Mid-Week Motivation

Starting Your Day out Right

Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

What is your heart’s desire today? Are you struggling in a certain area that you long to conquer? As I’ve been reading through the Old Testament this year, I’m struck by how many battles there are — the Israelites were in constant warfare. Some battles were huge, and some were only small skirmishes.

Yet the battlefield is where God won the hearts of His people, again and again. Where He revealed His power and divinity. This is where He wants to reveal Himself in YOUR life today. In Psalm 37:4, we’re told to delight ourselves in God. Oh, the joy in knowing that He longs to fight with us, for us, and through us.

If we delight in His love, God will reveal to us the perfect plan He has for our day. We can find peace in the midst of mayhem and hope in the midst of frustration. I pray you’ll find joy today in knowing that God longs for you to win your battles, when you seek Him above all else.

 

 

 

Is Your House in Order?
Cleaning, parenting, marriage, organization tips, etc.

It’s embarrassing to admit, but I bought myself a new planner last week — in April! I’d been trying to use this pretty red one I’d gotten for Christmas. The gold-stamped “2007” on the front had been such a delight to look at last December. But the tiny blocks inside didn’t give me enough space to write out our busy schedule, and I found myself leaving sticky note reminders all over the house instead of using my planner.

OK, so I admitted it. How about you? Is there something in your family life that just isn’t working right now? A routine that has fallen by the wayside or a program that once worked but now doesn’t? Don’t be afraid to try something new. If you’re feeling like a failure in a certain area, this is where God wants you to be to depend on Him.

 

Afternoon Pick-Me-Up
Writing Inspiration

I’ve been a bit envious of the writers who’ve blogged about their recent Mt. Hermon conference experiences. Camy Tang, especially, posted so many lovely pictures! Really, these conferences are all about meeting together on common ground, spurring one another on to reach new goals.

Though not as exciting as meeting in person, professional relationships can begin as simply as leaving a comment on a fellow writer’s blog. You never know if you’ll connect with someone and begin a lifelong friendship.

 

 

What’s For Dinner?
Crock-Pot Tater Tot Casserole

You’ll need:

• 32-oz. bag, frozen tater tots
• 1 lb. ground beef, browned
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• grated cheese

Oh no — it’s 3 pm, and you don’t know what you’re going to cook tonight. Got a bag of tater tots? This dish takes 3 hours in the crock-pot, so your dinner can be cooking while you dash in and out to lessons and practices. By 6 pm, your house will smell like you’ve slaved over a hot stove all day — ha!

Serve with steamed broccoli, sliced cantaloupe, and bread.

1. Cook ground beef with chopped onion. Drain.

2. Line crock-pot with frozen tater tots.

3. Combine beef and onion mixture with soup and milk. Pour over potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

4. Cover. Cook on high 3 hours.

5. Sprinkle individual servings with grated cheese.

A Restful Night’s Sleep

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4

The cool thing about being a writer is that no matter what difficulties you’re going through, you know someday God will give you the perspective you need to write about it. Then, you can take your experiences and find hope, even humor, through sharing them with others.

God wants your faith to be mature and complete because your faith is what you’ll draw on as you write whatever work you’ve been called to do. Your readers will be blessed when you can share honestly how God gives you strength. Although it may take months or even years to gain perspective, the time will come when you’ll be able to offer hope through your words.