I would be....

.... Brigitta in the Sound Of Music.

:)

When she walks in late at the beginning of the movie, she is late because she was reading!

Off to read!

What I needed to hear

I am taking a fast from email this week.

Which is hard, because that is how I access my blog, through email.

I do this every now and then. It really refreshes my outlook through God's word and how I see and chat with my friends.

Email is my form of communication. No Facebook, no cell phone, no texting, no Twitter.

I wanted to write a blog post.

Why, I have no clue.

I pulled up my email to access my blog.

And I saw I had a new blog entry to read from "A Holy Experience", written by the author of "One Thousand Gifts".

And I read it.

And her post talked about something I am dealing with.

PERFECTIONISM

I have a pendulum.

It swings one way: I AM IN PERFECTIONIST MODE
It swings another:   I AM IN WHO CARES MODE

I try to do one or the other. And I am never happy where I am. And then it struck me.

I am fine.

I help out around the house.

I help my Mom.

And then I think.....

:~D ....the rain is falling. But the Son is shining!

I had no clue what to write.

But now I do.

I am going to write my goals.

1. Continue my skim through the Bible, reading about God's holy women.
2. Straighten the library like I promised Mom.
3. Start my French book. And do some math.
4. Think of dinner, because its been a long day for Mom.
5. Work on repairing an antique blanket.
6. Take costumes to the dance studio. 
7. Work on my clothes of Compassion, Kindness, Humility, Gentleness, Patience, and Love. (Colossians 3:12&14)
8. Have a tea party with my sisters. 

I have nothing to worry about. 

If my bed isn't perfectly made, the cat who was sleeping on it won't care, that is okay.

If my sisters aren't perfect, that is okay. 

If my outfit isn't perfect, that is okay. 

If my hair isn't perfect, that is okay. 

HAVE A MARVELOUS RAINY DAY! THE SON IS SHINING! 

My 3 spiritual goals

This past week, I fasted. Not from food.....but from email. Emailing is MY Facebook. I needed a break. I used it very sparingly this week, hoping for not at all.....but I did have important things to use it for, e.g. teaching Sunday school. I had 3 goals:

1. Servant leadership....still in the working progress but getting better at it!
2. Deprivation....Deprive myself from something, e.g. my email.
3. Umbrella....An umbrella of [blank].....I used patience, and kindness.

Servant leadership:

Proverbs 15:13
A happy hear makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.

I needed to find happiness, though I was aiming for joy!

Altum Gadium - Deep joy

It is a command of sorts from Paul,

1 Thessalonians 5:16
Be joyful always.

I started making a list of 1000 things over the course of the week, that make me smile. I got to about 160 on day 3. On day 4, I forgot.

I have only lost my temper a few times this week! Praise the Lord!

Ephesians 4:2
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

I am also smiling more....it was a little thought provoking last Sunday, I believe, when one of my little sisters asked why I never smile!

Deprivation:

Romans 12:1-2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is you spiritual act of worship.
Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

That is pretty self explanatory.

And that is what I did. Gave up the ways of the world (email), and I feel transformed by renewing my mind.

Umbrella:

I prayed every, if almost every, night and still will, that God will make an umbrella of the Fruits of the spirits, over me.

Galatians 5:22-23a
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

This week has helped in molding my character.....  

My journey has just begun!