This weekend was a rollercoaster-ride of emotions.
Thursday morning our car started acting up.
Thursday night my in-laws came to help get it (temporarily) figured out.
Success with the car (temporarily).
Also Thursday night, my father-in-law had a minor stroke.
Friday morning my mother-in-law took Dad to the hospital.
Friday evening we had a great time with friends (Joe and Ruth).
Friday night Joshua's younger brothers stayed with us.
Saturday morning I spent thrift-shopping and making cookies with another amazing friend, Sara.
Saturday afternoon I worked at the library.
Brothers stayed with us again Saturday night.
Sunday morning we went to a Methodist church (for a class Joshua's taking).
Sunday afternoon we visited Joshua's parents at the hospital.
Dad is doing a lot better--walking with a walker, talking almost normally, moving more.
Sunday evening we went to see Puss in Boots (funny movie :) ).
Sunday night we did homework and played cards with Ruth and Joe.
And now it's Monday, and I'm drowsy from sleep deprivation all weekend, and stressed because the house didn't get clean like I planned for it to.
It was a busy weekend--stressful things and fun things to counteract the stressful, but no time to do much housework or homework.
In it all we were blessed.
In it all God taught me so much (selflessness, the value and importance of family, more lessons on priorities, how amazing our friends are, the incredible blessing my husband always is, etc, etc).
Life is so fragile.
The future is so elusive.
Our plans are so futile.
God holds all things together.
God knows the future.
God's plans will come to fruition.
Sometimes it's just hard to trust, to remember that.
Worrying seems so easy. But it doesn't do any good.
Trusting is so hard. But it's the only thing I can do, sometimes.
Prayer is so easy, and it does so much good!
I've been doing a lot of that this weekend.
I'm ooking forward to Thanksgiving break--a time to rest, to catch up on housecleaning, to relax with my husband, to see family, to remember all we have to be grateful for.
Showing posts with label pain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pain. Show all posts
Monday, November 14, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The blessed pain of discipline
I started working out on Friday, for real. I mean the weight-lifting, elliptical-jogging, crunch-doing working out. My lovely and athletic friend Ruth offered to give me some pointers and be my workout buddy. She really knows what she's doing and I'm very thankful for her guidance and instruction!!
I'm one of those people with a slim but very not-athletic build; I've always been more sedentary. I like walking but this kind of working out is very new for me. As a result, I'm using muscles that don't often get used, and I'm feeling it! Saturday morning my abs hardly wanted to work, and I've been walking painfully the last couple days after a lower-body workout on Monday.
I knew this would happen; since I haven't been very active before I knew that any amount of real exercise would hurt at first. I also know that in a couple weeks I'll be more used to it and a lot less sore.
I keep reminding myself that this pain is a good thing. It means I'm working my body, making it stronger and healthier, and Ruth said today that my abs already look more toned. I have to keep pushing myself, but the results in the long run will be totally worth some sore muscles now.
Discipline was like that when I was little. Now I'm disciplining myself to work out, but a decade ago it was my parents instructing me to do and not do certain things, and there was punishment when I didn't obey. It hurt and it was inconvenient: spankings, time-outs, groundings, depending on my age and the severity of the disobedience. But I learned what I needed to and I was a better person as a result. (Yep, Mom and Dad, it worked...you can say "I told you so" now. :) )
Funnily enough, God puts discipline to work the same way. Have you ever noticed that the root word of discipline is disciple? As in, a person who follows someone else to learn from them and behave like them? What a concept! When God disciplines us, he is treating us as his disciples: helping us to learn from him and behave more like him. God disciplines us because he loves us. No, God does not cause "bad" things to happen to us. He allows us to go through difficulties and trials because he always uses them for our good and his glory. I have learned so much about trust by living on not a lot of money. I have learned patience through illness. I have learned to rely on God for comfort and help when I'm scared and sad. I have learned to give control over to God when it seems like my life is out of my hands.
Discipline hurts, certainly. No one likes the pain and frustration and discomfort of trials and difficulties. But it's a good pain, one that God uses to bless us richly!!
I'm thankful for my aching muscles that are growing and strengthening. I'm thankful that God loves me so much to use the good and the bad times in my life to help me become more like him, and grow closer to him in faith.
I'm one of those people with a slim but very not-athletic build; I've always been more sedentary. I like walking but this kind of working out is very new for me. As a result, I'm using muscles that don't often get used, and I'm feeling it! Saturday morning my abs hardly wanted to work, and I've been walking painfully the last couple days after a lower-body workout on Monday.
I knew this would happen; since I haven't been very active before I knew that any amount of real exercise would hurt at first. I also know that in a couple weeks I'll be more used to it and a lot less sore.
I keep reminding myself that this pain is a good thing. It means I'm working my body, making it stronger and healthier, and Ruth said today that my abs already look more toned. I have to keep pushing myself, but the results in the long run will be totally worth some sore muscles now.
Discipline was like that when I was little. Now I'm disciplining myself to work out, but a decade ago it was my parents instructing me to do and not do certain things, and there was punishment when I didn't obey. It hurt and it was inconvenient: spankings, time-outs, groundings, depending on my age and the severity of the disobedience. But I learned what I needed to and I was a better person as a result. (Yep, Mom and Dad, it worked...you can say "I told you so" now. :) )
Funnily enough, God puts discipline to work the same way. Have you ever noticed that the root word of discipline is disciple? As in, a person who follows someone else to learn from them and behave like them? What a concept! When God disciplines us, he is treating us as his disciples: helping us to learn from him and behave more like him. God disciplines us because he loves us. No, God does not cause "bad" things to happen to us. He allows us to go through difficulties and trials because he always uses them for our good and his glory. I have learned so much about trust by living on not a lot of money. I have learned patience through illness. I have learned to rely on God for comfort and help when I'm scared and sad. I have learned to give control over to God when it seems like my life is out of my hands.
Discipline hurts, certainly. No one likes the pain and frustration and discomfort of trials and difficulties. But it's a good pain, one that God uses to bless us richly!!
I'm thankful for my aching muscles that are growing and strengthening. I'm thankful that God loves me so much to use the good and the bad times in my life to help me become more like him, and grow closer to him in faith.
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