A little under the weather...

Hey all...

Just wanted to say sorry for being a little MIA for the last couple days.

I've been fighting off a nasty cold and I just haven't been in a blogging mood.

But, I'm on the upswing I believe and I'll be back to my regularly scheduled program next week!!

I pray you have blessed weekends!!

See you Monday!!

Blessings,

Who Am I?

We've been talking a lot in church lately about our identity.

My husband and I talked about it this morning.

Where we find our identity.  What roles play in determining our identity?  What we see as defining our identity?

My Lenten devotional readings have also touched on identity in the last few days.

So, like with every trend or repeated message in my life, right now I feel Jesus is trying to tell me something.

About my identity.

Mark 14: 50-52~  "And they all left him and fled. And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked."

This passage is referring to what happened after Jesus was "taken into custody" before He was lead to the cross.  It tells of how even his closest followers left His side when push came to shove.  And it speaks of a boy, who had nothing but a linen cloth to cover himself with, ran away leaving his only possession in fear he might be judged right alongside of Christ.  He would rather be naked then to be associated with Jesus because he knew he would then be at the mercy of the Sanhedrin as well.  Guilty by association sort of thing.

Boy, does this speak to me...along with everything else that's been thrown my way as of late.

And honestly, what I'm hearing is...

I am that boy.

That's a hard thing to say.  But it's true.  When the going gets tough, I get going...and all too often in the wrong direction.  Away from Jesus.  And I do it in spite of myself...I know if I would TURN to Jesus and let Him work me out, all would be fine in His time.  But instead, I'd rather run around like a flailing naked idiot thinking I can figure it all out on my own.  So dumb.

When I'm pushed to be a testament, I don't testify.  I keep my mouth closed.

When my girl's little eyes and ears are learning Jesus through me, I don't let Him shine in my life.

When my love for my husband and for God could be expressed gently and submissively (oooh, I know, bad word) instead I get attitude.

When things don't go my way, instead of going to Jesus in prayer for a change of heart, I go to pout.

When Jesus is lead away to his death, that He died for me, I turn my head...and run.

Because it's just too hard to be seen with Him.

It's too hard to BE love.

That's who I am.  That's the real, human, dirty flesh that I am.

If I were honest with myself, I would say that my identity in all fouled up.  That I don't know who I am apart from my sin.  And who even cares what my identity looks like, because it's ugly and raw and mean?

But that's the beauty of Jesus.  And His love.  And His pain on the way to the cross.  His death.  Then His resurrection.

He lived and died so we could be made anew, though Him.  So that we would have meaning and hope in the dark shadows of  our hurt and sin.  So that we could have life.  Jesus sees our potential.  He sees the real state of our hearts.  And despite everything...

He sees our identity in Himself.

Our identity is in Jesus.

Oh, Glory be...how extraordinary is that!?!

We have a God that, right here and right now, in the midst of our human fallibility, says we are something!  We are forces to be reckoned with because He has fought the good fight for us...AND WON!

He thinks we are beautiful and worthy of all good and glorious things.  

He thinks we are worthy of Him!

Even though we still have tendencies to be "that boy"...

Absolutely amazing I say.

So I encourage you...just as Jesus has encouraged me...to ask yourselves...

(I SAY BE ENCOURAGED!!)

Who are you?

Who are you to your spouse?

To your children?

To your neighbors?

Who are you to Jesus?

I think your answers will surprise you and even more so, I think God will surprise you.

(I'm sharing this as part of Mom's 30-minute Blog Challenge over at Steady Mom)

Blessings,

   

Things I've learned from the Stomach Flu....

Sorry, I've been MIA the last couple of days.  I had (and still have) several posts in store for the first few days of the new year, but as fate would have it, the entire Mayhorn clan came down with the stomach flu.  We're starting to feel a bit normal again and are well on our way to a full recovery, but it's been a rough week to say the very least.

Here's a few things I learned from the process...

(by the way, if you hate the words vomit, puke, regurgitation, hurl or diarrhea...then stop reading now!)

1) First and foremost...I learned that it is within my being to NOT throw up when my daughter pukes all over me.  I wasn't so sure at first.  And it was a test.  I was pushed to the very limits of my strength, but I succeeded.

2) Dogs don't mind being hurled on or help in the clean up.  Gross, I know.  But God love her that she loves my girl that much.

