Wow! I haven't been here in a while!

It's been a LONG time since something new has come on this page here - I didn't take a vacation per se; I  have been writing in my absence from my blog  - - - but I have sure missed typing things here!

Hoping to get more active; God has been moving on my heart and impressing many things that He wants me to share with you.

If you want to catch up with me, you can go here to see what I have been up to:

Power Up for PCOS Blog:  FUNtastic PCOS Fitness with Gina series

Unwrapping His Grace Blog:  Gina's Posts

I have been blessed to start blogging with my friend, Mary, at her blog.  God has been so good to me and it is a honor to partner with her in ministry.

Hope to catch up more soon!

God bless - - -and Happy Thanksgiving!

Gina

P.S. I also have a main website that is linking to this one now: Gina Weeks

Five Minute Friday Post: "See"

See

I've been trying to see out of glasses that have been damaged for a while now, and in doing so, it has been affecting so much of my ability to carry on with normal life.  I find myself squinting my eyes to see through the lenses, my eyes are feeling tired, and I know that my dizziness and headaches can be due to my eyes being challenged in this way.  But, I resist getting them fixed due to time issues and the unknown details of working out the financial details with my eye doctor's office to have them repaired.

So, I continue to deal with horrible glasses and the trickle-down issues that seriously affect my daily life.  I resist making it a priority to change or fix something so simple because of the unknown cost it will take.

.... Aren't we like that with other things too, especially of a spiritual nature?

I know that God's truth, the reading of the Word, is like putting on a pair of glasses that give you the ability to see things for how they really are and give you the ability to discern right from wrong.  When we were born with our sinful natures we were each born with flawed eyesight and we need the glasses of Truth to give us the ability to see things in a Godly way.  Too often we continue to reject the very thing that can give us clear eyesight and continue to stumble along in life not able to see things clearly.  When things get dark we may even get afraid of not being able to find our way along the rocky path in the blurriness of our uncorrected eyesight.

The sad part of life is this:  we all have been given the opportunity to choose to put on the glasses of Truth of the WORD to be able to see everything more clearly and better find the obstacles in our path.  I pray today that I will remember to pick up the Word, read it, and then apply it to my life so that my vision is clear and the things of this life will come into better focus.

Maybe I will even make that dreaded eye doctor appointment to get my glasses fixed.  :-)

This post is part of the Five Minute Friday Post at  The Gypsy Mama

Opportunity - 5 Minute Friday

Opportunity....

I am on the cusp of being able to live my dream - - - and that thought of that overwhelms me sometimes.  I have been given the chance, the calling, the opportunity to invest my life in my husband, children, and our home "full-time" for the first time in my life and the reality of it both excites and overwhelms me.  I want to do this thing "right"- I want to make sure to cross my t's and dot those i's and not leave anything to chance.  I want to be intentional and make every minute count... and then perfectionism rears her ugly head.

I've lived under the thumb of not feeling like I measure up, that I am failing myself and those that depend on me - - even when I know that the reality of that isn't true.  I can see the truth of what I am doing each day, I know the effort I am putting out, but I admit that I still fight the feelings and sin of trying to look like I have it all together.

To combat that old rut of perfectionism and it's cousin, fear of failure, I know that I will need to focus on what is inside my four walls each day, spend time in laughter and in enjoying the satisfaction of working and learning together to make an awesome life for the five of us - and it's going to be such a wonderful time, I know it.

I will admit here and now that this opportunity doesn't come to me easily and I cherish my husband's hard work and listening ear to God's leading of our family into this.  I have prayed for this chance for so long; it truly is an answer to prayer.

 I will not let the fear of failure steal my destiny and rob me of my opportunity to step into God's leading and call upon my life during this blessed season of mothering, teaching, and ministry.  If you drop by my house from now on, be prepared to encounter messy, blessed, happy, chaotic, and cherished moments of the five of us living out life together.  I wouldn't want to miss the opportunity of what is to come as I follow Him into the next step of life and learning.

This post is part of the Five Minute Friday Post at  The Gypsy Mama

Five Minute Friday: Perspective

Perspective

This word brings to mind the ability to grow through experiences in life, the good and the bad.  I know, for me, gaining perspective has come at a great price.  It has only been through going through dark valleys that I have been able to learn of the possibility of the mountaintops.  Being able to keep perspective, correct perspective, is something that comes when we fix our eyes on Jesus, no matter what we may be facing.

It's interesting that no two people are alike in how we view life; two people standing in the same place will have two completely different perspectives on things.  I used to feel threatened when I wouldn't be the same as the next person, when I would have to stand alone in my convictions or when I felt like I was wrong somehow in standing out and being unique.

Age brings experience and through that experience, better angles of perspective in life and relationships.  We learn what is crucial, what is important, and what is just silly and wastes time.  I for one pray that I can keep my perspective focused on what is real and lasting and that my focus, my point of reference, will be on my LORD.

