Ahh….. rain….. I so love the sound of it.  We don’t get much of it here in Colorado, so I relish it when it falls to earth.  Water in general means many different things to people.

Water can quench a thirst, it is used in baptism, and JESUS used it for a miracle at the wedding in Cana of Galilee.  Jesus washed HIS disciples’ feet with water and HE walked on it as well.

Water is used in the Old Testament as a symbol of purification in ritual cleansing. 

GOD has provided water to us as a necessity for life.  In general, I think we take water for granted even though we could not live without it.

But there is that familiar expression that “when it rains it pours” and this wording is all about our difficulties in life, and how all of it is compounded when one trial happens on top of another!  Are you in this familiar place?

I see some friends battling with physical issues, questioning GOD and HIS plan, and asking why.

I see others living with burdens I cannot imagine, some financial and some concerning family, and through it all saying they will trust.

These difficult trials cause us to ponder: why me? why them?

And just like the rain that inevitably falls after a long hot drought, GOD’S love falls and washes over us like spring GRACE…. just when we need it…. just when we are at our limit.  And just like we need water to survive, so we need GOD’S living water to sustain us whenever life’s trials rain upon us.

I certainly don’t have all the answers as to why bad things happen to good people…. I just know we are all broken…. it is the world seeping into our souls and making us dirty in all sorts of ways.  Because of our sins, we have “…forsaken GOD, the spring of living water, and have dug our own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”

JEREMIAH 2:13

What does this say about us?  It says that when life rains on us, we cannot go it alone even though we try.  We try hard to fix situations,  and then soon realize that our going it alone only muddies the water.  We need to draw deep from GOD’S well of salvation and let HIS living water wash over us, like rain on a fresh spring morning!  Only the grace of GOD can be poured out abundantly on us in our situations if we hold fast to our faith in HIM. 

The next time it rains or you see water in a beautiful peaceful setting…. remember HIS redemption for you.  Water is all around us every day…. may we never take it for granted, and may we always remember its life-giving purpose for us.

ISAIAH 12: 2 “Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”

Last week I challenged you to write down what time you wake up and what time  you go to bed each day, and to write down how you’re feeling emotionally, physically, before you go to bed each night etc.  Did you try it?  Were you surprised by anything?  Did you see a trend anywhere?   Did you find you were exhausted?  Grumpy?  Keyed up an unable to go to sleep?  Let’s chat about it in the comments!

We’re at the beginning of this #insomniaLounge journey together, and you might think you get enough sleep, but be surprised to find out that lack of sleep is causing stress, lack of patience, grumpiness etc, during the day, and that simply grabbing a few more zzz’s can change your whole perspective.   Or, you might know you’re exhausted, and need more sleep but can’t seem to get those zzz’s you know you need.

It’s more complex than simply going to bed earlier, and we’re working our way through Sleepless in America to find out how and why sleep is impacting us in unexpected ways, and what to do about it.  (Note: This is not a sponosored or affiliate post in any way.  We just believe Sleep and Rest are crazy important and want to share it with you.)

This week, let’s think about how it feels when you know you’re short on sleep.  When the kiddos have been keeping you up all night and you’ve only snatched a couple hours here and there.  Or when some big project keeps you up well past midnight even though you have to be up bright and early…

Below is my list of what happens to me when I don’t get enough sleep.  Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments!

• Can’t make the simplest decisions (What to make for dinner?  I stare blankly at the pantry unable to think of a single thing to make, or I wander aimlessly through the grocery store taking 30 minutes to find 3 items.)
• Clumsy (I’m generally clumsy as a rule, but when I’m extra tired, I run into the walls, stub my toe on the kitchen chair, drop a glass of juice in the kitchen, etc.)
• Zero patience, tolerance or kindness (My oldest asks me to fix him some Tang and I snap at him that he’s old enough to fix it himself.  Or my youngest is d0-dah-do-dah-do-dah-do-dah-ing repetitively and a harsh “Stop it!” comes out of my mouth before I can stop myself.)

I used to think that these were just flaws I had that I should work on.  Turns out every one of these things is directly related to not getting enough sleep!  If I get enough sleep, I can control my thoughts, my body, and my reactions with ease.  These ‘problems’ simply disappear (…for the most part.  Let’s be real. I’m still human. )  

Such a simple, painless fix!

New research has demonstrated the key role adequate sleep plays in the ability to control one’s emotions, behavior, and attention span.  Without sufficient sleep, your…performance, mood, focus, and ability to work with others deteriorate rapidly.  Power struggles begin with a lousy night’s sleep.
-Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, Sleepless in America

Take Action: This week, keep a list of ALL the little things.  Things that get on your nerves. Anytime you get stuck deciding what to wear, or making some other simple decision.  Did you slop the pasta sauce out of the pan stirring too hard?  Drop things?  Do something clumsy or hurt yourself? Lose your keys…again?  Write it down.  Even if you think it’s NOT related to lack of sleep.  We’ll come back to this list at the end of the series, so hang on to it! Put it by your bed where you won’t have to look for it later.  :) And don’t forget:

Always put on your own *sleep* mask first…  

Note:  While the CMA posts will focus on sleep, your post for the linkup below is still free to be on any goal you’d like community and accountability in achieving.   We’re so glad you’re here!

