Unwasted Grace

Want some Monday Motivation? It's ok to just focus on today. Do you need to repeat that with me? It's  ok to just focus on today. Seems like everything is about the hustle these days. Nothing wrong with working hard, but I can get so focused on end goals, I lose sight of where I am TODAY. I've recently started praying that God will use me for His purpose today. Not the purpose I wish He had for me, but the purpose He actually has for me. It's been less than a week of daily praying that prayer and the result already is more peace. More peace until I start thinking ahead to what may be expected of me at a later date. There's a reason we are to die DAILY, a reason His mercies are new every morning, and a reason God gave the Israelites just enough manna for one day. God doesn't want us to store up strength or energy. He wants us to pour out all He has given us for THIS day. Don't think I don't have dreams and haven't set goals to achieve th

Two rules I've made for myself that I almost always abide by: 1. Do not look at social media before completing my morning routine. 2. Do not read scary news stories. Today, I ignored both. Thanks to social media, I clicked on one alarming news story, which led to clicking on another, and so on. Not only did I end up wasting several minutes, I also quickly grew unsettled as I told myself that I would never: Take the kids to the park by myself again, go to a mall, attend a public event, or trust my husband. Wait, what? All this anxiety because of a few "clicks? Caution is a necessary part of life, but we have to make sure fear doesn't cripple us. I laid down my phone and picked up my Bible. As I prayed for God to settle my heart with His truth, I came across this passage: "Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your strength." - Nehemiah 8:10 What's interesting about this verse is that it was spoken to the Israelites as they were weep