Some Thoughts on Cleaning

I know - I know - insane, but I used the quiet time alone this morning to deep clean both of our bathrooms without interruption. It is still only 9:30 so I have some down time before going to get the kids - except there is this nagging task my husband keeps reminding me of which is to go get the oil changed in my car - ugh - so I might go and do that. I was going to look for a Jiffy Lube next to Starbucks and take a good book. That'd be R&R - or not for a squirrelly person like me who has to look up everytime they call out an order to see who got what - and then spend 10 minutes regretting the drink it took me 20 minutes to decide on. I'm a lost cause.
Can I recommend never, ever again cleaning your bathroom mirror? I have decided that the dust and toothpaste splatter are there for a reason. I think it was divine inspiration that created such things. The haze on the mirror acts as one of those filters like they use at Olan Mills that softens and smooths fine lines, wrinkles and blemishes. I got the first good look at myself in six months a while. Not pretty.
Take it from me - for someone that is slightly nutty like myself - having time to clean the bathroom without a million interruptions which come usually about the time you have your head half-way down the toilet bowl or are perched precariously on the edge of the tub trying to keep your butt and boobs balanced - was a real luxury. I also got to catch up on some God Journey podcasts. Good stuff.

Should I?

I really enjoy the God Journey podcasts. I have been a fairly regular listener for about six months now. I noticed they have a couple of new slogans such as "Sacred Cow Tipping Team", "Free Range Believer" and "Don't Should on Yourself".
That last one has had me thinking of all of the shoulds that I have lived under at different times in my life: I should ..... eat well, pray more, exercise, go to church every time the doors are open, fast, sleep 8 hours a night, memorize scripture, lose a few pounds, spend more time outside, vote with a certain party affiliation, etc. etc. etc.
I love the freedom that I have as a believer to live in relationship with the Lord without outside constraints. For so many years, I lived under the expectations of others, or the confines of what I was told a Christian looked like. That life was not joy and liberty, it was a burden.
I am so thankful that I was able to come out from under that burden and meet Jesus.
No more shoulds for me.
What about you - are there any "shoulds" that you need to address in your life?

Now I really should get off of here and fold some laundry. *wink*

The Youth Have Left the Building

I was a youth leader for a number of years in WV before we changed churches and then moved. I had participated in many different ministries, helping here and there wherever the Lord moved my heart, but I never found my niche until I worked with youth. It was like my heartstrings started to make music. In the past two years, we have encountered some pretty big life shifts, having moved and being not only in a new state but a different culture. One thing I always come back to is that I enjoy being a part of the lives of teenagers. My daughters and I have talked about this before, but in light of some recent happenings, we are praying about starting a youth group outside any church at our homes a couple of times a month. We were talking about all kinds of "themes" and we came up with The Youth Have Left the Building - it's part of the whole "God Journey" theme of being outside the walls. We don't want to go TO the church anymore, we want to BE the church. Could y'all pray for us on this adventure? I am ready to take the leap.