Routine Rest

Do you ever thank God for your daily routine?

Today I did some early morning shopping with Story after Blaise left for school.  Once we finished and got home, I laid him down for his nap, and put groceries away.  When I went upstairs to grab a sweatshirt, there he was in his crib sound asleep.

Seeing this made me pause and say, "Thank you God that he is asleep.  Thank you for everyday that he reliably takes his nap.  I am so grateful that You've given him a daily routine that I can count on just like I can count on You."

Fools Rush In

"Is it a need or a want?"

After people read my book Personal Finances Personal Freedom, this question is often the big take-away.  Rather than spending on auto-pilot, they recognize the benefit of pausing long enough to answer this question and then make a sober decision.

In my quest to work on building up my business, I am looking at businesses in the Bible.  Today I looked at the "Wife of Noble Character" in Proverbs 31.  She is often looked at as the prototype of a godly wife, but she was also a successful businesswoman.

One of the verses that gave me pause was, "She considers a field and buys it;..."  Considers.  The woman did not rush her decision, but was thoughtful, contemplative. 

The next sentence says, "...out of her earnings she plants a vineyard."  So this verse tells me two things.  First, the field was an investment.  She put money into it to make money.  Second, she saved up her money to make another investment.

In the end, scripture declares the Wife of Noble Character as a woman who "fears the Lord" and "is to be praised."  My take-away from her is that wisdom waits on the Lord.

More Stress? More Mess? Please Yes!

"At the end of the day I am more tired now than when I was pregnant!"

I was speaking to a friend in her 40s like me who is enchanted with the thought of having another baby.  Her two kids are school age.

It was about two years ago that we discovered we were pregnant--unintentionally.  Initially, I struggled to accept that I was going to have to care for another kid rather than celebrating that I get to raise another child.  God spoke a message of encouragement directly to me and immediately the Holy Spirit changed me from the inside out.  I was a happy pregnant woman!

But that little bundle of boy wears me out!  My five senses are perpetually piqued to anticipate his every move.  Regularly my arms are given a workout toting his 28-pound frame.  Mentally I toil in preparation for excursions away from our home trying not to miss anything needed for him, inevitably forgetting something needed for me.

Even still I would not change one thing.  I love seeing the world through his eyes.  I love seeing our older kids loving seeing the world through his eyes.  God made Story so that he fits right in with the Webbs.  He gets us.  He knows he's one of us.  He belongs.