Sorry that I haven't been posting lately but I have been getting into the swing of my new job. A much bigger change due to working second shift now. Who would have thought that changing a shift would cause so much chaos with my body. My body wanted to come home from work at twelve in the morning and clean and cook and hang out. Everyone else in my house wanted me to shut up and go to bed. However, things are better and I have found a routine that I can be happy with for the most part. I will honestly admit that sometimes my body needs to catch up and I will stay up until three in the morning and my body decides to sleep until noon.
Anyway, as a Christian over the years I kept hearing the word devotional. I could picture a little old Catholic grandma with her rosary tightly held in one fist and a worn small book in the other. Definitely didn't think this was something for me. I also didn't think it would be something that I ever bought for myself. However, I have been hearing it more and more. Well let me tell you that there are devotionals for every one. I even found one written by the people in Duck Dynasty, I was pretty blown away. Another thing I was, was intimidated. There are shelves and shelves and stores and stores of devotions you can buy.
Well I broke it down into something meaning daily prayer and I knew like everything else about my faith, it had to speak to me figuratively. Well after spending four hours online, three hours combing stores and digging through shelf after shelf. I found it... it was the proverbially AHA moment in my life as far as devotionals go. I have these moments that happen in my religious life. I need a light to go off in my head, sometimes God even needs to smack me hard with something to get me to pay attention..
Moving on, my new devotional is called "365 Devotions to Embrace What Matters Most" and its written by John Michalak. Totally giving credit where credit is due here. Now if you ask me what his religious training is that he feels he can write a devotional, I will tell you that I don't know and I also don't care. Anyone that wants to speak the word to me and make me think and pray and contemplate who I am, is welcomed into my home.
I think the key phrase that got me is was the very last paragraph on the back of the book. It states and yes I am quoting him "Embrace what matters most, and start living a life rich with purpose, delight and eternal meaning." I will say this every time someone asks me, its all about purpose. I am here because God has a purpose for me. I haven't figured it out and most likely I never will but I am here for a reason.
I am pretty excited and scared to start my devotional. It starts each week on Sunday which means it started this morning. The first section is called "All About Me" and I have a feeling I will be doing a lot of self reflection which should be interesting since I lost my mom in January of 2014. Just two days after my birthday. It will be interesting because I said out loud to the world that I forgave her and was at peace. Perhaps I am, or perhaps I still hold a little bit more inside that I can work through with my devotional.
I cannot promise you sunshine and roses this year on my blog, but I can and will promise that you get honesty, you get my opinions (whether we agree or disagree), you will get my love and you will see into my world and my love of God.
