A Beautiful Mess

Lunch Reading: June 8 - 14, 2014

I had an incredibly intense week. 

Stress at work felt like it was at a fever-pitch.  I recently began a new job which gives me the opportunity to do a lot of new things or things I haven't done in a long time.  There is definitely a learning curve.  I love a good challenge, so in many ways the work is enjoyable.  It is also very stressful.  I changed my schedule to work 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., so I wake up early, too.  Something happened this week so that by Thursday the challenge felt more like an attack and the sleep deprivation didn't help. 

To add to it, my son graduated from elementary school this week.  At first, I was pretty nonchalant about it thinking this is just the first of hopefully many graduations.  When the celebration began with reflections on the personalities of each student and a slideshow of their years at the school the tears started flowing.  As I watched the pictures of my son and his friends from Kindergarten to Fifth Grade go by, I realized they weren't the only ones who grew up.  I matured and developed almost as much as they did, just in a different phase in life.  We were all graduating and going on to the next season.

A Beautiful Mess.  When I saw the title of this new six-week Bible Study, I thought it epitomized my life.  For every beautiful thing, there is the correlating mess that goes with it.  A new job comes with ups and downs that make it hard to see the greatness of the opportunity.  The joy of motherhood comes with a range of emotions and workload I could not conceive before becoming a mother.  This week, I am going to preview the study with hopes of hosting a summer Bible Study with neighborhood friends.  Prayerfully, it will gives us some things to reflect and pray about as we take a breather during the summer.  I hope to have more good things to say about this new venture and study in the future!

In My Spare Time
 
Wall Street Journal - I subscribed to the Wall Street Journal for some time.  Unfortunately, I can count on one hand how many times I read it in the last three months.  This week, I'm resolving to spend time reading (or at least skimming) it on a daily basis.  I feel disconnected from current events and there is quite a bit going on in the world.  Hopefully, this will keep me well-versed on the issues of the day.

Believing God: Day by Day - A year-long, daily devotional that is modeled after the book, Believing God.  Great daily reminders regarding the importance of "active faith" in our daily walk.