Refuse to be defeated

Hey friends! I hope you are well. I wanted to give you a life update with some fun pictures. 

I didn't think this Fall schedule would be this full but it certainly is. I am grateful to God for health, strength and purpose daily. Service to God means caring for the needs of my family. Even when kids grow up, I know they still need us to be available and we want to do just that. I'm still praying daily for wisdom and relying on God and my husband. Life as a family is a blessing and I am beyond grateful.   

I ran a 5K last weekend. It was for brain cancer research. This race took place in the Atlantic Station area of Atlanta. It was my second part participating. 

My goal was to finish the race, which I did. I was 5 seconds slower than last year. Way to be consistent. Ha ha!

My husband and I don't often workout together but when we do, it is highly enjoyable. We always took turns when the kids were little. When we moved to Georgia, he joined my beloved CrossFit gym but he got busy with work and decided to do something different. Before he joined the gym, several people were amazed that we didn't workout together. Every now and then I still get that question. I just say no and the conversation moves on from there. I workout with a lot of people whose spouses either do not workout or do something different. I want to say that most of the time, that is the norm. I think that as long as we are for each other, it doesn't matter what time we workout. 

I want to remind you that there are 12 weeks left in this great year. Let's work on reaching our goals! Refuse to be defeated!

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Sunday Seven

1️⃣ Love is sacrificial. Serving is sacrificial. Jesus demonstrated service when He washed the disciples’ feet. He encouraged the disciples to do the same. There is nothing glamorous about washing dirty extremities of the body. Humility is a must. Determination to obey out of love for God is needed. I don’t want to take service as to the Lord for granted. I want to consult my heart to be sure it is aligned with God’s word. 

2️⃣ I don’t have to agree politically with you to show you respect and kindness. My commitment is with the God of the Bible who commands me to love and pray for my enemies. The random person who doesn’t vote like me is not an enemy. They mostly think of themselves. It is okay to remove my self-imposed sense of exaggerated importance so I can wrap a towel around my waste as Jesus did in John 13. Jesus came to serve. He loved the world. I believe I should love in the same Biblical manner.

3️⃣ Sometimes I want vengeance yet God wants victory. Romans 12:19 is clear about this topic and I learned it in a practical manner when God called me to serve and gift those who were against me. Biblical Forgiveness was the foundation of this transformation. I’m free from the poison of unforgiveness. Thank God for the victory and reconciliation ensued. 

 4️⃣ God has a way of affirming the gifts He gave you. It doesn’t always happen at church. God sent a stranger to affirm me in a professional setting. I was undone. As I held my tears back, I thought, God is faithful and true. My life is for His service. 

 5️⃣ The Grace of God is available to us daily, not for the days we feel we deserve it. Pause and calmly think of it.

6️⃣ The assignment God gave you for this season is before you. Be unrelenting about fulfilling it. We run into problems when we try to do everything else instead of the things God called us to accomplish. 

 7️⃣ We have a little over 3 months til the end of the year. Start now. Take small steps to your goals. You can accomplish a lot if your attention is undivided. Attention and attendance go hand in hand.

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Sunday Seven

Sunday Seven 

1 • Friendships bring refreshment to our lives. Making room for friends, near and far, will truly add joy to our lives and the lives of our friends. It is that simple. 

2 • We do not have to agree with people to be friends with them. I have friends who do not see eye to eye concerning politics, faith, and other topics. I admire their ability to see me beyond my preferences. I appreciate their listening ears and understanding hearts. Our friendship comes from years of showing up for each other, no matter what. It thrives in caring for the well-being of the other. This type of friendship champions the person regardless of the points where we disagree. This friendship listens, considers, and knows we are in this for the long haul. We stand side-by-side because we care for one another as human beings. I dare to say, God meant for friendships to develop in this manner. 

3 • I do not get to impose my way of living on someone who did not ask for such a thing. Serving others requires detachment from my agenda. Sacrificing my will and my point of view are requirements for selflessly serving others. I often ask myself, if it's not sacrificial, is it really service? 

4 • Freedom allows you to choose your own media exposure. If news outlets and digital media seem oppressive, you can diminish their influence. We vote with our viewership. We are free to turn it off, unfollow, and unlike. Technology can be your servant if you stop treating it as a master. 

5 • How much do you allow others' criticism to taint your heart? Do you 'thrive' by those hurtful words? I invite you to neutralize criticism through total forgiveness. This God-given gift allows us to free ourselves from the chains that bind us to that awful pain. No, it doesn't have to take you five years to forgive. It is truly a choice of being free now or later. Once you are free, you can internalize God's healing words. He doesn't see you as men and women see you. His vision for you is drenched in agape love. He only sees you for who you are: beautifully and wonderfully made. More than a conqueror and able to fulfill His purposes on earth. 

6 • Zeke and I talk about a wide range of topics. Lately, we have been discussing the power of silence. Silence enables us to fill our minds with deeper thoughts. Discernment empowers us to speak wisdom rather than empty words. We often pray for wisdom and I know God gives it liberally. Speaking words of wisdom at the correct moment is up to a discerning heart. 

7 • My grandmother used to sing a song that said "The miracles have not ceased, Jesus Christ has not changed..." She would often start prayer service with this chorus. I think of this statement as a fact and a hope. A fact because the Bible says it is so. I see this as hope because of the prayers I am praying. God has performed miracles in my life and the life of my loved ones. He can still do it and I know He will. I invite you to believe in Jesus' ability to answer prayers according to His word. 

