Every day we find ourselves doing the same things over and over. We get up, eat, go to work (or stay home and work), take care of our families and homes, watch a little tv, go to bed and maybe read a verse or two of the Bible in there somewhere. Then we do it all over again. In a lifetime we spend the first 18+ years worrying about school and what we want to do with our lives, only to spend the next 30+ years working at a job we hate, retire and die.
Now, I'm pretty sure the people who read this do not hate their jobs (I think we all have the same job-MOM) but think about people in general. How many people do you know who are basically just existing? They live life because they have to. They don't know what their purpose is. They are just doing what we and millions of people do every day and have done every day for a long time now. As humans we always want more. We are consumed with having the biggest house, nicest cars, lots of "toys" (camper, boat, ATV, etc), making sure our kids get good jobs, making sure we are popular with people, preparing for our retirement and so on.
Do you know what the Bible says about that? More specifically what the wisest man that ever lived besides Jesus says about that?
Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
It is pointless. All of it. If it isn't profiting the Kingdom of God, it is being done in vain.
The preacher at the church we have been attending (this might be the one!) preached on this Wed. Of course I have heard it before. We all have. This time it is really sticking with me. I can't stop thinking about it. How much of what I do on a daily basis is filled with vanity? A lot if you think about it. How much of what I do on a daily basis is building God's kingdom and not mine? Not much. As Christians we should know what our purpose on this earth is. How much of what we do daily in a whole lifetime has to do with our true purpose?
What I realized this weekend is that I don't want my kids growing up thinking they need to have a high paying jobs to be happy or thinking life's purpose is all the things we do for ourselves on earth. I want them to know that their purpose, once saved, is building GOd's kingdom. Of course they will have to have jobs, go to the grocery store, clean their house, have a car but is that stuff really what's important? I don't want them looking at my life and thinking that is what counts. I want every decision they make to start with the question "What does God want me to do here?" or "How is this going to build God's kingdom and not mine?"
All that starts with us parents. Is your life filled with vanity of vanities? I don't want my life to be!
Monday, September 22, 2014
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
New blog, new chapter
Most of you know I had something go funky with my other blog. I hope everyone finds me no trouble! After I got to thinking about it, a new blog is only fitting for this new time in my life!
Things are going very well here in Faith, NC. The kids are adjusting very well. They have made lots of friends and besides needing to "learn to speak North Carolina" I don't think they are having any trouble. The school is twice as big as Buffalo and I don't like not knowing anyone but since I don't get out of my car at drop off or pick up, I really haven't had the chance to meet any other parents. I can't really volunteer in the class because of Abby. She's just not up for sitting still while I read to a class of 2nd graders!
I was finally able to pull my van into the garage. It only took me a month to get it cleared out. But it is still too tight so I'm back to parking in the driveway until I can get some more organizing done. And that is not my forte so it might be awhile!
We love our house. Ryan and Abby sharing a room was definitely the right choice for now. They get a long so well. I can't imagine the headache I would have if Abby was with Hannah. I can hear her dramatic whine now...."Abby won't leave my stuff alone!" We gave up a laundry room and went back to a hallway laundry closet. We didn't get a 4th bedroom. We didn't get property or lots of trees. But I'm sure we are where God wants us to be. That is better than all the bedrooms and trees in the world!
We were hoping that living in a subdivision would give the kids a chance to have some friends, although the neighbor kids was one of my huge complaints in WV. At least half, or more, of the houses here have kids swing sets or play equipment in the yard but NO ONE and I mean NO ONE is ever outside. It is the quietest neighborhood in the world. I am not exaggerating. I wish I was. We did eventually mean a neighbor down the road. They have a 3rd grade girl and a 3 yr old boy. The kids see her at school but she is very busy with after school activities so they are lucky if they see her once a week at home. They don't go to church anywhere so I'm praying we will be a good witness to them and hopefully be taking the kids to church with us at some point.
Speaking of church....that part of moving has not been fun. I didn't realize how hard it was going to be. Having the word "Baptist" on the sign means nothing these days. I've lost count but I think we are on church # 6. I know I definitely took our church in WV for granted. Enough about that.
If you will remember, we sold our camper when we sold the house. We are missing that camper like the dickens! Especially with the cooler weather. It is camping season and we aren't going. =(
We still have some things to take care of WV but we are well on our way to being North Carolinians!
Things are going very well here in Faith, NC. The kids are adjusting very well. They have made lots of friends and besides needing to "learn to speak North Carolina" I don't think they are having any trouble. The school is twice as big as Buffalo and I don't like not knowing anyone but since I don't get out of my car at drop off or pick up, I really haven't had the chance to meet any other parents. I can't really volunteer in the class because of Abby. She's just not up for sitting still while I read to a class of 2nd graders!
I was finally able to pull my van into the garage. It only took me a month to get it cleared out. But it is still too tight so I'm back to parking in the driveway until I can get some more organizing done. And that is not my forte so it might be awhile!
We love our house. Ryan and Abby sharing a room was definitely the right choice for now. They get a long so well. I can't imagine the headache I would have if Abby was with Hannah. I can hear her dramatic whine now...."Abby won't leave my stuff alone!" We gave up a laundry room and went back to a hallway laundry closet. We didn't get a 4th bedroom. We didn't get property or lots of trees. But I'm sure we are where God wants us to be. That is better than all the bedrooms and trees in the world!
We were hoping that living in a subdivision would give the kids a chance to have some friends, although the neighbor kids was one of my huge complaints in WV. At least half, or more, of the houses here have kids swing sets or play equipment in the yard but NO ONE and I mean NO ONE is ever outside. It is the quietest neighborhood in the world. I am not exaggerating. I wish I was. We did eventually mean a neighbor down the road. They have a 3rd grade girl and a 3 yr old boy. The kids see her at school but she is very busy with after school activities so they are lucky if they see her once a week at home. They don't go to church anywhere so I'm praying we will be a good witness to them and hopefully be taking the kids to church with us at some point.
Speaking of church....that part of moving has not been fun. I didn't realize how hard it was going to be. Having the word "Baptist" on the sign means nothing these days. I've lost count but I think we are on church # 6. I know I definitely took our church in WV for granted. Enough about that.
If you will remember, we sold our camper when we sold the house. We are missing that camper like the dickens! Especially with the cooler weather. It is camping season and we aren't going. =(
We still have some things to take care of WV but we are well on our way to being North Carolinians!
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