Joshua 18:3

"Joshua addressed the People of Israel: 

"How long are you going to sit around on your hands, 

putting off taking possession of the land that God, 

the God of your ancestors, has given you?" 

Joshua 18:3 (The Message)

This verse stood out to me. Can we all say, "procrastination"?  ;-) Not that I know anything about this word! *rolling my eyes* I am one of those who works best under pressure, so I'll wait until the last minute to do something before I finally get moving to get it done. However, while I say I work best under pressure, I don't think my BODY works best this way. I can feel the tension build as the deadline for whatever it is I need to do draws closer. I get more demanding of my family and a whole lot less patient. I often wonder what damage I'm doing to my heart by procrastinating so much.

Why do I do this to myself and my family? *sigh*

Sometimes it's because I just don't want to do what needs to be done. It might seem boring to me. Or I committed to something I really didn't want to do in the first place. Sometimes it's because something better comes along and I get distracted. Sometimes it's just because the task at hand is so large! 

We adopted two of our children from Haiti. You know who did almost all the paperwork for our adoption? My husband. Why? Because I was so overwhelmed with it all that I didn't know where to start. Looking back, I could have been a lot more help had I taken the time to sit down and organize what needed to be done. Instead, my poor husband had to work insane hours at his job, then come home and work on getting all the paperwork together that needed to be put together to bring our kids home. I think I owe him an apology. ;-) 

Seriously, though... I can't allow myself to procrastinate just because I'm overwhelmed or because the task isn't "fun". I'm not a kid anymore who has parents to do everything for her. I'm a married woman who is a helper to her husband and I need to start "playing the part". So, to my husband.. thank you for all that you've done for me. I truly do appreciate it. But, it's my turn to help you! Just tell me what to do! 

Lord, help me to stop procrastinating so much and just do what needs to be done.

Matthew 25:1-13

The story of the 10 Virgins in Matthew 25:1-13 reminds me to be ready for Christ. It is one I wish one of my kids would get. You don't want to live your life by your own strength and say, "I'll just accept Jesus when I'm older. For now, I want to have fun." It just might be too late because once Jesus comes again.. that's it. 

If you're the praying kind, please pray that ALL my kids accept Jesus without delay. I can't force it. I can't MAKE them believe. I can only teach and lead by example and hope the Holy Spirit brings a conviction into their hearts that they need him NOW, not just later. But, man - I sure do wish we could just force them to believe - it would be a lot easier on the parent's hearts! Alas... just as God doesn't force us - he didn't make us to be his puppets, he wants us to WANT to have him in our lives... I guess I have to give my children the same respect and let them make up their minds about it all. These are the times where I feel powerless as a parent. Thank God, HE is in control and His Spirit can work in ways that my mouth cannot. :-)

I am praying for you as well. If you're not a follower of Christ, please accept him today. Don't wait. He loves you and wants to be in relationship with you. It is as easy as praying this:

Dear God,

I admit that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I have tried 
living my life my way but I now know that I need You to guide 
me. Please forgive me of my sins [if you'd like to, list some here]. 
I want the freedom that a life with Christ can bring me. I believe 
that Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I believe he rose again. 
I want to live with him in eternity. Thank you for forgiving me. 
Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus Christ, for me. 
In His name I pray. Amen. 

If you just prayed this prayer, please leave me a comment. I would love to pray for you as you begin your journey with the Lord. I encourage you to contact a local Christian church in your area. You can also read this article at Focus on the Family for more information as to what to do next. You may also contact them and they can help you as you begin your walk with God. I encourage you to get yourself a Bible and start to read it. The Book of Romans or the Book of Mark are great places to start. If you don't have the money for a Bible, please contact The Gideons and I'm sure they would love to give you a free Bible. (This is the group who provides Bibles in hotel rooms.) May the Lord bless you as you begin your new life with Him!