When You Need a Little Help

This week is shaping up to be kind of crazy:
lots of homework due
helping with hair and makeup for a play this weekend
laundry to get done
spending time with my hubby (that's at the top of the priority list!!)

I got kind of overwhelmed yesterday, just at the thought of all I had to do.  Joshua looked at me and asked, "Do you need a hug?  It looks like you need a hug."  He just held me, and it helped so much.  Today he ordered a pizza so I didn't have to cook supper.  He's been wonderfully encouraging, even when I'm so stressed and tired.  I'm thankful that this isn't how life is all the time!

But I know it's not just me.  We all get tired, stressed, and burned out at times.  So what do we do at times like that?

Image Credit: FrameAngel via Freedigitalphotos.net

Take care of yourself.
What helps you relax?  What makes you feel good?  For me, it's a hot shower, a mug of tea, and plenty of sleep.  And lots of time with my husband. :)

Do you like to cook to relax?  Spend a couple hours reading a good book uninterrupted?  Get away with some friends with a couple hours?  Whatever it is that helps you refresh your body and spirit, if you're feeling stressed and burned out, make time to do those things that will lift your spirits and help you be physically prepared to do your best in everything.

Ask for help.
No one should expect you to always be able to take care of everything on your own!  Can you delegate some of your tasks at work to a coworker?  Readjust your schedule so you don't have so much on your plate in the immediate future?  Enlist your spouse and/or children for help at home?  You are not alone.

Take it to God in prayer.
This is the BEST thing you can do when you're stressed/exhausted/worried/whatever!  God is always there for you, and he loves you more than you can imagine. That's something I need to remind myself of a LOT.  Prayer is more powerful than I think we know, and the Holy Spirit promises to always be with us.  God gives us peace that surpasses all human understanding--don't ever forget that.

So if you're like me this week--if you're tired, stressed, busy, worn out-- make sure you're taking care of yourself, asking for help, and daily lifting up your life to the Lord.  He loves you so much.  Always remember that!

What is your best advice for de-stressing when life gets crazy?

to keep on keepin' on

Today was the first day of school.
Technically, it's my senior year, but I have a year and a half to go and Joshua has two.  So we'll be "super-seniors," which isn't that big a deal...a lot of people follow the five-year plan.  Or four and a half, in my case.

We didn't get to bed nearly early enough last night, so that might contribute to my tiredness.  I'm exhausted.  It'll probably take a few days to get used to the school schedule again.  I don't have a massively busy schedule, but it's plenty.  Figuring in classes, work, homework, meal-making, cleaning, dishes, and time with friends and most importantly with Joshua...it's a little overwhelming.  But I know we'll get into a system, and I'll get used to it.  I always do. :)

So far I've only been to three of my eight classes.  Two of them are choir and handbells, which both are very familiar.  I have two new professors this semester, and I met both of them today.  I think this will be a good semester.  I'm looking forward to all my classes.  They will all be useful and interesting. :)

I want to keep blogging, and linking up, but I have a feeling that, at least for a while, blogging might have to take the back burner.  I know writing is really, really important, but did you see that list of everything I have to do every day?

Give me a couple weeks.  At the most, a month.  I'll keep writing as much as I can...but it might be a little less than usual in the next few weeks.  Bear with me.  Stick with me if you want to.  Keep your eyes open... I'll keep posting.  I'll be here.  I just might be a little scarce for a while. :)

Because this is important to me.  Writing.  Blogging.  Keeping up with this community.  I know I have an obligation to my readers, to keep on keepin' on.  I have even more of an obligation to myself.  This is important.

But I talk a lot about priorities...keeping first things first.  Blogging is an important thing, but it's not a first thing.  Not right now.  So it will happen--I hope fairly regularly--but I need to keep other things first: God.  My husband.  My friends.  School.  Work.

Thanks for sticking with me. :)

Strength Renewed

It's getting toward the end of the summer.  Many students and families are starting a new school year.  Joshua and I have less than two weeks until school begins again for us.

