Blessed is Better Than Happy: "30 Days of Less is More"

My smallest daughter Libby often asks me, "You happy Mama?"  It tears at my heart because sometimes I am not.  When I am frustrated with the girls, I often ask them if they want 'Happy Mama' or 'Yelly Mama'.  I tell them when they follow directions and give me energy I am so happy and it is easier to do fun things with them…but when I have to repeat myself or they are not listening, it drains my energy and I yell and I do not like it.   I tell them I want to be a Happy Mama, a Fun Mama and they understand as they are able.  

But. 

I am wrong to say this to my girls.  I should be able to choose to be happy, joyful no matter how they are acting.  I should be able to choose to be joyful no matter how my life is flowing that moment because I am always blessed.  Blessed is better than Happy because it is choosing to see the positives in my life despite my current feelings.  Focusing on this truth usually changes my current mood.  Circumstances may affect my temporary feelings, but God has blessed me despite any little circumstance. "Blessed" is a fact.



Many of you know I have had trouble finding the right church for me.  My family is easier to please, but me, well, God and I have a tumultuous history.  I want a lot from my church because I want to put a lot into my church.  We have finally landed at First United Methodist Church right downtown in Valparasio.   John and I have quickly dug into serving, a small group, and are planning to officially join next month.  It feels good.  I need a safe place to grow, be authentic, to struggle with my disbelief,  to argue about faith, to fail and start over once again with that growing stuff.  

This weekend Pastor Jacob spoke simply on the Beatitudes.  One of them.  The first one in the bible, the book of Matthew, chapter five, verse three:  "God blesses those who are poor (in spirit) and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs."   Pastor Jacob didn't talk a lot past that one line. He wanted us to understand that 'poor' here meant 'lacking', an awareness we did not know everything.   His point was that when we chose to be AWARE that we are all "poor in spirit" we are BLESSED.  It was very interesting for me.

I often see tiny flaws and make them BIG

This morning as I dug into that scripture, my study bible gave me references for each facet of the Beatitudes and how to live them out.  This "Poor in Sprit" one got my attention, as did "God blesses those who work for peace."  I want to grow in those areas, so I looked up the supporting scriptures and read…took notes.  Then had to share about it here.  

I want to more actively pursue what will benefit OTHERS instead of myself.  (Not always, geez, sometimes a Mama Just Wants, but more often.  And bigger.)  I bake stuff for neighbors here and there, and I most always feed those new mamas…but there is MORE more more I could do with the power I have in life.  With the wealth I have been given.  I could do more than buy another something manufactured cheaply to put in a corner of my house so I get to look at something new.  I can tape the tear in my couch cushion and focus on the beauty and warmth in my home instead of the small flaws or things I would like to change after reading a decorating magazine.   (Hey- I love Pinterest, and some changes are fun and valuable and God loves a DIY project alongside me…but maybe less? What if I spent less time passively, and DID something differently?)

The bigger picture shows breathtaking beauty.

November is my Birthday Month.  On November 25 I turn 42 years old. November is also my spiritual Birthday month; The month I finally got over myself and decided to accept, love and pursue Jesus full on.  That date was November 23rd, about a decade ago.  WHOA, exactly a decade ago!  It is written in my New Believer's Bible: November 23rd,  2003.

I've always been afraid to commit on the blog to doing regular anything.  Like my Sugar Fast Fail, or copying Jen Hatmaker in her book Seven by simplifying BIGTIME.  But let's do this, OK?  For the month of November I will do 30 Days of Less is More.  We can figure out together what that will mean, but I am pretty sure God likes it.  I hope we will both be blessed by it.