful heart and a good attitude.

When I shower I have started the habit of that being a time of prayer... let the conditioner soak in and get down and pray for whatever... I usually start out by thanking God for a fresh new day and asking Him for the strength to get me through whatever the day holds and to clean up my mind and heart so that when I speak it is good and not evil.

Sometime throughout the day...usually while kids eat breakfast or at nap time or as late as after kids are in bed... I take time to do my Bible reading... a Proverb, a Psalm and a couple other places...

If I do any running around in the day I take along a book currently "Created to Be His Help Meet" as well as a notebook and pen... so if I spend anytime waiting anywhere I can pull it out and get in a few pages and take some notes... If I don't then I read before bed.

The other thing I've been doing is choosing a specific thing ....anything like washing your hands or using the restroom....stopping at a stop sign...to quickly pray for my husband and kids...just something that you do a lot of during the day...

At night Soleil and I pray together and sing...which we have done since she was born.
I also have started praying in my bed until I fall asleep...I wake up a lot at night and I use those times as well to pray myself back to sleep.

I'm not saying ANY of this to make myself sound like some spiritual person who thinks I am so great...

I AM telling you because these are things to my shame I NEVER got into the habit or if I am being totally honest...never really cared to do... I would start every year out resolving to pray more, read my bible more etc... but it never stuck... In my life I see why... because with anything for me if I TRY in my own strength in my head... It doesn't last... I've TRIED to be nice...lasted at most a week...TRIED to not be angry...lucky if it lasted a day or two... TRIED to be a good mom...blew that...TRIED to be a good wife... uh you see where I am going with this?

ME I SUCK! BIG TIME!

There is something VERY different about when God flips that switch in you...that changes it from being YOU in your head...to GOD in your heart... it doesn't mean your perfect...that you never mess up... but for me it seems like instead of a constant battle it flows much more freely...

and all the things I listed... they are flowing now... yes God had to SPANK MY HINEY big time... but I can truly say that I feel a new joy and peace that I haven't enjoyed for a very long time... and filling up my life with these things... I just don't seem to have as much time to have a bad attitude, complain, be angry or unkind...

Does this mean I never will again...probably not, but I wanted to let you know what's GOD is doing in my heart so you can be encouraged that no matter how many times YOU try and fail... GOD never gives up on US... HE is waiting patiently...and for some like me HE just has to be a lot more patient with...