Too Much Good?

This week was a loooonnnggg one! It started decorating our house over Thanksgiving weekend, then in to work on Monday morning only to let an employee go and that is never fun or life-giving. We have two other employees but one was on vacation on Monday and the other was unable to cover the terminated employee’s shifts the remainder of the week. Not to mention we had two half day health fairs on Wednesday and Thursday for more hours than we typically are open and worked extra afternoon hours to make up for our absence. Thursday evening immediately after work hubby and I took off for Dallas to attend a conference called The Perfect You by Dr. Caroline Leaf. I think I mentioned it in my last post, and it was fantastic! We got home last evening and did absolutely nothing so that we would be rested for the day we had planned today. Sunday is church and family day which is typically restful but today we had extra things at church and didn’t get home until around 3pm. Hubby is now working on his teaching for Saturday morning and I am spending some time writing my blog!

Writing this blog is one of my favorite things to do and some weeks it is hard to get here, our margin has been rather thin lately. This world is such a busy place! I’ve heard that we make time for what we care about, but sometimes it feels like we make time for what we have to so that ends meet. I had ablations on my neck the day before Thanksgiving and I thought I would bounce right back like I do after steroid injections, I was wrong. I have struggled with more pain since I had it done, it is a different pain, but it has been worse. I’ve been told it will take 4 – 6 weeks for the full effect, so I am holding out lots of hope. Even with all that has been going on in life, God has been beautifully weaving and orchestrating a design of repetitiveness in my life. This past weekend was Dr. Leaf’s teaching about “neuroplasticity, the study of the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. Neuroplasticity allows the neurons (nerve cells) in the brain to compensate for injury and disease and to adjust their activities in response to new situations or to changes in their environment.”. In other words, the brain’s ability to change old patterns and make new ones. That is a simplified way of thinking about it.

Dr. Leaf gave us the scientific picture of Biblical truth, or showed us how God knew everything first. She really talks fast and she is super smart so it was hard to keep up but gratefully we had her book right there and we were able to follow along that way. Over the past several years God has given me pictures of a lot of the things she was explaining to us so it was a lot of confirmation. As I listened and learned this weekend, I heard a lot of things that have been repeated in my life of learning since 2013. Between church, ministry school, Ransomed Heart Ministries, counseling, retreats, and seminars, God has been teaching the me same things but in different contexts and it is awesome! When I look back to the woman I was in 2013, I almost don’t recognize myself now. I was one of the most insecure women I knew, it was really sad. I had no idea what God was doing back then but look back now and see how He loved me to where I am today.  I love what God is doing in my life right now, He is showing up in ways I never dreamed possible, like He does. I think we dream so small in the scheme of the powerful God that we serve and I want to dream bigger!

This coming week I am going to hope for a bit extra rest, my body is begging me for it. I am excited for this season of Advent as we prepare to celebrate Jesus birthday. I hope that you share some beautiful traditions with family and friends throughout the season, and remember the reason for the season is the gift from God, His Son. I am so grateful He came to save us and He loves when we make lasting memories around His birthday, so make a lot of them! God bless!