3) Stomach bug + milk and your child = really, really, really, really, really, really BAD in all ways, shapes and forms.

4) First of the year weight loss goals have officially been achieved.

5) And I have kicked my caffeine habit too seeing as all I could stomach was ginger ale and chicken broth.

6) Like a really stinky perfume spray from the Macy's cosmetics aisle, so too is the smell of milk vomit stuck in my nostrils.

7) From #5...it's stuck in my carpet as well.

8) From #5 (and 6)...it's stuck in my dog's fur also.

9) My house looks like I have housed desperate, ravaged, and hungry refugees, only our diet of saltines and pedialite made them trash the place in search of more sustenance.

10) I never want to see my laundry room again.

Praying you all stay well this icky-sicky season.

Seriously???

I went to the Chiropractor today.

Last week I had inquired about what sort of exercises I could be doing since I was feeling better. I got my news today...

Dr. said, "No exercise for you!"

Seriously?

I mean, I know I'm the one that asked, but I was highly anticipating that I wouldn't like the answer because I HATE to exercise!! Then he tells me not to do anything (yet). Of course I LOVED this answer, it was just unexpected. Dude is like the Holy Grail of men- women have searched high and low for a man that will look at them with loving, concerned eyes and say those coveted words..."No dear, please don't exercise"....!!!!!! And I found him!

HOLY GUACOMOLE!! I've hit the mother load!!

This guy is genius and though I know when I am finally able to workout, he is going to have little Physical Therapist Megan whip me into shape. But for now, no matter how brief a time, I can revel in the fact that I don't have to exercise. I don't have to tone up. I don't have to whittle my middle or turn my flab into fab!

I can just be....

The amazing, untone, borderline flabby, hatin' on sweat, get tired even watching my kid play self!!

By the way- that pic up there is a real book! Ha!

Seriously!

New Year's Resolutions

This cartoon is by no means a representation of my relationship with my husband, I just thought it was really funny!!

My resolution this year is to actually keep my resolutions!!

For the past several years, I have resolved to read my Bible daily, floss more and lose weight. And for the past several years I have failed miserably at doing so.

But this year is different and I feel a motivation unlike any other time in the past. Maybe it's because I'm a mom now and I know that with this new year there will be so many changes and developments in my little girl's life. I know there are a ton of reasons, but for this one reason, I want my resolutions to spill into Emma's life, thus inspiring me to keep them.

If I read my Bible and apply God's word to my life then that will reflect into my child's life and I can raise her as a godly mother should and as God instructs me to. If I lose weight then I'll be strong and healthy so as be here for as long as possible and if I floss, she'll learn good dental care!

I really do want to stick to this this year and I know I say that year in and year out, but again...something is different now.

This year, already, I have so many new things taking place, aside from the fresh start of the new year. I start working different hours for a VERY different pay so we will learn the art of budgeting. I am starting to see a Chiropractor, which will sort out the pains and strains I deal with on a daily basis. This will improve my moods and overall well-being. These two things are huge changes and ones that should be supported by living more healthy and spiritually. We never truly know how long we even have to make a resolution to do anyway, so start living people!!!

And I know I can do this. I actually WANT to do it!!

So Happy New year and may you keep all of your resolutions this year as well!! I'll be cheering you on!

Wewief at wast!

Ever since being pregnant with my beautiful daughter, I have had serious back pain. It seems to have gone from the occassional neck and shoulder irritation to sharp, excrutiating lower back pain and then some dull ache in between. I assumed losing the 40 pounds of baby weight would alleviate the problem, but here we are seven months later and I am still dealing with it.
That is until this past week.
Despite my extreme fear of going to a chiropractor (I had a really bad experience once), I broke down and decided to find one. My search at first yeilded only ones that were out of my network. Though they had been recommended by friends, I couldn’t afford not having at least some of the treatment covered. Thus I turned to Google and went with my gut when I chose the first find.
Dr. John Hanna is a gift from God and he is also gifted by God to do what he does. In only two adjustments, I already feel like a new woman. Though I know the road ahead will serve in actually correcting the problem (a severely curved spine and pinched nerves) not just curing the symptoms; I am simply estatic that I can move with relatively no pain. What an answered prayer!!
To those of you in the Charlotte area that may be looking for a Chiropractor, just see my favorite webpages for the link to Matthews Family Chiro.
By the way, there is none of the harsh snap, cracking and popping invovled- WOOHOO!!