So, this weekend I took my car (who was named, "Zee" for the weekend...don't ask silly questions like why "Zee" and why would anyone name their car only for a weekend.... :-) ) on her first road trip!! I went South to meet a very, very special person who I miss very much already!! Addison was born on December 29th, and I had the privelage of meeting her for the first time this weekend! She is more beautiful and precious than I ever could have imagined!! She had to warm up to me, but by last night she was smiling like crazy at me, and even went to sleep in my arms. Those are precious moments that I will remember forever!!
Ok, we can't forget about Addison's parents - I loved getting to spend time with them, too!!! : ) Really, it was a great, relaxing weekend with amazing friends, and I am so thankful for it!!
Now it's back to reality - or better said, "responsibility." This weekend was a reality - a fantastic one!! However, it was a weekend of no responsibilities and it was literally stress free! Now that I am home, I am remembering all of the things I need to get done ... and it's not so much fun. I actually can feel myself getting a headache. (For those of you who don't know, I don't deal with stress very well...it goes straight to my head - literally!) I really need to change this, because this is not how I want to live my life. Tomorrow I am going to try to make a long list of every tiny thing that I need to do, and tomorrow night I am going to cross off at least 10 things. And, no, I don't cheat when it comes to my lists - they are made and crossed off with the care of an exam. Seriously, don't underestimate my lists!! : )
Lately God has been showing me and reminding me of how simple living for Christ really is. John 6:29 says, "Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” Too many times I have tried to be a "good Christian" and tried really hard to make sure I am doing what God wants me to do, etc. However, first and foremost I must believe in Christ. Then, the rest will follow. And the best part about the rest? According to John 1:16, we have grace upon grace - aka, unending grace. As believers of Christ, we are constantly "using" the grace of God - God's grace not only applies to our past, but to our present, and our future. We are humans, we mess up alot, and we are in constant need of grace. As we focus on our belief in Christ, we will begin to realize that what truly pleases God is at our core -it's about letting out that desire for communion with God that is found in our innermost being. Giving freedom to that passion will change the way you live. You will no longer live to satisfy the desires of your flesh, but you will live to satisfy the desire of your spirit. (And, I want to add that the ways that this is lived out is different for each person.)
So, all of that to say that being a Christian is simple. ; ) And, that I am realizing this simplicity needs to carry over from my spiritual life, to all aspects of my life.