I'm ready for a new schedule, a change of pace, a different routine.  This summer has been wonderful, don't get me wrong--but I'm ready for some changes.

At the same time, I'm a little apprehensive.  With the new school year will come new challenges: juggling being a wife and homemaker with being a full-time student and working part-time and trying to spend some time with friends, too.  It's a bit overwhelming!  (If you're feeling like you have a lot on your plate--you are not alone!)

A verse from Isaiah came to mind this morning.  God said to Isaiah,

"I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you.  So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." -Isaiah 41:9b-10

God has chosen me to serve him.  He is always with me; he gives me strength and help.  I have nothing to fear or worry about.  And neither do you, no matter what your life looks like right now!

In the previous chapter of Isaiah, God spoke more comforting words:

"Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary, and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall.  But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."  -Isaiah 41:28-31

Our strength does not come from ourselves.  Even youth (like me!) grow tired and weary.  But God never does.  Our God is everlasting--Creator of all that exists.  It is when we put our hope in him, not in our own "strength," that we become strong.  It is God who lifts us up.

I won't get through this coming school year on my own power.  It will be with the strength of God, by his grace and his will, that I will live each day to his glory.  I won't do that perfectly... but I can trust that God has forgiven me.  And he chose me to be his servant knowing that I'm imperfect, so I know he can and will use me for his will despite my imperfections.

I can't wait to see where his strength will take me this year... to what new heights I'll soar.  I wonder...where will God take you?

Linking up with these lovely ladies:
 Growing Home; Thankful Homemaker; Time-Warp Wife; Cornerstone Confessions; Lessons from Ivy

 

Whew!

The weekend went by too fast.  This is the last full week of classes.  I have six papers and a test till to accomplish in the next week.  I am perpetually short on sleep.  So that's all I could think of for a title: "Whew!"

Ruth and I went to the annual "Christmas at Concordia" concert on Saturday.  This was the first year in three that I wasn't in a musical ensemble, and it was weird but nice at the same time.  The concerts get better every year.  It was amazing: such incredible music, such a wonderful way to praise our Savior and celebrate his birth!

Also on Saturday it SNOWED.  Finally!  (Two years ago our first snow was October 10, way too early!)  With the snow came much colder temperatures.  It's officially winter in Nebraska.

I baked bread on Sunday...we witnessed a wonderful baptism in church Sunday morning...spent time with friends Friday night...congratulated ourselves on getting our ten-page papers done for history class...worked Sunday night.  And now it's Monday.  Only Monday?  Today has felt at least three days long!

I'm ready for the semester to be over.  I'm very ready for a break, and looking forward to new classes in the new year.  I also want to get my house clean and keep it that way for more than 24 hours straight!

The end is in sight, folks.  Blessings on your week--of school, work, and whatever else comes your way.  God be with you!

Those times I just need to cry.

I am female.
I am emotional.
Sometimes, I am very hormonal.
Often I am stressed.
Sometimes I am worried.
Rarely I am angry.
Regularly I am happy.
Sometimes I am tired.
Other times, I have no explanation for how I am feeling, but in all these times...
I cry.

Call me crybaby, call me a wimp, call me a little girl who hasn't grown up yet, but I have discovered the universal, all-purpose expression of emotion and a never-fail stress reliever: tears.
I have heard that some chemical is released in tears that relieves stress in a cool biological way.  God's awesome like that.  But whatever it is, when I cry, I feel better.

Today was one of those stressed-humbled-relieved-frustrated-tired-confused-thankful sort of days when I cried three separate times.
(and no, it is not that time of the month)

Do I feel better?  You bet.  Have I heard God's message loud and clear ("TRUST ME.")?  Yes.  Have I felt the squeeze of my husband's hand and his reassuring words, "It will be okay"?  More than once.

Am I going to bed NOW so the tiredness isn't a factor?
As soon as I click "Publish Post."

And have I gained fresh perspective on life today, that despite what seem to be life-interrupting frustrations (but really aren't that bad), I have so much to be thankful for and am so well-off compared to millions of other people?
Yes, thanks to Pastors Matthias and Bruick, and most especially thanks to my heavenly Father who understands when I need to cry.

