Friday, September 19, 2008

Priorities

Just yesterday I told a friend of mine that if there were one month that I could have two of, I would choose September.  One to organize our life, and one to live it. 

I LOVE the weather.  The new routines.  Getting reacquainted with friends from Bible study, Moms in Touch, kids' sports.  Volunteering at school.  Accepting new challenges.

But it is hard to get everything done without missing some details.  This week I forgot to remind Ben to look back over his study guide for his crayfish test (good thing we had studied it once!). He missed four. I bet that will help him remember on his own the next time. Not a bad thing.

This is a time of year when I try to really get my spiritual life back in gear, because the lack of summer structure (and constant presence of kids) is often a deterrent. This is my top priority in the midst of trying to order everything else.  If I neglect to seek God's face in the midst of all the new things, the rest will fall apart.

This past Sunday, the sermon topic was, "In the beginning, God..." We were challenged to ponder the fact that God is the initiator in our lives.  Not only the creator, but the one who is moving in our lives day by day, and new year by new year.  We were posed the question, "What has God been doing in your life?  What has He been saying to you?" Wouldn't you know, the very next day, the same question of "What is God saying to you?" showed up in my Bible study! I've been thinking about this all week, and I am excited to keep track of where I sense Him at work, opening and closing doors, nudging me in new directions.  He has my attention!

"Forget the former things; 
do not dwell on the past.  
See, I am doing a new thing!  
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  
I am making a way in the desert 
and streams in the wasteland."  
Isaiah 43:18-19

How about you?  What is God doing or saying in your life?

10 comments:

Dawn said...

Great post! I love September too and all the getting back to school/work stuff that goes with it. God has been doing lots of things in my life lately and the more I do for myself, the more He shows me. I know that he is working His will in my son's life daily and that is a big enough job without all of the other great things that go on in my life.

Nik said...

I agree and was just commenting on someone elses blog about our routine and what we do to make sure we see His imprint on our lives.

The message I feel in my heart is that I too need to reacquaint myself with Him after a summer of slacking in church attendance and bible study.

Thanks so much for confirming this need.

Gina said...

yeah, 2 septembers would be nice- but with only one set of bills.

Debbie said...

Ya know, I feel the same way about September. It really is like the NEW YEAR for me instead of the actual calendar change. What happens to me is that I forget about the train that comes at me once school starts and everything is set into motion all in one week...school, soccer, PTO, all those papers, ugh everything. I just feel like I am in survival mode when it all starts that I barely spend a moment listening to what the Lord is telling me because I am reacting all around me. So you know what the Lord is telling me right now through YOUR post, is that I need to stop for a minute or more actually and LISTEN to what HE wants to tell me. And if I don't I will miss out. So thank you for being his voice to me this morning. I had no idea why I clicked on your blog this morning as I didn't even sit down to blog, I sat down to check email and just popped over. I now know that it wasn't an accident. It was HIM trying to get my attention. So now I am logging off for the day. Thank you for being that messenger.

stefanie said...

Well, right now I am looking for every opportunity to be thankful, grateful and content.

Thanks for coming by and noticing my pumpkins! This is the 3rd year on my cleome, so I think that yours will keep re-seeding, just make sure you don't dead head them before the seeds fall. I also had moss roses, petunias, ageratum and something else I can't name because I didn't get into the garden in the fall to get the dead plants out or early in the year to pull them accidentally with the weeds...

WheresMyAngels said...

September is the busiest month of the year and the most expensive for me. Too many birthdays, dance lessons begin, school,etc. Not sure I want two of them! lol

God has been good. We have felt him healing my friends son Ben and are so thankful.

Aunt Julie said...

I love September, too, especially when the weather starts to change. We had to put our "winter blanket" on the bed last night, because the temps are already getting down in the 40s. Some people think Spring is the time of rejuvenation, but I think Fall can be, in a way, too!

Caroline said...

What a wonderful post and topic for discussion. I love fall. Now that I got that out of the way, let me say that God is teaching me so much and has replaced my love for blogging with a greater love for time spent with Him. I am involved in a great bible study (Listening to the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer). It is perhaps the best study I've done. Last week, Priscilla pointed something out that I had never thought of before. She said that instead of frantically searching for God's will, we should search for God. So simple, yet so profound.

Tracy P. said...

Love the conversation here, ladies! Thanks for your input!

Caroline's comment reminds me of something I've been noticing. A few different responsibilities I have require that I be prepared to lead meetings with some scriptures to focus times of prayer. Before my preparation time I get a little stressed because I have to FIND the right verses to share. The reality is, if I'll just open the Bible, God will speak. I may feel led to search out scriptures on a certain topic, but I wouldn't necessarily have to. God is quite happy to lead if I will just get out of the way.

Marrdy said...

I agree with you. I would have every month be September. It's always been a new beginning for me.

Very good post! Now I have some thinking to do!