Spring cleaning…that is what many of us choose to do this time of year. (That makes it sound like I am part of the group that does spring cleaning, doesn’t it?!?!)

CLEAN…I love the after-effects of cleaning, but not so much the process.

We clean out closets.

We clean out drawers.

We clean out garages.

We wash windows.

We sweep out the accumulation of winter’s grit, grime and grunge.

All in hopes of a cleaner house.

A cleaner garage.

Cleaner windows.

And oh how happy we are when we have accomplished these tasks.

Oh, and don’t forget the outside…the yard work, the gardening that we do.

We plant bulbs and seeds. We search for the lawn fertilizer, or the number for the lawn care company. We plant, we water and we wait.

I am not a master gardener. In fact, I am not even a very good beginning gardener. Years ago my husband & I agreed, “If it is green and fits under the lawnmower, then it must be grass!”

I no longer subscribe to that theory and neither does he. My husband is pretty good with the yard and manages to keep it relatively weed free and green most of the spring, summer and fall. I even have a few tulips, hyacinths and daffodils that come up in the spring and some hostas that are around all summer. But I am really not a gardener. I do work hard at knowing what is a weed and what is not!

I think Jesus is all about spring cleaning and gardening…

Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10

He wants us to have a clean heart.

But I wonder, at times, just what am I growing in my heart?

Do I have weeds of selfishness? Of pride? Of contempt? Of worry? Or unbelief? All of these things will hinder my walk with Him.  He is the shepherd. He is the master gardener. He can make all things new. And he can meet ALL my needs.  (Phillipians 4:19)

This spring I am going to try and water the good things and pull the weeds that don’t belong in my life. I’m going to try and fertilize my life with continued quiet time, quality exercise and enjoy the benefits of taking care of myself.

And if I stick with these things, I believe the good grass will grow and become green, while choking  out the weeds. And…I just might be able to see out my windows!

I found this article on Spiritual Spring Cleaning. It was worth my time; I think it will be worth yours too.

Sharing my heart,

Mary

Snow has begun its crystallization and when sun joins in on the effort, I see His radiance in propitious luster.

The promise of spring.

See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:19

My 4-year-old digs a trench, anxious for the snow beneath to melt into streams, and as I crunch around the yard with him, I see God’s glory unfold.

There are clean, new stems on my lilac bush. Tiny buds on my cherry tree. And hearty bulbs forcing their way through to reach Him no matter the journey.

Nature rejoices.

Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
Psalm 96: 12

Bright rays bounce off the window pane as I try to strip away the weathered past of winter. I find I don’t mind the task if I hum along — the very song that’s been stuck in my head all morning. Hums precede broken phrases. Phrases elongate to stanzas. Before I know it, I’m singing to the audience of One. With arms, clad with cleaner and rag, lifted high. Belting it out in complete submission.

He deserves my praise.

You are worthy, O Lord our God,
to receive glory and honor and power.
For you created all things,
and they exist because you created what you pleased.
Revelation 4:11

Friends, I think of the frozen snow bowing low, transforming into nourishment for the next season. I consider the crocus and how it bursts through, no matter what’s in its way of revealing itself to The Creator. All to praise the One and Only…for He deserves whatever it takes.

We were made to worship.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, God’s special possession,
that you may declare the praises of Him
who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.
I Peter 2:9

And as I continue along my spring cleaning, I begin praying the song that fell from my lips. I’ve decided to claim it for my own soul-cleaning this season, and I invite you to do the same.

Fall Afresh

(feat. Jeremy Riddle)
Bethel Loft Series

Father, as I see nature transitioning, positioning itself to praise You in grandiose luster, my heart wonders if I may do the same. I want to follow, Lord. I want Your glory to invade so that nothing can stand in my way of praising You…of giving You glory. For it’s all about You.

Lord, let Your glory invade my darkness. Wake me from my sleep. Blow through the caverns of my soul. Clean out what doesn’t belong and fill me until I overflow with…You.

Fall afresh, Father. For I know that’s where the spring in my step comes from…And this next season? I know You’ve got this…for some things never change…YOU are my only constant. Thank You.

How about you, friend? What’s your prayer this spring? How may I pray for you? I’d love to hear.

What comes to your mind when you hear the word retreat?

For me, a retreat includes time away. Either by myself or with others to recharge. When I think retreat, I think out of town. I think rest. I think relaxation. I think worship. I think quiet time. I think sleep. 