Thankful Thursday

Today is my busiest day of the week: class, chapel, babysitting, lunch, class, class, homework, work, work, homework.  Bed.  Right now I'm in the last homework stage.  And yes, I'm doing a blog post instead of homework at the moment.  Priorities, you know. :)

Anyway, there is much to be thankful for on this busiest of days!!

~Beautiful fall weather
~A furnace that heats our home, blankets and a hand-crocheted afghan on the bed, and a husband to snuggle against
~Writing like mad in class this morning
~Funny and awkward and sweet poetry
~Running after two little girls
~Seeing people I know and like and talking with them
~Warm, cozy, fuzzy sweaters
~Coworkers I like, who make me smile
~Chicken salad crossaints with swiss cheese (!!!)
~Relaxing hour of work at the library
~Homework with my hubby
~The promise of going to see CELTIC THUNDER tomorrow!!!!!!!

linking up to the lovely Julia at black tag diaries. :)

Stressed but Blessed

That's what I said to a friend on facebook today.  I'm stressed but blessed.

You don't need to hear my current list of stressers.  It's a mile long and I don't really want to remind myself.  I will boldly ask for prayers for my sick husband, however!!

I've had two different friends today give me comfort, encouragement and a reality check.  Not to mention hugs and the reassurance that it's okay to cry.  Thanks, guys: you know who you are.  They reminded me that it's all about perspective: things could be a lot worse, and I have SOOOOO much to be thankful for.  They were reminders themselves of how blessed I am.  God has put the most amazing friends into Joshua's and my lives, and lately I've been running into them exactly when I needed to hear what they had to say.  God, you're awesome.

Anyway, so the things I have to be thankful for, to put my life back into perspective:

Joshua could be much more sick. Or he could have had to skip work today instead of just class. He's able to take time to rest, which he really needs. And since he's home sick, we won't be doing much this weekend. I can't wait.

The weather lately has been gorgeous. I love walking to and from school every day, and the sunshine lifts my spirits.

Financially, God continues to provide: perhaps not in the ways I want him to, but in the ways he knows are best.

We eat so well. Even on a budget. :)

I LOVE my job at the library. It's hardly work at all. Usually it's a time to take a breath, relax, and chat with the amazing people I work with.

God is gracious, forgiving, and loving every day, no matter what.

Joshua and I got our papers DONE last night that were due this morning, and we both felt good about the end results.

I have an amazing husband and I have the honor and privilege of loving him and caring for him. I can't wait to go home to him this evening. :)

Whew. I feel so much better now. Seriously, whenever you're having a rough day and/or feeling sorry for yourself and/or feeling like everything that could go wrong is going wrong...count your blessings. God is so amazing.

Joy and peace to you this day, in His Name!!

My Current State of Mind

SO much to do.  Not nearly enough time to do it.


I can do all things...


There's so much I need and want to do.  I wish I could make everything okay.  I can't handle it all...


Through Christ...


I'm so tired.  Not enough sleep, not enough time to rest, hardly any time for myself today.  I've been dashing from one thing to the next since 8:30 this morning and it won't end for another 3 1/2 hours.  I'm still not fully healthy.  I just want to curl up and sleep.


Who strengthens me.



This is what has been going through my head, practically all day.  Trying to do life on my own doesn't work.  Letting God take the reins does work.  (Ever notice how "reins" is a homonym of "reigns"?  Yeah...)

His strength is made perfect in my weakness.  When I am weak, he is strong.  When I can't do it, God can.

And he helps me get through even long, tiring days like today.  He has given me my amazing finace, without whom I don't know how I'd get through life.  He makes me so happy and just holds me when that's what I need.  He's encouraging and he inspires me to work hard.

God let me run into two beautiful women today, two sisters in Christ who gave me some much-needed love and encouragement.  I'm so thankful for all my girl friends; don't know where I'd be without them either!

And it's such a beautiful day.  The sunshine lifts my spirits so much.

I can do ALL THINGS
through CHRIST
who STRENGTHENS me.

