Happy Monday morning!
(I know, that phrase doesn’t seem to flow very well for most of us, huh?) Ok, I can qualify: It is a happy Monday because my hubbie is home!! Yey! That’s the good news.....
The bad news: He leaves again May 6th.
(Sigh)
This trip, he has Hawaii in the picture.
Let’s just say I will be looking into a hop this time! Haha!
Anyways, I do want to share some pictures with you from his trip though:
A view as he leaves Alaska
In the cockpit
Over Japan
Shopping in Japan
A day of exploring and snorkeling:
Driving on the left side of the road!!!
Back in Alaska, I got some pretty gorgeous views myself!
We got to enjoy a beautiful bike ride when he got back. What a gorgeous day!
In fact, we rode over to a friend's house for her birthday. It was a lot of fun!
So her birthday wish was to get a slice of the royal wedding cake....
And guess what she got! Haha!
What great friends!
Tons of flowers to accompany this celebration too!
It was a lot of fun to hang out with friends and enjoy being there with my husband as well. Nothing compares :)
Now that that chapter of the weekend is covered, ONWARDS!
Last time I wrote, I ended with the hope we have despite the curse. Today, the devotional expanded on this topic:
How do we then overcome and stay motivated?
“We have to keep our eye on the eternal value of our work.”-- Sarah Mae
In Christ, it has two fold value: here on earth and ETERNALLY! Work was created by God for us to do and, because of the cross, we now have the power, the authority, and approval to carry it out. God uses our domains to perfect us in worship and service to him.
I remember when Andrew and I were first married and the reoccurring question of “So what do you do?” kept sneaking up in conversations with people I would meet. Eventually, I became so discouraged and distraught with having very little to tell them besides ‘Oh, I just follow my husband around’, I literally had a meltdown on a long drive back from a wedding. Strangely enough, I would dare to say it was the best thing I think I could have endured in my walk. Just like we talked about previously, we have to eventually be strong and courageous to face the hard things that we don’t know to approach. I went searching through the scriptures to see what God had to say about who I was and my roles. The result was a renewed sense of value and more joy than when I tried to mask my internal struggle. If I hadn’t endured that trial, I would have still been attaching my identity to something the world accredits value to and missed where God wanted to confirm my value and shape me more into His beloved daughter.
Now, as I look at today’s challenge and really look at my work and it’s value, I am encouraged to strive forward in my many responsibilities as a wife, a life-giver to our home, a daughter of the King and a soon-to-be mom.
"2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." --James 1:2-4
How we go about taking up our burdens reflects houw we response to His calling. He gave us these domains and the ability to give life to them, according to Sarah Mae! So do as James calls us: accept our tasks with all JOY! Be thankful for what you have been given. It will lead us into more Christ-like character and more humility.
Well, I have the whole day to spend with my hubbie so I shall end here!
Keep enduring and overcoming!