Top o' the mornin!

There's something about summer mornings. The light blue sky is the perfect backdrop for the beautiful green trees, hills and mountains that surround the Rogue Valley. I swear you can smell the freshness of the Rogue River throughout our little town and since it's late July you can cruise with your windows down at 6:45 wearing a tank top and shorts and not be too cold. Mmmm, that perfectly temperate breeze that flows through the car...love it.

I've always been a sleep-in kind of gal. P.B. (pre-baby) I LOVED me some sleep, and although I splurge in the occasional nap here and there, my days of sleeping past 7 are long gone. PB I thought that getting up early would be the bane of my life with child, but I've come to cherish those 2-3 hours that are here and gone too quickly. Somehow I'd like to squash my entire day into that time frame because it's so unbelievably enjoyable outside that any kind of task would seem like a vacation done in that ideal setting.

Beyond the beautiful climate though, there's also the feeling of a fresh start. I always make New Years Resolutions which I rededicate myself to usually around the first of March...and then June...and then September. I love the feeling of my house right after it's been cleaned and there are pristine countertops, sparkling sinks and clean, vacuum-grooved carpets. I always wear outfits that I buy from the store once before I wash them (some people, my husband included, think that's disgusting) because I love that feeling of pressed newness. The first of every month usually has me making a list of things to get accomplished by the months end. Needless to say, those feelings of fresh, new & clean are important to me and I love that every single day I can have at least an hour of that.

Cup of coffee, quiet house, open Bible...bliss.

Marriage is like a garden

Pastor Matt is beginning a new series about marriage and one of the points he made yesterday is in Song of Solomon, I believe chapter 5:1, but don't quote me (and yes, I'm too lazy to actually reach down to my Bible right now and check). Solomon compares his bride to a garden and Matt pointed out the truth in this - a garden is beautiful, relaxing, fragrant...and a TON of work! The only people that think gardening is easy are those that don't garden. It's the same with marriage - people that don't think marriage is difficult are those that aren't married.

Before Ryan and I got hitched I was of the naive mindset that marriage would be just like dating only with a piece of paper that stated we were going to date for the rest of our lives. Ha, silly Megan. Please don't misunderstand me, marriage is rewarding and I love my husband very much, but there are times where I have to sit down and take a breath because it can be really difficult. Always putting yourself second isn't a talent that comes naturally to anybody and unfortunately to have a fantastic marriage you have to be able to do that. So that brings about Matt's main point from yesterday: you CAN'T do that. Because "that" is called agape love and we as flawed human beings are completely unable to give that kind of love to our spouse on a daily basis. Enter Jesus - only through dwelling in and with Him will we be able to have the holy spirit pour through us and give our husbands the kind of selfless love that takes a marriage from good to great.

I don't know about you, but if I'm going to be with someone for the next 70 years of my life, I want that relationship to be great. My kids deserve to grow up in a home where the parents not only love each other with all that they are, but there's also the invisible hand of the Lord that makes everything brighter, kinder and more fulfilling.

100%...or at least 85%

Last Sunday my home group was discussing the topic of work which turned into a talk about life in general. One of the points made by a friend of mine was that he wanted to give 100% to whatever activity he was involved in. If he was playing with his kids he had his phone off and was completely immersed in them, if he was at work then he was focused on that and giving it his all, etc.

Rarely do I give things 100%. Israel has been the one exception and really that has only been because he required 100% of my time. But as he's getting a little older and more self-sufficient I can see myself not giving him all of my focus when he really deserves it and I'm not wanting that to become a habit. Also, being a woman, multi-tasking is just a part of life. However, I want it to be utilized only when really necessary.

So, this is my plan: if I'm talking on the phone to a friend, I'm going to stop whatever else is going on and pay attention to her and her alone. I'm going to stick to my work-out (because honestly, I have done it 5 days a week for the last 2 weeks which is a record for me and I want to keep riding the wave)!! When I'm getting ready for bed at night, I'm going to take the time to floss my teeth, take off my eye-makeup and enjoy the 5 minutes I have of pampering myself in a way. When I do my devotions, I'm going to turn my phone off and wait to do them 'til Izzy is sleeping so I can have 20 uninterrupted moments alone with my Savior. When I'm doing chores around the house, I'm going to do one at a time from start to finish and I'm going to do it well.

I truly believe that by focusing more of my attention to the task at hand I will not only get more accomplished, but I'll be (here comes the cliché phrase) - living life to the fullest. As I get closer to 30 which is closer to 40 which is closer to 50, I'm realizing that life is moving rapidly by me and I'm not living it to the extent that I know I'm capable of and to the degree that I know the Lord created me to enjoy it. That needs to change.