Everyday Life Everyday Passions

Find ways to fit passions into everyday life.

Start by asking, "Is the to-do list more of things for family or more of passions?"

Asking hard questions, like such, sometimes can be a hard task. Further more, it can be an awesome time finding the quietness in daily converses with God regarding our questions. This can be done at the workplace, driving, standing in the coffee line or doing laundry. He speaks to us in more places than we'd like to think or give Him credit. Even in the shower, I often hear His voice.

Ultimately, conversing with Him provides answers to orignal questions. Questions often searched for answers along the way. Listen. Instead of blaming others around for why things aren't going the way we think.

One recent morning, I turned my iPad on while working on a small painting. My time was allotted in hopes to finish the project. Even though the buyer suggested "no hurry". I was in a hurry. Hurry is how I am productive. It's how I get the job done. The Ipad allowed me to listen to encouraging messages pretaining to writing while I painted. These messages are in a closed paid group called Compel offered by Lysa TerKeurst twice a year.

The night before, I jotted a to-do list. On the list painting was included with lots of other household family related things and other passion related things. Such as blogging, writing, editing, more painting etc.

When I noticed my time painting was up, I hurried downstairs from my studio. Each step, I heard God speaking LOUD and clear.

"It's more passion than family."

He was talking about my to-do list for that particularly day.

What! If I were using emoji's, I'd click on the face with two big open eyes, like what?!

The list laid on the end of the kitchen counter. I gradually walked towards it. My eyes wandered down the list. He was right. The list was more about my passions than my family. It clearly was right in front of my eyes. My hand pushed the list away. Backing away, I walked to my closet where I found my house shoes. Gosh, that sounds so old ladyish, "house shoes". But, I am serious, I went to get the shoes. They are tennis shoes. I wear these shoes only in my house. So that's why they are called house shoes.

While listening to His voice more, I begin doing household duties for the family.

He thanked me for listening. He told me, "I know you already know all this. I wanted to spend time with you."

Is He requesting your time?
Do you recognize His voice?

Listen while:
folding clothes
doing dishes
cleaning out pantry
making beds
going to the grocery
driving to work
on your lunch break
making lunches

My encouragement for you and I both, make our houses a home, make our houses a safe palace for others to come home. Balancing this with passion's can be tricky. I have no doubt He wants to carry out our personal passions. His quiet still voice helps balance each area of life.

The Room is Empty

I am aware of the space surrounding me.

Thanksgiving day passed. Everyone returned to school and work. The blind next to me raised halfway allows sunlight to shine on my face. I sit at my writing place. The Christmas tree lights shine across the room into the dark of the tree branches. I ponder finding joy in the loneliness of writing. 

A soul longs for quiet moments, but how quiet? How do you find the balance blocking out the chatter of the world, the chatter of the enemy, self-doubt, the lonely?

I am encouraged to ask myself first "did you pray" before starting a day of writing.  

Praying I know brings peace. 

The peace embraces the silence of loneliness. 

Communicating this to our souls as a writer brings the importance of writing to a higher understand. It's beyond us. It's an act of obedience reminding us to whom we belong, that we are loved, we are truly important, and we are secure in Him. 

So I ask you-the-writer, "Did you think to pray?" before starting a day of writing. 

View the time of writing as your time with God.

Focus on the need for Him.

Let Him fill you up.

He will equip you reminding you, you are His. You are secure. There's no room for lonely thoughts of doubt when the room is full of Him. We must not allow loneliness to consume our soul. Loneliness is known as a lack of purpose. As an obedient child of God's, we have all the purpose in the world of writing.  

Allowing the lonely time to strengthen our prayer life is refreshing. I am reminded of this in Isaiah 66:9, a time of loneliness (suffering) is also a time of something new being born. Writing is a form of birth. Laboring those lonely pains births a new writing, a new prayer life.

Shall I bring to the point of birth and then not deliver? asks the Lord your God. No! Never! Isaiah 66:9 TLB

Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?” says the Lord. “Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?” says your God. Isaiah 66:9 NIV

In the same way I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born,” says the Lord. “If I cause you the pain, I will not stop you from giving birth to your new nation,” says your God. Isaiah 66:9 NCV

Let the lonely be a launching pad to your greatest calling.

You are called to write.

The forgotten dream

Forgot to share my dream with y'all from not last night 

but the night before! Are you ready...!?!?!?! 

I dreamed a raccoon got in my house! 

See, I love birds. Like bird feeders in my yard. 

I know, I know it's a true sign I am aging but just last year 

I filled both bird feeders up with the special feed 

I get at Lowes that squirrels don't like. 

And raccoons came and ate out of both feeds. 

How do I know this because my dog told me. 

Her's smart like that...

She chased one off the feeder one night. 

He scooted fast under our fence. Wipe the forehead on that one. 

She was safe and so was he... 

So back to the dream!

What did I do when I realized he was in my house?! 

Well I, in my dream, got up to go to the bathroom and saw him in my house. 

So I screamed for the hubby to get up....that's all I remember!