Mistletoe Monday and Menu

So.

I hopped online this morning to get caught up on some of my favorite blogs, and to post my always-fascinating menu, and came across some great stuff. It all started with this post at Laura's which was a follow-up to this post about not being "enough." Not getting "it all" done. Wow, that's a biggie for me. I am currently in a season of not getting it all done... of feeling like I'm not enough. I've even wondered if I'm somehow suffering a mild form of Post Adoption Depression. (But, that's another post! :) It was interesting that I happened upon those posts this morning after kissing my husband goodbye for work, then walking with my coffee past all piles which are waiting to be tackled... Gifts waiting to be wrapped reminded me of the beautiful gifts and wrapping techniques I've seen on blogs. The Christmas card pile reminds me we have yet to even take our picture, muchless mail them. The tub of decorations on the stairs reminded me that I haven't finished decorating the house. (So much for the Christmas Tour of Homes!) Yes, as I padded my way through the house on my way to the computer, I was mentally imagining how "together" everyone else must be compared to me and really doing a bang-up job of #17 on my list of Ways to Make Yourself Miserable.

Which made those posts I read all the more timely.

Laura's first post addresses being "intimidated" by reading certain blogs. I call this "blog intimidation." As I read through some of the comments and the excellent links she posted, I was reminded of something I wrote back in July of 2007 for Christian Women Online. As we begin the Monday of the last week before Christmas (gasp!) I thought it was worth a re-post. I know I needed it! So, here it is...

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Sometimes Good Enough is Good Enough

Reading blogs can be so inspiring, can't it? It can also be thought-provoking, relaxing, entertaining, and even... intimidating. Yes, intimidating! It's easy to read blogs from so many different women, each expressing one or more of her gifts, and come away from it feeling like you're not doing enough. Your closets are not as clean as hers. Your weekly menu (if you even know what it is yet!) is not as creative as hers. Your scrapbook pages (okay, you don't scrapbook, but even if you did) don't look like hers. Just look at how many pounds she's lost! Oh, my goodness, she's read that many books this year? I've never read that many in my life! Oh, and she sings. Of course she does. And on and on it goes. Different blogs, different women, but it's so easy to make it into one Composite Super Woman to whom we just don't measure up! We do it in real life ("irl") too, don't we? (Sometimes I think we put the "irl" in "girlfriends!") I've fallen victim countless times to one of my biggest enemies- comparison. I think all women are prone to it at one time or another.

I'd like to share with you something I read this week from the book I Can't Do It all! Breaking Free From the Lies That Control Us by authors Tracie Peterson, Allison Bottke, and Diane O'Brian. (This excerpt is written by O'Brian):

"You see, I made the decision some years ago that I would spend my housekeeping time more profitably if I concentrated on things I did well- cleaning, organizing, sewing, washing, mowing, shoveling, ironing, mending, and repairing. Cooking wasn't my strong suit, so I kept that at a minimum. My family has been great about it. It's not like we live on fast food. We eat well even though I don't make big efforts in that direction. Realizing that it's not one of my gifts, I released myself from the expectation of being a great cook. We just don't have time to do everything with excellence. The sooner we learn that, the sooner we can break free from the lie."
"We all must make our individual decisions based on God's leading for each of us. Not only should we not attempt to do it all, but we should not feel a sense of guilt when we can't do what others expect of us. Sometimes we put those expectations on ourselves. The truth is, many of our friends would trade a skill they have for one of ours." (emphasis added)

We don't have to be good at it all. Sometimes good enough is good enough in certain areas. We can choose to focus on what we do best and release ourselves from unrealistic expectations. Let's lighten up on ourselves and be who God created and gifted us to be!

God, thank you for the ways in which you have gifted me. Forgive me for envying the gifts of others. If there are any areas in which you want to grow or increase my gifts, I invite you to do so, for Your glory. But, help me not to neglect the gifts I have and waste the moments available for me to use them by spending unnecessary time feeling guilty or inadequate. I can do all things through Christ... all the good works You prepared in advance for me to do, with the set of gifts You have so graciously given me. Thank You, Father. Amen.

