Happy New Year 2009

I haven't written for quite awhile on my blog but I thought I'd start the new year out by doing so. Life gets busy over the Christmas and New Year holidays. We've had a lot of snow and really cold weather, sort of unusual for our part of the country. I also have been having a lot of low back pain and finally went into the chiropractor my husband sees and after having two adjustments this week I feel a lot better. If I make any kind of New Year's resolution at all, it will be to take better care of myself physically and that includes walking more for exercise, stretching and eating healthier. This Sunday starts 21 days of prayer and fasting that we do every year at our church, Puget Sound Christian Center. I am praying about what to fast for these upcoming three weeks. Usually it's food of somekind, like junk food, or a meal. But it can also be tv, internet, things that tend to pull me away from focusing on God's word or doing other things more fruitful (like organizing my upstairs and giving a lot of stuff away to Goodwill!) It's easy for me to be pulled away by the computer reading blogs, surfing Ebay, etc. Which is fine if it's limited. Another goal this year for me is to try to concentrate at doing a really fine job at work...because I've been doing the same job for almost 26 years, it's easy to fall into the 'do it by rote' syndrome. I want to be excellent at my work and I want to be less stressed about my job. Some days when I have lots of clients calling and my bosses want lots of projects done asap and I have clients dropping by the office with questions, I get stressed and I can get short-tempered and snappy. I don't want to be that way. I am praying that God fills me up with His peace and patience this year, that I can walk in the fruits of the spirit, but in order to do so, I need to water and fertilize those fruits that are already planted in me....love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control. In fact, I just started a ladies over 40 small group at the invitation of our life/small group pastors at church right before Christmas...two ladies have come over to my house every other week in December and we are doing a Bible study on self-control. During the 21 days of prayer and fasting, we are going to meet at church on Tuesday nights instead of our groups (which is actually every other Tuesday) for prayer and worship, so we won't be meeting again till February for the group. These two gals are in their mid-40's so we are close in age and both of them have a heart for God, and one in particular for prayer. So the two times we've met, we've prayed over different requests in our life, are getting to know each other and have done the short Bible study. It's a study I did a few years ago at work at our lunch Bible study we do there on Thursdays...we went through almost all of the fruits of the spirit, I think, except goodness and faithfulness, so I still have the study books. I had prayed for the past several months to have some new Christian women friends I could get to know, and this opportunity opened up I believe as an answer to prayer. I have 'known' both of the ladies by sight over the years at church but not well, so it is great getting to know them. And we are hoping to have some others join us, but not getting over maybe 7 or 8 people at the most.
Anyway, I have a lot to think about for this prayer and fasting time on what to fast and what to focus on in prayer, although we'll get some guidance too from church for prayer. I want to have a closer relationship with God this year. I don't want to just flit around and be too busy to really be with Him and hear Him when He nudges my heart. Sometimes I think I do hear and obey but a lot of times I am sure He is grieved because I'm just running around doing my own things. More than ever, I have realized I need to carve out some time in the morning before work to spend with Him. My days at work go so much better when I do...I feel I can handle the stress levels and stuff at work because I am more peaceful when I am focused on worshipping and spending time with God. And I can hear Him speak to me. I have an extra bedroom upstairs that I am going to make my room to pray, journal. listen to music so I won't be distracted by the dogs, tv. etc. in the mornings. I really like to watch Joyce Meyer too and she's on at 6am....but I think maybe I will try to catch her in the evenings instead. I know I need to walk too, and mornings are good for that, right before work, at the mall right by the office. I need to get organized so I can spend time in the morning with the Lord, and walk. If I know what I am going to wear and bring for lunch and have everything ready to go, and don't watch tv and stay on the computer in the mornings, I can accomplish this.