Since the beginning of this year, this verse has been touching on my heart strings. Life as a working mom can be so fast paced and I have come to find out that I need the time to just "be still" so I can find peace again.
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The story of Mary and Martha has been surfacing lately with me pleading at times to the Lord saying I want to be Mary but how do I get out of always feeling like I am Martha? The to-do list can be great and I can easily be swept away with everything that needs to be done. Here is what Luke 10:38-42 says about the sisters:
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
I can hear him tell my heart often, "Jen, you are worried and upset about many things..."
My sister shared a devotional with me recently about this very topic and shared how the Holy Spirit can become alive in us to help us get through the day. She explained how we need to be able to slow down enough to "inhale, exhale, and breathe." We need to slow down enough not only to inhale (breathe) but to exhale as well. To remove the toxic negative thoughts that keep us worried and stressed through our everyday.
The thing about breathing is that you can not just exhale. You have to inhale once again, right? You can not breathe out and not in again. So, when we take time to really listen to God and just "be still" in the midst of our day, we can hear Him more. We are breathing Him in and exhaling all the worry.
This concept of "Inhale. Exhale. Breathe" has made more sense this week remembering that God just wants us to be still and know He is God (Psalm 46:10). To breathe Him in and give our to-do lists to him.
Supplies:
NIV The Beautiful Word Bible
Plus Wide Deco Rush Decoration Tape
Clean Color Real Brush Pens
Washi Tape
Silhouette Cameo 3
Silhouette Stamp Cutting Mat
Silhouette Stamp Material
Silhouette Black Eyed Font Design #132284
Heidi Swapp Black Pigment Ink
Illustrated Faith Bloom Collection Kit
1. Randomly color in areas on your page with the brush pens in same color scheme. (I used pink.) Let dry.
2. Add washi tape along the top and bottom edges (I used a floral design.)
3. Use a decorative tape runner. This runner looks and feels like correction tape, so if you wanted you could write and journal on top of it. They come in all kinds of different patterns and designs.
4. Create your own letter stamps with the Silhouette die cutting machine. (Stay tuned in for a more detailed post). You can see how to create your own stamps right here.
5. Lastly, add stickers to your page and a page tab with patterned paper.
Take time today to breathe.
