I'm Fruitful! I'm Focused! I'm Living My Purpose! I'm Rockn' My Box!

*Edited* to say this quote "We have people in our lives who come to us to get what they need and it's all they know to do. When we hurt or we have needs, they have no idea what to do with us." as seen below, is attributed to a good e-mail full of advice I received from Tabbie. Tabbie is a wonderful person I've had the pleasure to connect with via blog land and I'm so grateful for all the kind words, encouragement, and advice she has brought to my life!

Yesterday I started to pick things up around the house and hadn't been feeling well all day so the hubs sent me to my bed to try and relax a bit. I flipped through the channels and got a good heavy dose from Joyce Meyer. Click here to check out yesterdays Podcast.

I've seen a lot of Joyce Meyer this year and I have to say, she couldn't have landed on a better note, or hit the nail harder on the head! This podcast is exactly where I was yesterday!

The hubs and the kids are all home from work and school and we haven't had much to do the last week and a half or so. This has left me with too much time on my hands to think too much. I spent the last couple of days moping around about this and moping about that and complaining about this and complaining about that. So hubby that it was really funny when he walked into the middle of a Joyce Meyer broadcast to catch her getting excited about all the things he's been telling me for days and weeks! Oh yeah, he had his "told ya so" moment!

One thing that caught my attention in this broadcast is when she talks about how we do things so we don't upset others, because we want to be well liked, because we want to be part of the crowd, we don't want anyone to talk about us, etc. I was very pleased to realize I am not the only woman on this planet that feels that way! Hallelujah! I'm not an insecure retard!

Well, I started to say no to some things this year and learned that Joyce is right. When I started to say no to the things I felt led to get rid of in my life, to line up my actions with what I say out of my mouth, I didn't fit into every box or clique I wanted to fit into. The trouble is, when you spend a good portion of your life knowing someone, they know all the ins and outs of your life. They know where your knees tend to buckle to sin, the mistakes you've made, they know who you were before you surrendered to Jesus. And you know what, they don't let you off the hook! They continue to see you in the same light they have always seen you. So I'm faced with a variety of different people with a variety of different expectations and I'm made to feel guilty and question my character when I don't meet those expectations. But really, only God knows what is required of me. Only he requires anything of me. Yes, I do have a responsibility as a wife and a mother but God and I with the support of the hubs will determine the best way for me to live that out along with all the other decisions and commitments I make in life.

I spent a lot of time this year trying to get over what other people think of me and thank you Jesus, I'm almost all the way there! I wasted a lot of time trying to please and impress other people. I plan to carefully evaluate my time this coming year. I want to get the most of each and every day. I want to be salt and light. I want to be the kind of Christian that helps others. I want to be the kind of Christian that brings other people to heaven with her! So if your one of those people whose opinions used to occupy my thoughts and time, I just don't have room for your opinion in my schedule anymore.

I told a friend earlier today there are so many things I learned this year but two things I know for sure are, a lot of people are takers. We have people in our lives who come to us to get what they need and it's all they know to do. When we hurt or we have needs, they have no idea what to do with us. I'm still available to the takers of my life but I am aware now of those I can turn to in my hour of need. The trouble with expecting something of someone incapable is that you are the one left like there is something wrong with you. I assure you, there is nothing wrong with you. You share your lives so you can be available for that person and God has called someone else to be available to you.

The second thing I learned this year is being the better person and taking the high road does not always yield desirable results. I thought that if I made all the right choices and did everything maturely that all things would work out. Regardless as to how I handle myself, some people just won't like me. Sure, it still stings but I'm better for it.

Okay, three things I know for certain, the third is, I NEED my devotional time daily to be a good person. To be happy, to be polite, to be less irritable, and to walk in love. To diddo a bit from my photo blog, my gift to myself this year is going to be my devotional time. It is the one thing I can do, my prayer closet is the one place I can go, to get filled, to get joy, to be renewed, to be refreshed. The hubs can tell you first hand that if I forgo the prayer closet for a few days, it isn't fun around here! It's my time, it's the one thing I will do for myself daily. And, it's the best gift I can give not only myself but my family too.

My prayer closet is first, keeping my hubby up there at place number two should do miracles to soothe our souls this coming year, and finding a deeper connection with my children. I can do that if I do and only do what God has asked me to do. I refuse to spend another year running around doing things I ought not be doing. This year will be spent focusing on the gifts God has bestowed on me and using them to be a blessing to others. Both of my blogs have been good to me. I have been blessed and from the e-mails and comments I get from blog-land, I know my blog is being used to reach others as well.

I rocked the box I kept myself in, in 2008. In 2009, I'm rocking the box that others have tried to keep me in! Watch out, you may get a splinter!