All Good Things...

I believe as my husband says constantly that you gravitate towards what you focus on.  In this new season of my life I am coming to a realization that I can no longer choose to ignore certain things that are going on in the world around me.  I can become very anxious and uncomfortable when I start thinking and engaging in the atrocities that are happening in our world.  So much so that in the past I have chosen to consciously stop thinking about them, stop watching any news or reading anything about world events.  I can hear the gasps and feel the heads shaking as this is being read by my knowledgeable friends and family.  I  know this is not a great way to live, with my head in the sand, pretending that everything that is going on around us is a-okay.  

I was reminded this past Sunday of something that I felt the Lord tell me years ago, God spoke to my spirit to be a watchman.  I felt the Holy Spirit bring that back to my memory this past weekend and in being a watchmen I have a responsibility to pray.  It is not my responsibility to solve the world’s problem by making snarky facebook comments or create this blog into political blog to argue with people who I will never meet and will most likely never read my blog.  Instead, as a watchmen it is my responsibility to stand guard in the spirit and pray, and in my praying leave it at the feet of Jesus.  I can not carry it with me throughout the day, it is a load to great to bear.  

So this blog will continue to be an encouragement, to myself and of course it is my hope to encourage anyone who reads it.  In the spirit of focusing on good things I have created a list of all good things that I have experienced since arriving in Lincoln 19 days ago.  Enjoy!

• I love our house!  It is the biggest house we have lived in and all of us seem to have enough space.  The only problem is that I keep losing my phone!  
• We have met more of our neighbors in the past 2 weeks than we did the entire five years we lived in our house in Georgia!  The people here are very friendly and happy in general.  While walking through Wal-mart last week Emery commented on how people actually seemed to be enjoying their jobs.  I guess this really is the good life…
• There are so many bike paths and parks here, we have gone on walks almost every night.  The parks are so clean and the kids have been able to enjoy being outside.  Granted it’s August not January, so again I will try to remember this when I’m freezing cold and stuck inside!  
• The kids and I were pleasantly surprised to learn that the schools here in Lincoln provide school supplies for all the kids.  That right, we had to buy exactly $0 worth of supplies before the kids started school.  That is something that makes a mommy of four very, very, happy!  
• Something that I always struggle with is finding a way to push a shopping cart while holding my coffee cup.  I know it is a serious problem.  Well here, in Lincoln, it is a problem no more.  Target provides cute little red coffee cup holders to attach to your cart!  And….there is a Starbucks right inside the store! Win Win!!
• Eli and I went to pick up a pizza the other day and had to stop for some hot sauce.  Now while I have yet to find me some Texas Pete’s I was pleased to find that my .88 cent bottle of hot sauce rang up to be .88 cent.  Huh??  That right, there is not tax on food items!  I was shocked and I think the cashier thought I was a little on the coo-coo side when I was overly excited about this new bit of information. 
• One thing that I am very excited about but also is a great cause for concern is the new places to eat that we have discovered since coming to Lincoln.  The pizza here is delicious, the burgers are amazing and the chicken is almost as good as Zaxby’s!  I will not comment on how many pounds I have gained, but lets just say I am back on the treadmill everyday.  
• The best thing about being in Lincoln is that this is the city that we are called to.  We are discovering new things everyday and even when it’s hard we can be confident that this is where we are called to be.  

When you are in the place God has called you too your life adds value to the city, you feel at peace and you can rest in knowing that the right doors will open at the right time.  I am choosing to focus on the good things each day, to see the doors God is opening for our family and the Church but I am also choosing to bring everything to God.  Taking the covers off my head to see what is going on in the world around me is a part of this new season, but learning not to live there, not to stay in that place and still smile and laugh each day.  After all smiling is my favorite…..

*If this list has made anyone reading it desire to move to Lincoln we have a place for you...