This post is part of the Five Minute Friday Post at  The Gypsy Mama

5 minute Friday Post: Goodbye

Goodbye

Out of all of the words in the English language, this is the one that I can admit makes me feel so uncomfortable.  I do not like saying goodbye or the whole process of leaving as it seems like such a sad word.  There have been many people that I have said goodbye to this year, wishing that I could change the circumstances to just say "see you later" or something along those lines.  Goodbye seems so final, so closed, so permanent.

My sister Elena is following her dream to become involved in the media industry.  She's my "baby" sister, in her mid 20's, ready to make her mark on the world and impact others for God.  She moved out of state to pursue that dream and is in Texas as a home base as she travels the US.  I remember hugging her and not being able to say goodbye, knowing in my heart that she may never come "home" again.  

Sometimes goodbyes are thrust upon you through the death of a friend; a friend of mine died due to suicide last month and I was forced to say goodbye without closure, without peace about her death, without seeing her that one more time.  In saying goodbye, we turn ahead to what life has for us without that person in it anymore, physically or literally.  Either way, it's not something I like too much, but it's a fact of life that with God's help I have learned to face.

When it's my turn to say goodbye to those I love, whether in moving away or in leaving this world when the LORD calls me home, I pray that in those goodbyes there are smiles amid the tears.  I pray that my presence here made a difference in those who loved me, that my final hugs and words will bring glory to my Father and His Grace.  In saying goodbye, may I remember that the legacy I leave will always remain in the hearts and lives of those I touched... and in that, there are no final goodbyes but only "I will see you later!"

Amen!

Free Christmas Printables!

I have been meaning to catch up on some blogging for a while - I have two book reviews to do and some general catch up, but I know that time is of the essence to let you know about some free printables for your use in time for Christmas found here.  

I have really enjoyed this website and when I was asked about reviewing these printables, I was happy to spread the word!  There are four printables to choose from, depending on your needs:

1. Christmas Gift Planner
2. Christmas Baking Planner
3. Christmas Budget Worksheet
4. Christmas Checklist

I love the layout, the colors, and the fact that Jessalyn makes them available for free to you.  I also like the fact that you have the option to print them in color or black and white!

 This is a quote from the website about the printables:  

 "I hope these Christmas Organization Printables will be a blessing to you as you prepare for that wonderful time of the year when we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior! Each printable has a color and black and white version.  Merry Christmas Planning!"

Merry Christmas!

Where have I been????

It's been over two months since I have posted, I think.  My good intentions at being a dedicated and faithful blogger have fallen by the wayside of daily life - - - although I still love being able to write when the mood strikes, the mood strikes when I am in the middle of something more urgent it seems.

Anyway, I have been meaning to come and pop in here for a while and share something that God has been impressing upon my heart lately.  I seem to have come upon a stage in my life where God has been leading me towards stillness, solitude, a quiet heart and life.  This is something I have desired in theory my entire adult life, but in practice it has taken some HUGE adjustments on my part to deal with the reality of it.

I am not living life in a stress-free and calm bubble - no, far from it, but I am being led to a place where my strength, health, and even my voice are only possible on a daily basis through HIM and Him alone.  I am a singer, a teacher, a leader - - - and I rely on my voice to be there for me.  I seek to meet the needs of those around me and accomplish many things each day - - - but there are days now in my health recovery journey where I have to take it as it comes.  I have good days and even better days and I am learning that it is only through God that I have what I need for each day, and that I have to rely on Him to have peace in that.

I have always relied on hard work and dedication to help me achieve many of my goals, but now my goals are changing and becoming very home and family-centered.  I don't feel a need to get myself out there right now.  I am enjoying homemaking, homekeeping, some volunteering, and nurturing others, especially my husband and my kids.  It's been a struggle in dealing with lowered energy and my voice having no strength. . . but in the silence of it all I am hearing God's voice clearer than I ever have before.

Rather than struggle and fight against this time of quiet and stillness, I am choosing to embrace it as God's plan for me right now.  Although the enemy wants to steal my voice and my ability to lift my voice in praise and prayer, I can still rejoice that he can't take my joy and the spirit of prayer and praise from my heart!

Sometimes I have fear that I won't recover, I won't reclaim my voice, that this is how it's going to be from now on - but then the LORD rushes in with His peace and I take another step to trust Him in the process.  You can't rush healing and I am ready to take the time I need to get back to full health and balance in my life, and hopefully, keep my eyes on Him, soaking in the lessons of this stage He has placed me.


Ecclesiastes 3


¹To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

 ²A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

 ³A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

 ⁴A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

 ⁵A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

 ⁶A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

 ⁷A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

 ⁸A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.