{ Blog 365 # 54 - Time with God }

I sat down with my Bible, devotional and book, ready to spend some time with God.  It's something I love doing, but even I have moments where I lose focus and get on with other things, therefore neglecting this very important moment in my day.

 

As I gathered these books, I was reminded that some things are just supplemental, and not really needed for this time.  From those 3 books, only one is the *needed* material.  The Bible!!!

We tend to make everything cute and extra.  We walk around with cutesy notebooks, pretty highlighters, and beautiful devotionals, and while those are sweet to have around, they are not needed to have special time with God.

 

 

I am a very simple woman, but even I tend to complicate things at time.  And why?  Because everyone else is doing it, and implying that is how you do things, or what you need.  

I'm not saying that a devotional, a notebook and highlighters are useless, because they're not.  I use them to highlight a specific phrase, or word, that stuck with me, or take down notes on something I learned while reading the Bible.  It helps me to take in the message and to let it sink deep into my heart and soul.

But when you make that time all about those things, then you're taking away from what really matters.

For example, I learned not that long ago, that prayer is not just talking to God and asking for things, and trying to make it all special and using these expensive words.  It is about talking, like you're talking to a dear friend or confidant.  Just talking to Him is prayer.  And when we learn that, it makes it all so much easier.

 

I'm still using the devotional and notebooks, and yes, even my highlighters, but as long as I remember to put all my focus on the Bible and speaking to God first.  

Doesn't even need to be an hour long, even just 10 minutes out of your day, to sit and open the Bible, or to say Hi to God and thank Him.

I did that yesterday, I carved out time to sit on the couch, talk, pray, thank, read, and just be.  The birds were chirping loudly outside, the back door was open letting in a cold breeze.  (it didn't last long, I had to close the door because we went from 86 degrees the day before, to 30 degrees).

Once that was done, I got on with the rest of my day.  There wasn't much for me to do, the house was clean.  

When I was a young homemaker, I wasn't very good at managing my time.  I tended to get overwhelmed and sometimes annoyed with the tasks at hand, which meant my house would be in a constant disarray, with always something that needed doing.

If I wanted to read a book, or watch something on TV, it meant that I had to leave the dishes, or the dusting, or the vacuuming.

But as I became older, and more experienced in this life of a homemaker, I started managing my time better, and now, I actually find that there are some days that I have so much downtime, that I even get bored.  Crazy, I know!!!

 

As I was going about my day, I came around the corner into the hallway that leads to the office and our bedroom, and got the fright of my life.  

I had moved these two artificial plants out of the living room, so that I could run my little robot vacuum.  

Elliott, being the cat that he is, loves these.  I often find them toppled over as he bats at the individual blades.  I guess while I was in the kitchen, he had knocked the one down and then hid, waiting for me or Kaia to come around the corner.

I guess I drew the short straw this time  Hahahah

I wanted to show you my Fern, or actually 2 Ferns.  I picked them up at Lowe's from the clearance rack, they were marked down to $1 because they clearly needed help.

I brought them home, cut off all the dead parts, and replanted them.  Just look at the new babies coming up?  How beautiful!!!

You can see them in the picture below, there's 3 of them.  I sat and just stared.  How incredibly amazing is that?

 

I also gave my To Be Read pile a little spruce up.  I picked classics, the kind of books that we all grew up with and that bring joy and happiness.  I love the illustrations and the stories themselves.  I mean, Little House on the Prairie, The Secret Garden, Wind in the Willows, Beatrix Potter?

As I was picking out the books, I realized that I had a vintage book by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the author of The Secret Garden.  I didn't even know I had it, it was one of the vintage books I grabbed at a local antique store.  So happy I did, and can't wait to get into it.

 

It's not a long book at all, matter of fact the writing and the pages are quite small, so should be a quick read.  

Might get into it tomorrow, since it's going to be super cold and rainy.

 

I finished off the day by making one of our favorite, easy meals.  I love a good sandwich, especially if it's stuffed with yummy creamy goodness.

I am putting the recipe up tomorrow, both on the food blog and will share it here for the Blog 365 post.  Does that not look appetizing??  

I promise, you will want to make these for your family.  They are so easy and quick to make, and the best part is that you can easily make them for a big crowd, or even just one or two.  

Buraco Quente de Calabresa  - directly translated it means Warm Hole with Smoked Sausage.  That sounds awful  LOL

Sometimes it best not to try and translate between languages, especially when it comes to food.