On Forgiveness and -Not- Blogging

I'm frustrated with myself.  I mean, really.  It has been a week since I blogged last!  Which means I haven't done much in the way of Scripture reading lately either.

Once again, it's the old excuse of being too busy.  I really have been extremely busy; there are more things going on than I care to list.  On the other hand, I know that part of my neglect is simple laziness, which is one of my worst faults.

However, I learned something this morning when my beloved fiance was leading a Bible study at his dad's church.  My man talked about how God in Christ has paid for, covered, erased, and generally gotten rid of all our sins.  When we, by faith, believe that Jesus has taken our sin on himself and given us his righteousness, God looks at us and sees none of our sin, but only Christ's righteousness.  No matter how much or how often we sin, when we repent of that sin, God forgives us.  He loves us, no matter what!  He has even claimed us as his own children.  To be called a child of God is something I have been familiar with my whole life, but every now and then it really hits me.

The Creator of the universe calls me his child!!  His own daughter!  His heir, and one who will get to spend eternity with him in heaven!!

This doesn't mean I can just keep sinning, knowing I'll be forgiven.  Quite to the contrary: when we really realize what God has done for us, out of faith, love and gratitude we will respond by serving and obeying him to the best of our abilities.  We can't do that perfectly, no, but that's where God's forgiveness comes in again. It's a blessed, loving circle.

With the knowledge that I am God's child, one he has chosen, I can really apply Romans 8:28 to my life again.  Yes, this keeps coming up, but right now my honey isn't well at all, in fact he's not able to go to the last performance of our college's annual Christmas concert.  And my heart aches for him.  How I wish I was the one with the sinus infection instead of him!  But I keep reminding myself, God works all things for good  for those he has called according to his purpose.  In this too, God will work good.

Today, I am going to remember that I am a loved, forgiven, and saved child of God: one he has called for his purposes.

He's Working for My Good: ALWAYS

I had originally intended to choose a Psalm to write about today, but other things are on my mind.

I'm tired.  I think I'm coming down with something.  My fiance is sick.  I would rather skip classes for the next two days and have break now.  I miss my parents and siblings.  But (with the spirit of Thanksgiving quickly approaching)-- I have SO MUCH to be thankful for!!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

One of my favorite books ever is "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom.  She was a Christian in Holland during WWII, and her family hid Jews in their home to protect them from the Nazis.  The Jews they protected all stayed safe, but Corrie, her family and friends were arrested one day when the Nazis raided their house.  Corrie and her sister Betsie were able to stay together when they were taken to the concentration camps, and they managed to smuggle in a Bible.  Betsie was not strong enough to do physical labor, so she was forced to knit clothing for the Nazis while Corrie did hard manual labor.  In the filthy dormitory where they lived, the beds were infested with lice.  One night while reading the Bible, Corrie and Betsie came across this passage in 1 Thessalonians.  Betsie prayed and thanked God for everything she could think of, including the lice.  Corrie protested that she simply couldn't thank God for lice, but Betsie insisted.  A few days later when Corrie returned from her work, Betsie met her joyfully.  They had been holding Bible studies for other women in the dormitory, and couldn't understand why the guards were leaving them alone.  That day Betsie had overheard the guards talking about why they wouldn't go into the dormitories.  It was because of the lice.  Corrie realized how true it is that we CAN thank God for EVERYTHING, because we can't see how he will work things out.

Paul writes in Romans 8:28, "For we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Despite the little frustrations, discomforts, and inconveniences I've been experiencing lately, I know that I CAN do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Phil. 4:13), and that includes being joyful always, praying continually, and giving thanks in all circumstances, because God will work all things out for my good, even if I can't see or understand how.

Also, when I have an eternal mindset- knowing how short and temporal this life is, and how much more there is to life than the physical things- little things like sickness or weariness hardly matter.  Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, "But [the Lord] said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong."

It is when I am at my weakest that God can work most powerfully through me, because through my weakness his strength shines all the more.  Through weakness, sickness, and trials, God can be glorified in and through me.  So with Paul, I can say, "I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me"!