Christmas Tree Ramblings

I need a break from my Christmas tree putting away process. So, I decided what I needed was a cup of hot tea and a quick post on my blog. Just the necessities of life ladies, just the necessities. Well, excluding the hour I spent reading blogs before I began putting the Christmas tree away as I had to check on Baby Stellan over at My Charming Kids and the latest ramblings of Big Mamma over at her blog.

Side note- Funny Story. Tonight I was cracking up at the latest entry over at Big Mamma's blog. I love to read her blog. Really I think I was meant to be a southern lady, I just grew up in the wrong state. So, I get my southern fix from Big Mamma. Regardless, she highlighted the best parts of her past year. As previously stated, I was laughing hysterically. So HOTTIE asks, "What are you laughing about over there?". My response is "I'm reading a post from one of my bloggy friends, Big Mamma." HOTTIE then turns around as he's playing Star Wars on his Playstation 3 and says, "Does she know she's your friend?". In which I reply, "No, but she's still my friend." You may not find that funny, but I do.

Back on track, this is supposed to be a quick post. It's all good, even though it's a half an hour later. I digress.

I am reading a great book called Conflict Free Living by Joyce Meyer. I got it from my mother-in-law for my birthday. In all honesty, at first I was kinda perturbed and insulted that she bought the book for me. My flesh instantly says, "Why does she think that you need a book like that? She must think you're a horrible mom and wife." But after God gently and then not so gently(due to my lack of listening) reminded me, that maybe THAT attitude is my whole problem. My pride is getting the best of me(I hope that you're noticing the pattern that God is revealing to me, i.e. my last blog entry).

My pride is the stem of all of this. It is the underlying root of my problems with my confidence. God is revealing to me that my confidence comes from him, not from me. I don't need to be confident in myself, I need to be confident in the fact that God is working through me. That he not only counted every hair on my head but gave me my personality for a reason. That I am fearfully and wonderfully made by him. I am no mistake and my personality isn't a mistake either. I need to be confident in the fact that he is GOD and HE doesn't make mistakes. I am perfect in his eyes. I am the apple of his eye. What the world says about me and to me doesn't matter. HE matters and that's all.

Wow, breathe that in. Isn't that amazing? That God not only thinks that about me but he thinks that about us all.

It's time for my life to change, ladies. I can't let my insecurities be met by others. Who cares if someone thinks I'm a lousy mom(which I totally rebuke by the way)? I don't need their approval anymore. I have to do what GOD wants me to do. I need to be confident in the fact that if I need to change he'll let me know and that he'll help me though.

So as 2008 ends, so does the strife in my life. Strife steals joy and I have had too much of that stolen from me already. 2009 is the time to relax, enjoy my family, and laugh. My new saying for 2009:

Laugh, live, love. OFTEN.

So much for a quick post.

Read Joyce Meyers book, it's a great one. Maybe you are just like me and you have some strife in your life that you didn't know about either.

If you need to laugh, check out Big Mamma's blog. She gives me a daily dose.

God Bless,
Carly