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Cleaning Up:  Living a Life of Peace  |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 24 2006 : 03:53:11 AM
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Something else to thank God for.......that your children have two loving parents who live in the same household! It's so rare these days
Kudos to you! |
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momto6
True Blue Farmgirl
134 Posts
Valerie
Goltry
OK
USA
134 Posts |
Posted - Dec 24 2006 : 05:52:25 AM
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This thread came to my attention this morning and has just wowed me. I do know that if Satan can cause us to be dissatisfied, we become ineffective Christians.
One book, regarding organizing, and doing it slowly, one thing at a time, is Simple Steps (don't know the author). The book takes you through one week at a time, and gives ideas on many areas of your life. I didn't do all of them, or even agree with all of them, but it has helped me immensely in the organization of my house, one step at a time.
The other thing I'd like to say is along a spiritual line. I agree with many of the comments here. Three months ago, a group of four young people in our community were killed in a car accident. They had touched many lives...they had a band and went around to many youth groups. They are still, through their deaths, a witness. But the Lord really spoke to me through this about my life, and what was important to HIM. I am learning, by God's grace, to ask myself "what is my motivation"? In each and every step of my day, every task, everything, am I doing this because of my love for the Lord and wanting to please Him? Or (and this is what I am so guilty of), am I doing these tasks, this serving because it is expected, or because someone expects me to. Expectations from others ruled my life for many years. So the freedom that has come from this is amazing. I've begun teaching my children (after 28 years) that they shouldn't do or not do any one thing just because I say so, or just because everyone around them is doing it. If each one of us in our world had so much love for God, because of what He has done for us, and if we kept our eyes on Him, striving only to please Him, I think that (for me at least) we would be at peace, because we would only be doing what He had for us to do at that point. I've been thinking alot about Jesus' life. He was never overly busy. He rested. He had time to sit and teach. He was only about the Father's business. And He didn't care how it looked to others around Him, because He already knew it was pleasing to His Father.
I hope I didn't sound preachy, or judgemental. That is in no way what I meant. This has changed my life, though.
Val |
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abbasgurl
True Blue Farmgirl
1262 Posts
Rhonda
USA
1262 Posts |
Posted - Dec 28 2006 : 8:18:18 PM
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Val,
I loved reading your thoughts on this. Thank you for sharing with us! Hopefully as we get older we get wiser, huh? Learning to balance things is an art, and requires constant evaluation (and prayer if you believe this way). I am so happy to hear you speak of the FREEDOM this has brought to your life! I think that has been one of the biggest blessings in my own life too. So freeing to only have ONE to answer to!
I have always loved the story of Mary & Martha...you know, when Jesus visits their home and Martha bustles around preparing food and worrying about the last minute details, while Mary sits at Jesus feet, gazing up at him and absorbing his every word. When poor overworked Martha complains to Jesus about her lazy sister Mary, his answer is so telling for all of us. "Martha Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only ONE THING is needed. Mary has chosen what is best and it will not be taken from her".
Wow! Only ONE thing? Yippee! Yay! Freedom! From someone who struggles with her Martha tendencies this is indeed good news!
Thanks again Val!
Peace & Freedom to All!
Rhonda
I'm a one girl revolution. |
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Beemoosie
True Blue Farmgirl
2077 Posts
Bonnie
New York
USA
2077 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2006 : 04:28:37 AM
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Val,
What you said was beautiful, not preachy or judgemental at all!
Thank you!
O, Come let us adore HIM! www.beequilting.blogspot.com |
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horse
True Blue Farmgirl
371 Posts
laura
pontotoc
mississippi
USA
371 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2006 : 06:44:41 AM
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I loved reading all what you farmgirls wrote. Sometimes I'm embarrassed when people come to my house. I told my husband when we were getting ready for our wedding, I did the whole keeping a spotless house, cooking, and being the perfect little wife. This time, every time you left I will be in the truck with you. I will be a mother first, and when I died I didn't want to be remembered as the one with the spotless house but as someone who put others before her. I want everyone to reflect on the love of life I had not some house . I want them left with wonderful memories.
Laura |
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Horseyrider
True Blue Farmgirl
1045 Posts
Mary Ann
Illinois
1045 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2006 : 05:10:49 AM
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Laura, you remind me of a list of wishes that Erma Bombeck wrote when she knew she was dying of cancer. One of the things on her list was she wished she'd had more parties, that she shouldn't have missed things because she had stains on the carpets.
Stains happen. Messes happen. It's great to get organized if you don't lose focus on what's important. When I was a kid I had a friend who was forbidden to play in their livingroom. The family treated it like some sort of shrine; you couldn't even walk in there. It was a dead, dusty, silent room. Spotless and perfect equaled lifeless and uninhabitable. Not the kind of memories I want for my children and grandchildren.
I find it very important to live a life of gratitude. Gratitude for all things, big and small. Through gratitude comes a sense of abundance, and through that sense of abundance all things are given. So much of it starts right there in our own hearts! I remember Henry Ford saying "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, either way you're right." So much comes from how we choose to view our world.
Giving thanks is a small thing, but a very big thing too. And it releases our hearts from the wannabes and shouldbes to get on to what's really important. |
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Cleaning Up: Living a Life of Peace |
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Living a Life of Peace