Stolen from my sister’s trip to Florida

If retreat means the act of withdrawing, as into safety or privacy, then this means that I do not have to go out of town. It doesn’t even mean that I would have to leave my house. To retreat, simply means to withdraw.

When physical withdrawal isn’t an option, we can still withdraw within our selves. We can mentally withdraw. We can emotionally withdraw. We can spiritually withdraw. We can build this practice into our lives. We can do this consistently. Without breaking the bank. Without spending a dime. All it takes is discipline.

We can set out a specific time, day, and place to simply get away. To retreat into the arms of our God. To retreat into His Word. To retreat into surrender.

To retreat, is to follow in the footsteps of our Savior. Many times in Scripture we’re given the example of retreating to be alone. Sometimes he did so by himself. Sometimes he did so with a close group of friends.

• …He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place… Matthew 14:13
• In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. Mark 1:35
• …”Come away by yourselves to a secluded place”… …went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves. Mark 6:31-2
• …Jesus left and went to a secluded place… Luke 4:42
• …withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone. John 6:15
• And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray… Luke 22:41

So, what would it look like for you to retreat? Maybe you need a daily “retreat” to refresh and recharge. Maybe it’s weekly. Perhaps monthly. However often it is needed, I want to encourage you to just do it.

Even if it seems impossible. Try. Set apart an hour, a half hour, 15 minutes. Whatever you can. Say a quick prayer. Journal. Take a deep breath. Stare at His creation. Whatever it takes. Make the time to reconnect. Find a way to retreat.

Even if only momentarily.

You know when you’re in an airplane and the flight crew says “In the event of an emergency, always put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others”?     There’s a reason for that, right?  Because you’re not going to be able to help someone else if you’re passed out from lack of oxygen yourself. 

Sleep and resting your body are exactly the same.  It is crucial to take care of yourself in order to be able to help others.  And I don’t mean help others sleep.  I mean the pour yourself out for your kids, your husband, your family, your church, your community…. all of it.  If you don’t have enough sleep and rest, simply are not able to be the best version of yourself that you could be.

“Oh, I get enough sleep though.”   Is that the thought running through your head?   My guess is you’ll be surprised that you might not, and my prayer is that this series will bless both you and those who already know they need more sleep.

When my oldest was little, I thought he just didn’t need that much sleep.  He napped, and was never tired (or so I thought), and it took forever to get him to sleep at night.   He would literally go and go and go until he just crashed.  We marveled at it, and even nicknamed him after the Energizer Bunny….

Then one day I was at the library looking through the “NEW” books cart, and a book jumped out at me: Sleepless in America.  I have to admit I grabbed it to read the back because I thought it might be a Sleepless in Seattle sequel?  No such luck.  ;)  I was quickly disappointed, and then fascinated by the topic:   Is your child misbehaving or simply missing sleep?

Long story short, I checked it out, and within a week I had ordered a copy to keep for myself because I was hooked.   I learned so much about sleep, both for my child and for myself.    My oldest who was ‘never tired’ was actually  over tired and the running and crazy energy and difficulty going to sleep stemmed from there.  I started watching for the over tired behavior and trying to get him to sleep before it kicked in, and it changed my life as a mom.  No joke.  I also realized that my ability to deal with my child hinged on my own lack of sleep, and suddenly I wasn’t nearly such a crabby and frustrated  mama.  This book is now one of only two books that I recommend to new parents, and I’ve reread it several times.  (This is NOT a sponsored or affiliate post.  I’m sharing the book with you simply because I feel so strongly that we need to learn to get enough sleep in a culture where lack of sleep is either acceptable or worse, expected.)

God built us needing rest, and he tells us that even He rests.

Let’s learn how to honor and observe that together. Over the next several weeks, we’ll be doing a series on sleep here for Count Me Accountable.  I’ll be sharing what I’ve learned, and hopefully you’ll be challenged to look at your own sleep habits and see where you can make changes to help yourself and your family feel more rested.  If you have particular questions or struggles, please leave a comment and I’ll do my best to include them.

If you want, between now and next Thursday, grab a sheet of paper and write down what time you wake up and what time  you go to bed each day.  And before bed, write down how you’re feeling emotionally, physically, etc.  You might be surprised at what you find out.  And don’t forget:

Always put on your own *sleep* mask first…  ;)

Note:  While the CMA posts will focus on sleep, your post for the linkup below is still free to be on any goal you’d like community and accountability in achieving.

My first winter in this big state was terrifying.
Terrifying to drive in the snow.
Terrifying to realize how ill-equipped my winter wardrobe was for “arctic cold-fronts.”
Terrifying to see snowfall in April.

