Monday Musings - The Iron Lady

A few weeks ago, we mourned the death of the Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher. During that time, people were quoting things that she has said over the years. Below is one of my favorites that I heard:

"Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't".

~Margaret Thatcher

Resolutions...4 months later

It has been almost 4 months since the beginning of the year. And it has been almost 4 months since I made some New Year's Resolutions... I thought it was time to check up on them and see where I am at and where I can improve.

From http://www.morguefile.com/

• Read more (fiction and classics) - This has not been super consistent. I am reading more now than I was when I was still in school, but I can't quite seem to get back into as much reading as I used to do.
• Memorize Scripture -Well, as I come to the second item on my list, I see I have not been doing as well as I would have liked. I have memorized the first 3 verses of 1 Corinthians 13, and I am hoping to get back to finishing that chapter soon.
• Read my Bible and do a Bible study - I did better with this at the beginning of the year than now. Another resolution that I need to renew!
• Pay off my college debt - I have been able to continue to pay this down and am hoping to finish paying it off sooner (vs. later!).
• Complete MEPS - This is a year-long program, but I am almost done with it. We have a conference in May, one more class in June and (hopefully) graduation in the Fall!  (click the link for more info).
• Continue to be politically active - I continue, of course, to be involved. I am currently serving as the Chair of the local party. I am also active in the state party as a delegate.
• Journal (prayer journal) - This happens a couple times a month. In a perfect world, it would happen every day, but...
• Blog (weekly?) - I have been trying to blog at least weekly. 

When I look at the resolutions I have made and what I have accomplished, it is not exactly what I wanted to have happen. But as we say in out family, sometimes life just happens. So while I have not have done everything on my list and I may or may not continue to follow my resolutions, my biggest resolution for this year and for life is to do all I do for Christ. And in the process He may throw in a few extra things that I may not have had planned.

Here are just a few of the things I may not have planned, but have been blessed by:

• A full-time temporary job in my hometown!
• Time I have been able to spend with family.
• The opportunity to get to meet new people in many different areas of my life.
• Being inspired with new ideas.
• And more...

Take the time to look at your 2013 resolutions. Are they what you had planned or was there room for God to work? Have you let Him?

Snow, snow, and more...snow...

I have ceased trying to find a bright side to all the snow we are getting here in Minnesota. It is almost the end of April, April 18th to be exact.

So I thought I could at least show you some pictures of our never ending Winter...

But before I do that, I have to share a Narnia quote with you.

“Always winter but never Christmas.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

(I think this is the way we Minnesotans are feeling!)

Normal...or not???

Are you "normal"? Do you fit in? Do you follow the norm? What is normal anyway? "Normal" is something I have been thinking about the last couple of days.

According to Merriam-Webster, normal is defined as "according with, constituting, or not deviating from a norm, rule, or principle" and "conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern". 

I, personally, do not fit into the "norm". I do not conform to the culture. And as a Christian, I do not believe we are called to be like everyone else. Instead we are called to be like Christ and follow His example. Living your life in such a way, does make you different...but in a good way.

So while some people would rather be "normal," I would rather not! :)  I may not always fit in, I may not always be comfortable, but that is okay!

A little humor!

I have had many opportunities while living a crazy life! In the just couple of decades that I have been on this earth, I have had many experiences.  Since I was very young, my parents taught me about God and gave me a foundation for the faith I have. I was also homeschooled, which may be different to some, but I really enjoyed it. Besides academics, I had many life experiences. As a family, we traveled and learned about different places. I was able to volunteer and work with people of all different ages. I was able to graduate from high school and with my A.A. degree at age 17 and graduated with my B.A. degree at 19. I was able to be an intern at the State Senate. And have had multiple other experiences along the way.

God doesn't call us to just be normal. We don't have to to "fit in". We are called to live by Faith and to live by Christ's example. We may not be considered normal by the rest of the world, but if we are doing what God has called us to do, that is all that matters.

Are you living for Christ? Are you living a "normal" life or one that goes above and beyond the norm? How are you going to rock your world for Christ?