Morning Songs of Joy

“The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
    where morning dawns, where evening fades,
    you call forth songs of joy.“

Psalm 65:8

Where morning dawns, there is newness. Where evening fades, we let go of another day. This truth has been on my heart for a while now. For whatever we decide to carry over into the next day goes with us, but God makes all things new every morning. It doesn’t matter what happened yesterday, today is new. And new joys await each of us today!

Have you carried anything with you into today? Hurt? Disappointment? Guilt? I’m pleading with you to lay it down. Let today begin anew. God doesn’t want us to dwell on matters of the past. You can’t redo anything, but you can live differently today.

I am learning the importance of checking the voice in my head. If I keep rehashing my own mistakes or the ways others have hurt me, my day will start off bad and keep getting worse. If I shut up the voice of negativity and self-criticism, I can live a life of freedom, the one I know I am called to live.

So go! Live free! Let today be the best day yet!

Autumn Goals

I don’t know about you, but I love the change of seasons. It doesn’t matter which one. I love newness and old traditions coming back to life. Of all of the seasons, fall is my absolute favorite.

When I left the Midwest for a while for the southern scenery that rejuvenated my soul, I dearly missed the changing colors of leaves, the natural flow of seasonal change. My childhood memories all circulate around this time of year and the family fun we had together. My homesickness was never as severe as it was during the fall.

But now that I am back, I do not take one day of this season for granted. So as I start my favorite few months, I’m reflecting on the last season and even the one before. I use every new season to reevaluate. I’m not so much of a New-Year’s-Resolution girl as I am an All-Things-New girl. Let me explain the difference.

I used to live for the new year, new goals, new opportunities… but I would become disappointed in myself if I didn’t keep up with what I set out to do. I realized that I was making a good thing (setting goals/having a plan) a very self-centered, bad thing. Instead, I now use each first day of a new season to look back and plan ahead. I look at the things that worked in the past few months and plan to keep those up. I look at the things that left me feeling low and plan to remove those as best as possible.

I’m not perfect. I give myself more grace today than I ever have before. But I am capable of living with intention and deciding what I want my life to be like. The second that goes to the extreme and I’m hyper-monitoring my own every move, I know that I have moved into dangerous ground. You see, God wants to be first in your life and in mine. If we put things in the place He is to hold, even if they are good things, we are still resting in our own strength.

So my autumn goals look like this:

1. Know God
2. Surrender Thoughts of Self-Doubt
3. Love Others
4. Be Grateful
5. Have Fun

These Little Faces

Metz Kids Take Over BSU

Jesus loves the little children… all the children of the world.

I can’t say enough about these little faces, what blessings they have been to me. I prayed for them before I even knew their daddy. I tuck them in at night and am in awe of the role I get to play in their lives. Tears well up thinking of all that they are and all that they will be. So excited to live life as their mommy!

And then, eyes are rolled at me… it’s a new thing she’s doing. I’m told “NO” by the littlest one. And my middle baby, he will go after a sibling in a second if they push his buttons. They are such wonderful reminders of God’s love and faithfulness. Even when we are moody. Even when we object. Even when we harm others. He loves us. We are imperfect children perfectly loved by our Father. And by His son. All the children of the world. We are loved!

Your BEST LIFE List

I want to stress the YOUR in the title… it’s important to identify what the core things are that set you up for success to win the day. I’ll share mine in a minute, but I am in no way pushing my list on you. I am cheering for you to take a few minutes, find some quiet and a scrap piece of paper. Now jot down what makes you happy. What has to happen sometime in your day to bring you joy? What sets you up for a successful day? Don’t focus on the negative, that’s too easy to do these days. Instead, focus on a few things that will make you feel accomplished even if everything else is out of control.

Here’s mine…

1. Pray – usually includes some sort of Bible reading or study
2. Exercise – if even for only fifteen or twenty minutes before everyone else wakes up
3. Coffee – duh!
4. Make my bed – I’ve heard this is a daily habit of future millionaires, so why not!
5. Shower – the sooner the better for me… I like to start my day so fresh and so clean

I hope you have time to consider what would make your list! Living intentionally is my goal of 2019… in order for that to happen, I try to start each day with these things.

The Aches and Pains of Life

The second Monday of school for the new school year, and my little girl complains of a headache and pain in her stomach. The mommy in me wants to hold her, cancel all plans for the day, and give in to her complaints. I want life to stop, just for today.

But life can’t stop. So many times I wish I could slow things down… and I have taken major steps in life to make sure I am relishing each moment. Then there are times that I want things to speed up. The getting-ready-for-school process this morning was one of those times. Honestly, getting ready for every day is a process that could go a little bit faster if I had my way.

However, I need to slow that down, too. I don’t want to rush. I want to be on time, but I don’t want to wish time away. And the aches and pains of our day are mild in comparison to the aches and pains of others. Some are battling major heartache and insurmountable pain. I am praying for you.

So for today, I am choosing to surrender my preferences of how I think the world should run and rest in God’s plan for all of it.

“Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”Matthew 6:34

A Seamless Way

My life can get crazy quickly. It is refreshing to sit back and look around at all of the blessings God has given me.

In the midst of alarm clocks, carpool lines, sleep schedules, routines, routines, routines, remember to thank God for all He has done. There is a way to live life that keeps us looking Up instead of around. In order to do that, we must trust that God knows what He is doing and by ourselves, we can’t do much. God’s way is good. It is pleasing. It is perfect. It is seamless. Lean in and trust Him. Life will be less hectic.

The Journey Begins

Quite honestly, the journey began a long time ago. My first journal, or the oldest one I can find, is dated November 19, 2005. That is more than a lifetime ago for me! Here are some quotes from the very first page…

Do not take advantage of God’s unconditional love.

Stop trying to make sense of others’ thoughts and comments. God’s opinion is the only one that matters.

Be content – stop looking for better and rest in what already is.

And here we are… thirteen years and three months later. I have wandered, discovered, married, carried, and am living a life of contentment… most days. I have resisted this type of communication since its inception. Yet God is calling me to take this on. So I will.

My journey began long ago, but you are picking up with me right where I am now. I look forward to traveling with you. Welcome to A Seamless Life!

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

— Helen Howarth Lemmel