Something that I struggle with on a daily basis is the the condition of my heart.
On the outside, I try and do the things I am supposed to do
-Pastor's Wife,
Wife
Mom,
Housecleaner,
Community Volunteer.
On the inside though, my heart has a little mind of it's own.
These things are done with the poorest of poor attitudes.
If their places were reversed and my heart attitude was on the outside...
oh, what a site that would be.
It is one thing to do our every day tasks and services
but, is another thing entirely to do them with the right heart attitude.
It is a pretty easy to cook dinner and grumble inside about it... how about we try thanking God for the meal we get to prepare. It would be a whole different ballgame then :)
Some of the ways this plays out in real life are as follows.
They may seem simple but, sometimes the most simple of things can be the most helpful.
1. Music
I have noticed a very direct connection between the music in my life and the state of my heart.
If I put on fast-paced songs,
it is funny how in only a few moments my kids are getting angry at each other.
My stress level goes up and it cycles around.
We like fun songs, and I do have a great love for oldies :)
For the most part though,
I try to have slow, calming and worshipful music on in the house.
Playlist.com is a great place to put music lists together.
This helps me greatly in the day!
1 Chronicles 16:9 "Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; talk of all His wondrous works!"
On the outside, I try and do the things I am supposed to do
-Pastor's Wife,
Wife
Mom,
Housecleaner,
Community Volunteer.
On the inside though, my heart has a little mind of it's own.
These things are done with the poorest of poor attitudes.
If their places were reversed and my heart attitude was on the outside...
oh, what a site that would be.
It is one thing to do our every day tasks and services
but, is another thing entirely to do them with the right heart attitude.
It is a pretty easy to cook dinner and grumble inside about it... how about we try thanking God for the meal we get to prepare. It would be a whole different ballgame then :)
1st Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
In my life this is my struggle, filling my heart with love in the midst of stressful circumstances.Some of the ways this plays out in real life are as follows.
They may seem simple but, sometimes the most simple of things can be the most helpful.
1. Music
I have noticed a very direct connection between the music in my life and the state of my heart.
If I put on fast-paced songs,
it is funny how in only a few moments my kids are getting angry at each other.
My stress level goes up and it cycles around.
We like fun songs, and I do have a great love for oldies :)
For the most part though,
I try to have slow, calming and worshipful music on in the house.
Playlist.com is a great place to put music lists together.
This helps me greatly in the day!
1 Chronicles 16:9 "Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; talk of all His wondrous works!"
2. Starting the day off with God
When you begin the day with God's word in your heart,
it seems like it stays in you, and is ready to pop up at all of the frustrations of the day.
I have my own quiet time and am currently reading through 1 Peter.
It is a nice time to reflect on God's word.
Then, after breakfast the kids and I sit in the living room (Well Bella and I sit while Conner rolls around)
We sing two-three songs, do scripture memory, and read from our Egermeier Bible Storybook
I recommend it highly, and here is a link if you are interested.Egermeier Bible Storybook
My father used to read stories to me as a child and it made God's word come alive!
All of this seems to help us put the right heart attitude on for the day.
2nd Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness3. Night-time prep
I find that I can be a much more cheerful mom and wife if I get ready the night before.
Depending on our schedule for the day, we could be home all, part or none of the day
(It changes from day to day)
So, I need to have the dishes washed, lunch or breakfast made and clothes laid out.
This seems like the most simple of all but, for some reason it is the hardest to commit to.
9 o-clock pm rolls around and I struggle to remember how important this is!
You would think I would listen to proverbs a little bit more?
Proverbs 14:1
The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.
The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.
4. Sleep, a full good night
Need I explain more?
5. Take a break
Sometimes it is needed. We all get overcome and overwrought with work.
Step back your work if you can.
Sit down, pray and drink some tea or water.
Use this time to focus on getting your attitude and heart back to where it needs to be.
It is in these moments I am reminded of the faithfulness of God
and how is molding me and changing me to be more like him.
I just need to choose to obey and do the right thing.
Please pray for me as I continue to try and obey God in this area.
Getting the heart where it needs to be and keeping it there.
3 comments:
Thanks for your vulnerability, M. Ultimately l believe our ability to consistently be and do all those things with a good attitude only comes when we do them because we know we are infinitely, passionately, undeniably loved with a great love. Whatever it takes to connect to that reality, the weight of the great, of-the-ages love he has fr us, we must pursue wholeheartedly, daily. The other things follow in a much more pleasant manner. :)
i will pray for you mel. i think we as human beings can all pray for each other in the areas that you specify. i believe you are on the right path and you are doing well at pin-pointing what you feel you need to do to accomplish your goal of getting your heart in the right "mindset". starting the day with His word is a wonderful recommendation that i need to do more often. thank you for sharing. you do so much and sure are a blessing to me!
Love you, Mel. You described this so well. I was doing a lot of agreement nodding as I read it.
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