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We have some mistletoe hanging in the arch in our entryway (sometimes I like to call it the "foyer." It makes it seem so faincy.) I've decided to let it remind me of KISS. Yes, I know we've all heard it: "Keep It Simple Stupid." Only, I'm not stupid, and neither are you! Keeping it simple is one of the smartest things we can do! So, I've decided it stands for "Keep It Simple Sister." What is "simple?" To me, it means releasing myself from the expectation of doing some of those things that I'm not good at or simply don't have the inclination to do right now. To focus on what my gifts are, what energizes me, and do those things with excellence like the quote above says.

That's my new reminder for this week. For this Christmas season. For 2009. This could be Freak Out week. Or it could be KISS week. I can decide that right now, on this Monday morning.

So, here's my "Mistletoe Menu" for this week:

Monday: leftover fajitas from yesterday
Tuesday: baked chicken (baked with Ginger Sesame dressing- yummo!)
Wednesday: dinner at a friend's house- can't wait!
Thursday: adoption ministry Christmas party- fun!
Friday: baked potato soup


To share your menu, or to be inspired like I was today, visit Laura at Orgjunkie.com.

Make it a "Mistletoe Monday" and remember to Keep It Simple Sister!

No Shortcuts to Sanctification

Wow. I am always so amazed and humbled to be in the presence of someone who really lives out God's faithfulness, is a picture of His sufficiency, and lives a life daily yielded to Him. I am drawn to biographies of those saints who have been through unspeakable trials and have emerged proclaiming God's goodness (Corrie Ten Boom and Elisabeth Elliot come immediately to mind). Here in blogland, I am drawn to Amy's and Heather's blogs, and I always come away so humbled by their words and lives.

Yesterday at the pool I was getting caught up on some podcasts and came upon the Revive Our Hearts series from last week. I was riveted by the story of Molly Veldt , who has been through the unimaginable, having lost three of her children to a rare genetic disorder. If you have a moment, go read the transcript or listen to the series called "Don't Waste Your Suffering." As I was listening to her, I kept thinking, "I want that. I want what she has!"

Then, Nancy said something so key:

"And Molly, even as I look into your eyes-now it's been just about two years since you buried your little Mary Grace-I’m seeing something in your countenance, something in your spirit that most women don't have. It is a gift of God's grace and His work and His Spirit in you. We'd all like to have what you have in terms of the spiritual radiance and the beauty. But so many times we're afraid to let God take us on the path, whatever that may mean, that will give us that kind of rich fruit in our lives.

I don't mean to suggest by that that if we want to be spiritually radiant or mature or godly that that means God's going to take children. And you're not suggesting that. But I think we have to know that there are no shortcuts to sanctification and to God's glory filling us and to knowing God in the intimate ways that you've come to know Him."

"There are no shortcuts to sanctification." Wow. As I think of that again today, I'm asking myself...how many of my prayers are actually my attempts to look for shortcuts? Oh, how I want to avoid certain things, but those things might actually be what take me from one level of glory to the next. (2 Cor. 3:18) I want what they have, but do I want to go through what is necessary to have it? There are no shortcuts.

One resounding theme I get from stories of the faithful is this: It's God. God is doing it.

Here's something Molly said that really touched me:

"And let me just say-you say I've made conscious choices. I've made conscious choices to trust, but there are plenty of examples in my life of times when I've chosen not to trust, and fear has welled up in my heart.

So I want to be clear to say that this story I'm sharing is not a story of my faithfulness. This is a story of God's faithfulness. This is a story of a work that He has done. And because He has shown Himself to me in huge and faithful ways, I can have the courage to trust Him and can choose to trust Him-only because of what He's done for me."

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God, You are enough. Just as You strengthened and sustained the saints of the past and continue to do so for these precious women, You are at work in my heart and life this day. Thank You for not taking me on the shortcuts for which I pray. I want to experience the fullness of Your presence as you work Your good, pleasing and perfect will for my life-- for my ultimate gladness and Your ultimate glory. You are the strength of my heart and my portion forever.