Special Connection Homeschool

I had quite the year last year. I had a hysterectomy in June and just as I got my OK to become active again I had a terrible pain in my shoulder which turned out to be from a herniated disc in my neck. That put me down another 3 months. After that my mother's heart failure progressed and my responsibilities for her doubled. So now that things are calm again and a new year is upon us, I have a lot of goals that I want to accomplish. I sat down one day and listed all my goals. I want to read through the bible in a year, memorize more verses, have daily quiet time, exercise, lose 25 pounds, and my list kept growing and growing. Looking down at it all on paper completely overwhelmed me. Then, the Lord started to show me something. My pastor preached a New Year's sermon and ended it by stating that no matter what you were able to accomplish that year, were you faithful to God? If you were faithful that was enough! God had already been revealing this to me in his Word. I was seei...

As I sit here today I find myself pulled in so many different directions.  I have a desire to be used by God in a way that matters and a huge burden for the lost and hurting.  I have many responsibilities and mission opportunities through our church so I am very active in the "work of the Lord."  In spite of all the work I do, I often feel as if I don't really do anything that makes a difference.  In my devotions this week I was reminded that my focus should be on Christ and his redemption, not on the effects of it.  It was a wonderful reminder to me and as I spent time in prayer yesterday this was the verse that came to my mind. This is what I must set out to do.  This is that thing that matters.  Whether it is in my church service, my home, my neighbor's house or at the store I must act justly, show mercy and be humble.  It certainly sounds simple enough but it goes against our very nature so it is a goal that takes constant effort, prayer...