That's called Satisfied

Yesterday I was snuggled up in bed getting ready to read my daily devotions.  I use a bible study app on my phone, I'm trying to read the entire bible in a year so I read a bit everyday and I chose to read it in chronological order so it's kind of interesting to see where I am in the bible that day.  But on this particular day I'm sad to say I was not curious at all, I wasn't really thinking about it I was kind of just going through the motions because I hadn't gone to church *again* and was feeling a bit guilty.  Now I've had plenty of excuses for not going to church for the last few weeks but when it comes down to it I always feel guilty *and I'm not one of those people that think you have to go to church to be a christian you can worship perfectly well in your own home* but Jesus died on the cross for me...would it really kill me to take a few hours out of the day once a week?  No.  No it would not.  So out of guilt I was pulling out my bible in our little home while my husband and dad were working on water pipes under the house, mom was cleaning, normal stuff ya know?  Well as is usually the case when you least expect it God points you in the direction you need to be.  Sometimes it is just so interesting to me the blatant messages you can receive from Christ in totally average ways at an unlikely time.  I wasn't going through a big trial, nothing was really wrong just average everyday stuff, I wasn't searching for answers, nothing I was just trying to ease my own guilt...I was going to fulfill in my mind this little requirement and then go on about my day and forget all about it.  Wrong.  My devotions that morning instructed me to read the book of Haggai *another thing I like about this daily devotions app is all the other parts of the bible I'm reading for the first time*.  I've never even looked at Haggai before, so much of this small book stuck out to me.

"Is it a time for yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"

"Give careful thought to your ways.  You have planted much, but have harvested little.  you eat but never have enough.  You drink, but never have your fill.  You put on clothes, but are not warm.  You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."

"Give careful thought to your ways.  Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored.  you expect much, but see, it turned out to be little.  What you brought home, I blew away.  Why?  Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house.  Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth it's crops."

Now Autumn is a month of harvest, plenty, celebrating family, being thankful for what you have, for being satisfied with what the Lord has given you.  What those verses were saying to me on that morning was that I need to learn to be satisfied with what I have, I am to some degree of course but it's definitely something I could do better at.  It also made me think that I need to do better honoring and thanking the Lord all the time.  Not just when I was receive a blessing or when I'm feeling guilty.  Fixing up our homes is important and necessary especially before winter sets in...but making sure that our faith and our relationship with the Lord is equally strong, secure, and weather-ready is even more important.  And our relationship with him requires constant up-keep, adjustments, and fixing on our part.  He wants not just be satisfied with what we have but Thankful for it.  That's what this beautiful season is supposed to high light.  But we can get carried away in other things.  I know I do.  I think it's important not to worry about the future, it's important to live in this moment and this day to love the people that God has placed in your life...you never know when they may not be there.  Life can change so quickly it's comforting to know that God is a constant he is the Alpha and Omega, The beginning and the end, like he says in exodus to Moses "I m that I am".  He's all encompassing.  He should be present in every aspect of our lives.

So after this lovely moment I had on Sunday, I felt the need to do better, to try.  So I made a list of things I'm going to work on this week to be a better christian.  To enjoy this life that I've been blessed with and to put God first.


Remember to pray before my meals *it's something so small but so important and I've gotten out of the habit*
Watch my potty mouth *a ridiculously hard habit to break*
Read my devotions Every day
Remember to keep up with my daily prayer list
Take pride in my home and myself
Enjoy the family that I'm blessed enough to live close to
Actually ask myself WWJD
Remember to be kind and helpful and have a good attitude while doing it
Be good stewards with our finances
Make a list of 5 blessings every day this week *they must be different everyday*
Go to church this week *maybe bible study?*
Find satisfaction in what we have

Now of course I should try and be the best Christian I can be every day but this week I want to Actively try and see if I can tell a difference, or even if those around me  can tell. . Enjoy this song by Jewel called 'Satisfied'