After a busy weekend, Monday came around & though I went to bed at a decent time, the alarm clock seemed to ring before I was ready to get up.  Mine doesn't actually ring.  It plays some music that starts out quiet & then gets louder if I don't wake up to shut it off.

The kids were none to thrilled to wake up so early either. Gabby has always been a sleeper & she was extra hard to get out of bed this morning.  Thankfully she did & still had time to get ready all the way.  So after the older 3 were off to school, Sadie & I snuggled on the couch for a little bit but needed to get ready to help in the library at Morgan's school.  It's something I think we both look forward to on Mondays.  It's always nice to get to say hi to so many teachers & staff that we've come to love over the last several years that the kids have attended Lemmer.  They are like extended family, especially since having 3 kids attend there we've had several of the teachers.  Sadie is getting more headstrong in what she wants to do and it is becoming more challenging to keep her occupied & out of trouble while we're helping.  Today she walked around the Library with my cell phone and took pics of the kids. I forgot about it until now. I'm sure I'll have a good laugh when I see the pics she took. lol

I talked to a few people on the phone & then felt as though my goal today was to listen to some Biblical teachings.  I have found that when I take notes on what I'm listening to, I learn & retain far more of the information.  I was thankful for Sadie falling asleep for her nap so I could take notes but ended up with a few more phone calls that ate up some of my time.  And she awoke before I was able to get off the phone with the last call.  We had lunch & I attempted to listen and take notes a little more but that's not what Sadie's plans were so I put my podcast away & played with her in the playroom for awhile.  We laughed & enjoyed our time together. I thanked her for making me smile & thanked God for sending her to us because she has brought us so much joy.  I do believe He knew exactly what we needed when he blessed us with her.

Some angels blessed us with a delicious chicken noodle soup for dinner today which was nice since I ended up helping Gabby with some math homework & was still trying to listen to more of my podcast.  I have learned that I need to just listen when I can & not be upset when I am unable to listen to it entirely in one sitting.  That's the perfectionist in me.  The point is, I'm sure there are many of you that have some perfectionist tendencies and sometimes put things off because you just don't seem to have the time to do something all at once so you don't even start.  Well that's not helpful.  Start where you are & work from there.  Don't compare yourself to anyone else.  Do your best and don't worry about the rest.  Find a balance, not perfection.

As I was getting ready this morning a song came on.  I knew I should have written down more of the lyrics because I really wanted to share it with you.  (don't you dislike when that happens?)  It touched me and I'm sure it would have touched you but alas...I have forgotten for now which song it was.  The important thing to me is to keep my eyes focused on Christ and to fill my mind and spirit with Him.  That being said I will share something else.  I like words.  I am drawn to them.  To write them, speak them, sing them, read them....  My kids laugh at me because I really like a lot of word art whether in a subway form or not.  I even have a trash can that has word art on it.  Words appeal to me and I know that they are powerful.  Once said, you can't take them back. They can be used to build up or tear down.  I've probably said this on here before but it is worth sharing again.

Words are very powerful.  (Proverbs 18:21  21Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
            And those who love it will eat its fruit.)   And because words are powerful we need to be careful what we say, what we listen to, what we read, watch, etc.  This is something I have told my children more than once and so I leave you with one of my favorite artists and songs.  Speak Life by TobyMac.  It is my prayer that the words that I share with you will speak life to you.  Please take the time to speak life into someone's life this week!

Speak Life

TobyMac

from the album Eye On It

Buy on Amazon | iTunes

 Play sample

Some days, life feels perfect.
Other days it just ain't workin.
The good, the bad, the right, the wrong
And everything in between.

Though it's crazy, amazing
We can turn a heart with the words we say.
Mountains crumble with every syllable.
Hope can live or die

So speak Life, speak Life.
To the deadest darkest night.
Speak life, speak Life.
When the sun won't shine and you don't know why.
Look into the eyes of the brokenhearted;
Watch them come alive as soon as you speak hope,
You speak love, you speak...
You speak Life, (oh oh oh oh oh oh) You speak Life. (oh oh oh oh oh oh)

Some days the tongue gets twisted;
Other days my thoughts just fall apart.
I do, I don't, I will, I won't,
It's like I'm drowning in the deep.

Well it's crazy to imagine,
Words from our lips as the arms of compassion,
Mountains crumble with every syllable.
Hope can live or die.

So speak Life, speak Life.
To the deadest darkest night.
Speak life, speak Life.
When the sun won't shine and you don't know why.
Look into the eyes of the brokenhearted;
Watch them come alive as soon as you speak hope,
You speak love, you speak...
You speak Life, (oh oh oh oh oh oh) You speak Life. (oh oh oh oh oh oh)

Lift your head a little higher,
Spread the love like fire,
Hope will fall like rain,
When you speak life with the words you say.

Raise your thoughts a little higher,
Use your words to inspire,
Joy will fall like rain,
When you speak life with the things you say.

Lift your head a little higher,
Spread the love like fire,
Hope will fall like rain,
When you speak life with the words you say.

So speak Life, speak Life.
To the deadest darkest night.
Speak life, speak Life.
When the sun won't shine and you don't know why.
Look into the eyes of the brokenhearted;
Watch them come alive as soon as you speak hope,
You speak love, you speak...
You speak Life, (oh oh oh oh oh oh) You speak Life. (oh oh oh oh oh oh)

You speak Life, (oh oh oh oh oh oh) You speak Life. (oh oh oh oh oh oh)

Some days life feels perfect.