Ever since that first winter, this is always the most difficult time of year for me. It’s spring, and it’s not spring.
This year, the day before the first day of spring we got another twelve inches of snow.
My heart is yearning for warmth, for green grass, for budding flowers, for toes in the sand and warm rays of sunshine on the face.

My heart is yearning for the re-birth spring brings. 

In Maine, there is a process
before spring can bring its full bounty of beauty.
Snow which has fallen and refrozen lays hard on the ground.
It’s much like our hearts, which sometimes harden
towards one another, towards strangers, towards Him.

Still, the sun remains, always rising and falling,
always warming, fulfilling its purpose.
And so does The Son, our Lord Jesus,
who never changes, who never disappoints,
who is good and just and righteous and Love.

Slowly the sun begins to warm the hardened snow.
And as the snow begins to melt away, the ground turns to mud.
And the mud is everywhere.
On our shoes, on our cars, on our pets, in our homes.
Dirt roads become opportunities for deep prayer,
prayer our cars do not get stuck and stranded.
It’s a process.
Much like our hearts.
As His Word convicts our hearts of our sin,
of our pride to focus on what we can accomplish
instead of depending on Him and His Holy Spirit
it hurts.
Sometimes we find muck we have to trudge through.
Rebellion. Resentment. Un-forgiveness.
Selfishness. Anger. Judgement.

There is hope.

Hope because one day we step outside,
and we see the tiniest green shoots sprouting up from the ground.
Hope because we see the tiny buds on the branches of trees,
and in time,
we see these buds open into flowers and leaves.
Hope because the mud begins to dry, the sun becomes ever warmer,
and with joy we breath in the scent of fresh grass,
Spring fully arrived in Maine.

Hope because He transforms our hearts,
forgives our sins,
embraces us with His Grace,
and in Him we remember that we too, are born again.
A new birth.
A new life.
An eternal hope.

My heart rejoices for his Redemption.
I am Redeemed.
I am Born Again.

My Heart Yearns to Embrace the New Life He Offers.

As we enter into Spring, my hope is we will all slow down in our busy lives and take a moment to breathe in the awe of new life and vibrant colors that arrive with spring.
More so, my hope is our hearts will Rejoice and Embrace the New Life Christ offers us, in all its brilliance and supernatural awe.

In Love & Faith,
RaZella

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…” Ecclesiastes 3:1

What season are you in?  This month at MustLoveGod, part of our focus is spring retreat and how that applies to our lives.

Are you due for some spring cleaning?  Do you have dust and cobwebs that need cleaned out?  Is He calling you to a place of rest?  Does He want you to rise up?  Is this a season in which you need to get stronger?

As we explore this topic and all other things related to spring this month, we invite you to join us both in the comments and on our facebook group.  We invite you to participate on twitter and instagram, using the hashtag #springretreat.

Pull up a place at the picnic table and join the link ups on Thursdays for Count Me Accountable.

We hope to share bedtime tips as many of us are trying to get out of the #insomnialounge and #get2sleep in order to find that place of sweet rest with the Lord.

We will rise up to the challenge presented by the gals over at HelloExercise to have an #awesomeApril, making faith, fitness, and good food choices part of every day.

I’ll get this party started. What does spring mean to you? What is your favorite part of spring?

He’s equal parts absolutely hilarious, and fabulously inspiring.  If you ever get the chance to hear him speak, don’t miss it!

He was talking about his new book, Start.

Start working on your dream.

Your goals.

That thing you LOVE.

Just Start.

“Punch fear in the face.”

~Jon Acuff

Start.   

You’re not going to be an overnight success.  You’re going to be a beginner.  Someone learning, who makes mistakes and grows along the way.  But you have to START.

Eventually you’ll reach your way to mastery, and be able to reach back and guide/mentor someone else who is just at the starting line.   But you have to START first.  And you have to stick with it.

So here’s my question for you:

What is God calling you to START doing?

What’s your goal?

Your dream?

That thing you love?

And how can we encourage you and help you stay accountable?

If I think too hard upon the broken mess that I truly am, even though I hide it from 82% of the world, it just makes the events that happened nearly 2,000 years ago harder to celebrate.  Sweeter, in some ways, but sometimes the reality of my sin, and my shame is just too much.

It kills me, to picture my Jesus, taking blow after blow for the way I just yelled at my youngest son after  an afternoon of temper tantrums and power struggles.  It shames me  to recount all of the times that I go forth, in my own strength, and make such a mess because I didn’t yield to Him.

Sweet sisters, if you are in a similar place, then let’s pause.  Let’s take a few moments and breathe.  Let the fresh, cleansing breath send out all of the stress and regret.  Let it bring the hope of His promises, and the joy of the RESURRECTION, the reason that we have hope at all.

May your days leading to Easter be filled with joy, wonder and awe.  And most of all, love.

Photo Credit: **DARK-O-krizmanic** via Compfight cc