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Solution for my angry attitude

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. Psalm 91:14 (NIV)

It was the end of a long day. We worked, we went to school, and did all the things busy families do. I had some special teaching to do because one of our kids is still learning basic life skills. The truth is, I had very little patience. My sense of kindness diminishes when I am tired. 

I had a conversation with my husband about the events of the day. I told him, I wasn't going to make a big deal about it to the kid. I was just going to be quiet to see what happened. 

My spirit was the opposite of quiet. Usually, I allow anger to take over and I speak harshly. This day, I decided to turn on music that glorified God. I especially turned on a song of gratitude to God. 

Gratitude acknowledges God. It was difficult to think about my feelings and situation when all I heard was:

For the many times I've fallen
yet you forgave me
Thank you, Lord I thank you
For unmerited favor, and your brand new mercies

Thank you, How I thank you
For waken me up this morning
For letting me see one more dawning
Thank you, Lord I thank you
I thank you Lord" 

- Thank you, Richard Smallwood. 

My heart was filled with gratitude. I was also filled with quietness. 

Much later, I was able to speak about what happened and how to correct the situation. I decided to grab a devotional I wrote in 2018 and I read it to the kids while they had dinner. The theme was on inviting Jesus to walk with us daily. 

My heart was edified because of God's help. Most times, I "help" myself by being angry and yelling or speaking harshly. I feel bad but I don't do much about it. I ask for forgiveness the next day and go on to repeat this behavior the next time I get tired and something "sets me off." 

I learned that God can rescue me from myself. He can rescue me by allowing me to turn to Him for help. 

The steps I took were:

1. Acknowledge God. He is present, He is ready to help. 

2. Glorify God. Music is a great way to do that. Be sure the song is about God, not about humans.

3. Read the Bible. The words of God will edify and encourage everyone, starting with us. 

I'm not sure if you, like me, have a tendency to "lose it" when you are tired, angry or just not up to being cheerful. God can help. We need to acknowledge Him and welcome Him into our situation. 

Prayer: Lord, here I am, a sinner. Have mercy on me. I acknowledge your name. Please rescue me from my sinful tendencies. I commit my heart to your will and your way. I choose to fill my heart with your praises as I welcome your presence. All I want is to be who you made me to be. Thank you for loving me and sending Jesus to die for my sins. I love you and I thank you in Jesus' name, Amen.

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Doing the Hard Thing: Getting Organized this Fall with Kids

Our family, Fall of 2012

Doing the Hard Thing: Getting Organized this Fall with Kids

I love the Fall. I love a new rhythm of life and the possibility to serve my family well. Getting organized is more than aesthetics. It is about pressing on to be who God called us to be this season.

These are a few of the areas that can/could use organization.

Wardrobe • Kids grow so fast. Autumn is a great time to go through closets and see what still fits. The kids have always been my priority. This year, I took 15 minutes to go through my wardrobe and say goodbye to pieces that needed to be donated. It was a great use of my time and resources.

Finances • The kids are actively working on learning how to manage money. This Fall, we continue the conversation and the actions that will help them be great managers of the resources God gave them. As parents, we are determined not to shy away from being good stewards of the resources God has given us. I want to plan and prepare for the holiday season and all our current responsibilities.

Schedule • We revisited our Fall schedule before the summer break was over. It was because of that exercise that we cut back on some activities. We continue to monitor our schedule as a way to be good stewards of the time and energy God has given us. We can't do everything. What we can do, we will do it to the best of our ability.

Friends • You probably have seen a meme of two about how adults are too busy to keep up with friends. They are funny because they are true. The Fall is a great season to rekindle friendships. There is no need to burden one's schedule. All it takes is to simply tell a friend: "I am thinking about you. I appreciate our friendship. Have a great day!" Use your preferred method of communication and hit send. I have the habit or writing letters to my friends. I plan on sending some happy mail out before the end of the year. I am really good about honoring my kids' friendships and encouraging them to find and maintain good friends. Depending on our kids social calendars, there is little time for our own. I believe we can find a happy balance by keeping simple. Just tell a friend you are still available to be a friend.

Faith • A lot of Bible studies start Fall studies this time of year. This is a great opportunity to grow and mature in our faith. The Fall is a great time to catch up on late Bible reading. If for some reason you stopped going to church, go back this Fall. God's house is open and ready to receive you. Be sure it is a Bible-believing church.

Goals • My husband found our 2015 goals the other day. Reading them brought great memories of our lives back then. We wanted to see something new and we planned on doing just that through our goals. I do not want to forget the goals I set in January. The Fall is the time to revisit them and find the perfect strategy to finish the year strong. No matter how big the goal, we can accomplish a lot of we decide to execute the strategy we choose.

 

Food • The Listenbee Family kitchen takes on a different note during the Fall. We wait until it gets cooler to cook denser foods. My husband has a delicious pumpkin cake he only prepares during the Fall. We share pumpkin-flavored treats with our neighbors. My challenge is to use seasonal vegetables weekly. I believe eating seasonally can bring a lot of joy to our palate.

Travel • We travel to see family during the holiday season. We decided to plan and prepare ahead of time. You can't plan early for any trip or travel especially when the entire family is involved.

How about you? What are the areas of your life that can use organization this Fall?

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