So Many Changes!

2011 is a blink away, and 2010 is coming quickly to it's end.

I cannot fit all the things that happened this year in one blog post, but I'll post about the GREAT changes that God has brought about in the last month or so.

It's hard to decide on a starting point - I guess I'll touch on the fair in Purcell to begin. In September I took a table, banner, golf balls and some passes for golf to the fair in Purcell. There I met an amazing woman who I instantly connected with. Her name is Carolyn and she blessed me so much with her sweet nature! She shared a business opportunity with me, and I decided to try it. I am a Pampered Chef consultant (check out my website if you want, www.pamperedchef.biz/reginathomas). It's been going very well for a baby business, and I hope to watch it grow. Actually, I hope to push, shove, and propel it forward in growth.

September turned into October and Halloween was around the corner. My ex and I are getting along fantastically and I see it helping my kids. However, my oldest has been miserable since the disastrous split last year, and while I saw some improvement, he was not his happy self yet.

Halloween happened, and my oldest was Buzz Lightyear, and my youngest was Optimus Prime. They got more candy than they needed and November started.

At this point their Dad has been staying with us for....I don't know how long. It's comfortable. He crashes on the couch (yes...the couch. Period.) and helps with the boys in the morning and gets Asher to school. After much debate we decide it would be best for the boys if I was home full time again and I turn in my two weeks notice. Oddly enough, Stacy gets sent back to work two weeks later, and I work out an additional two weeks (partially due to an illness, and partially to help make sure the wonderful lady that got the job knew what the job entailed). With Stacy going back to work, and the little one already out of daycare, I took him to work for two weeks. Talk about a long two weeks!

Here we are, Tuesday November 16th, and I'm home for my second day. I have a special girl here with us everyday again, and my boys are happy. Exuberantly, bubbly, easy to get a long with happy. Who knew that two days home could make such a difference? I am surprised and I'm happy and my heart feels full and content again.

And Knot on Purpose is off to a strong start, and I'm hoping that I can drive this forward, with the blessing of the Lord, each and every day.

In Him,
Regina

Jesus: The Doormat

This post comes with:

WARNING/DISCLAIMER: I do not believe any person should use God to control or manipulate another person, and abuse is wrong. The following message does not pertain to abusive relationships and if you or someone you know is being abused, please call 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) 1.800.787.3224 (TTY)Anonymous & Confidential Help 24/7 and seek help.

With that being said, I now continue.

I am, by nature, a giver. I love to give to people, I am usually compassionate, and I will go out of my way to make someone else's day. I am truly happy and comfortable and able to enjoy my life when I know I am serving others to my utmost potential. I love to seek God for the refreshing I need, for the energy, the hope, the strength, and the words it takes to encourage and build up others. I also am human. I sin. I am mean and can be cold. I fail to seek God when I need Him the most, and I let people down. Yes I am talking about the same me, one person, created by God, for a purpose. I mess up. I don't like it. I don't mean to. But I miss it, and when I miss it, I can trace it to failing to connect with God in an intimate and intentional way. And when I fail to connect with my Daddy in Heaven, and it causes me to miss it, someone gets hurt. Wait, there is more.
When someone gets hurt, I withdraw, because I am not good at coping with my own failures. I am just as bad at coping with the guilt that comes from hurting someone. And I end up spiraling downward because I think I'm protecting everyone. Then I get completely disconnected from God.

Don't worry, in another hour of reading you'll understand the title. Okay, I will try to not take /that/ long.

I've been going through a disconnected year and God has been pulling and pulling and pulling on my heart, and I'm softening. And I want to flow in the Spirit and live in my God-given talents and abilities, and I want those God-given talents to be God-powered, Spirit-filled, and life changing. In all my desire to move back into "the zone" with God, I was expressing some ideas for giving to others and I heard the statement. I've heard it before. I've thought this before. "Don't be anybody's doormat." What? "Don't be the doormat."

Okay, but can I ask you something? What does that even mean? You mean, don't let them walk all over me, right? I have a problem with this. You're right, I can worry about "my rights" and "my stuff" and "my time" but that all focuses on me, myself and I. Jesus was so focused and so driven to meet the calling God placed on His life that He allowed Himself to be spit on and FALSELY ACCUSED OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. Jesus did NOT hire an attorney, go to court, and fight the accusations. He never failed in His compassion. He didn't argue. He walked down the path God sent Him for, and I am saved thanks to Him. Jesus didn't defend Himself. Because Jesus wasn't living for Himself. Jesus knew what God wanted Him to do, and He did it.

Now, I'm no Jesus, and I know you aren't either. I do know  that God gave us an example to follow and do our best to live by. Jesus came to save us and show us the perfect model of living for God. We are not perfect, but we have the Holy Spirit to live within us and help us. I know I'm only worried about being a doormat when I'm worried about me. Today I'm going to let God worry about me, because He wants to supply my every need and He can do more for me in a split second than a month of my own blood, sweat and tears can do for me.

Remember, God doesn't call the equipped. God equips the called. And Jesus was the ultimate doormat.

In Him,
Regina

Travel on by Tuesday...

It's 5 o'clock somewhere...okay, actually it's 5 o'clock here. Tuesday just whooshed right by, and I keep wanting to say it's Friday. I suppose we should call that some seriously wishful thinking! I am trying to decide what to spend my thirty "free" minutes doing. I'm headed to a Christmas Arbonne party (WAHOO!) and I'm looking forward to it. I have thirty minutes between now and then, and I'm wanting to practice my knitting. I also want to finish up a hat I'm working on crocheting. I should switch some laundry. I need to hang some up, move some from washer to dryer, and start another load. As I name off everything I find myself overwhelmed and blogging instead of anything else.

Do you ever find yourself overwhelmed by the to-do list? I'm not the first to say this, but YOU CAN DO ANYTHING FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES!! And when I apply that principle to my life, I get a lot more accommplished. I just pick a task, and set a timer, then get busy!

I think I'm going to go spend fifteen minutes on the laundry, it's the biggest pile in the house right now.

How and when do you fit in your fifteen minutes of anything?