As to the Lord...

Those who know me well, know that I am not a morning person. To say that I struggle to be kind doesn't seem like a strong enough statement. On the first morning of our marriage, I told Brian that he needed to leave me alone and give me time to wake up. As each new child has entered our family, I've made sure that they understood as well. I'm sure that my family has many embarrassing stories of how awful I am to deal with in the mornings. I go about my work grumbling to myself about how much I wish I could just wake up in peace, without anyone asking me to do anything. Recently, the Lord has been revealing to me just how selfish my attitude has been. I am asking six other people to adjust everything they do for me! Jesus tells us in the Bible that we are to die to ourselves DAILY, and that he didn't come to be served, but to serve. So, I decided that it was time for a change. It was time for me to start adjusting to the needs of my family. This week I've been getting up earlier to give myself some time to prepare my heart to serve my family. I've been cooking breakfast for Brian and my children and trying to greet them in a way that people you love should be greeted. Starting this way has helped to get me off on the right foot to keep me focused for the work that needs to be done each day. I don't want to just do the work, I want to do it with a heart that is focused on the Lord. Don't misunderstand me, there are no bright beams of glorious sunlight shining through our house, while gentle woodland creatures come to feast on scraps of food and soft music plays in the background. This is a daily (sometimes hourly) decision for me to die to my selfish desires and focus on others. Colossians 3:23-24 says, "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ." This has been my motto this week that I keep repeating in my head, "as to the Lord". I haven't done it perfectly, but I've tried to quickly get back on the path when I've stepped off. So, as I go about my day cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, wiping noses (as well as other places) and tending to the needs of my family, I'm striving to do it as to the Lord.

The purpose

I've been wanting to start a blog for a few months, but I was unsure what to call it. I wanted the name of my blog to set the tone. I've been reading the book Passionate Housewives, Desparate for God. Through this book, the Lord has been renewing my passion for Him and my family. I was reading today about Mary and Martha. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, to learn from Him and to worship Him. Martha was busy doing chores. Martha was upset with Mary for not helping. She went to Jesus to ask Him to get Mary to help. Instead He told Martha that Mary was doing the right thing. In the book the author was asking the question why can't we do both? Why can't I worship God while going about the work of my home? Then the name of my blog came to me, Mary's heart in Martha's kitchen. It describes how I want to live my life. I want to have Mary's heart for worshipping, while having Martha's drive to get the work done. I know that this may seem a little crazy, but for those of you who know me well, that shouldn't be a surprise. I'm not foolish enough to think that I won't have days that I want to pull my hair out piece by piece, but it won't stop me from trying. As Christians, we're called to perfection. Not that I am perfect, but the God I serve is and He calls me to continually strive for perfection. I'm taking the calling to be a wife and mother seriously. I'm honored to be Brian's wife and the mother of Tori, Zachary, Timothy, Benjamin, and Payton. The purpose of this blog is to share my journey, the failures as well successes.