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	<title>Joy Archives - Imperfect Homemaker</title>
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	<description>Biblical Encouragement for the Christian Homemaker</description>
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		<title>When I Grow Up&#8230;</title>
		<link>https://www.imperfecthomemaker.com/2012/12/when-i-grow-up.html</link>
					<comments>https://www.imperfecthomemaker.com/2012/12/when-i-grow-up.html#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[MaryEllen]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Dec 2012 14:54:24 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Inspiration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Joy]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.imperfecthomemaker.com/?p=803</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>I just love mornings.  I'm usually propped up in my bed reading my Bible when my 5 year old gets up and comes in to snuggle with me.  He's so active during the day that I rarely get a chance to sit and spend time with him. The conversations we have in the mornings are [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.imperfecthomemaker.com/2012/12/when-i-grow-up.html">When I Grow Up&#8230;</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.imperfecthomemaker.com">Imperfect Homemaker</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I just love mornings.  I'm usually propped up in my bed reading my Bible when my 5 year old gets up and comes in to snuggle with me.  He's so active during the day that I rarely get a chance to sit and spend time with him.</p>
<p>The conversations we have in the mornings are absolutely priceless.</p>
<p>This morning I asked him what he wants to be when he grows up.  I had no idea what he would say because it's always changing from a fireman to a policeman to Daniel Boone or an Indian.</p>
<p>But he said, &#8220;I want to be a Pastor.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Really?!&#8221;  I thought about commending him for the wonderful choice he had made.  I would be honored to have a son grow up and become a Pastor.</p>
<p>But I just couldn't.  Instead I had to say,  &#8220;Do you know what <em>I</em> want you to be when you grow up?  I want you to be <span style="text-decoration: underline;">whatever God wants you to be</span>.&#8221;</p>
<p>He simply replied, &#8220;That's awesome.&#8221;</p>
<p>And it is.  Whether he ends up being a garbage collector, a doctor, a woodworker like his dad, or a pastor, it's just <em>awesome</em> to be doing exactly what God wants.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Trust and obey,</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">For <span style="text-decoration: underline;">there's no other way </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">to be happy</span> in Jesus,</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">But to trust and obey.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.imperfecthomemaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/a3.jpg"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-804" title="a" src="https://www.imperfecthomemaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/a3.jpg" alt="" width="341" height="400" srcset="https://www.imperfecthomemaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/a3.jpg 341w, https://www.imperfecthomemaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/a3-300x352.jpg 300w, https://www.imperfecthomemaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/a3-256x300.jpg 256w" sizes="(max-width: 341px) 100vw, 341px" /></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.imperfecthomemaker.com/2012/12/when-i-grow-up.html">When I Grow Up&#8230;</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.imperfecthomemaker.com">Imperfect Homemaker</a>.</p>
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		<title>Relishing the Ordinary</title>
		<link>https://www.imperfecthomemaker.com/2012/11/relishing-the-ordinary.html</link>
					<comments>https://www.imperfecthomemaker.com/2012/11/relishing-the-ordinary.html#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[MaryEllen]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:12:03 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Inspiration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Joy]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.imperfecthomemaker.com/?p=782</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>It was an ordinary evening.  I was unloading the dishwasher while dinner was heating up on the stove.  My 15-month-old was &#8220;helping&#8221; me, while my 5-year-old ran around the kitchen like a wild Indian, playing with his new ball.  My husband was in the other room spending time with our 3-year-old daughter. I stopped to [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.imperfecthomemaker.com/2012/11/relishing-the-ordinary.html">Relishing the Ordinary</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.imperfecthomemaker.com">Imperfect Homemaker</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It was an ordinary evening.  I was unloading the dishwasher while dinner was heating up on the stove.  My 15-month-old was &#8220;helping&#8221; me, while my 5-year-old ran around the kitchen like a wild Indian, playing with his new ball.  My husband was in the other room spending time with our 3-year-old daughter.</p>
<p>I stopped to take it all in, and I realized I was having the time of my life!</p>
<p>It wasn't a special holiday.  Everything that was going on was very ordinary, but I was enjoying myself immensely!</p>
<p>I could have this much joy every day if I would only choose to.</p>
<h4>I don't need to wait for something special to happen to enjoy  life.  I can choose to enjoy every moment.</h4>
</p>
<p>When I'm cooking an &#8220;ordinary&#8221; supper, I can stop and thank the Lord that I have food to prepare for my family and a stove on which to prepare it.</p>
<p>When I'm doing an &#8220;ordinary&#8221; dishwasher unloading, I can be thankful I have the luxury of owning a dishwasher.</p>
<p>When I'm changing an &#8220;ordinary&#8221; diaper I can be thankful for these little ones God has entrusted to me.</p>
<p>If I stop and think about the blessings God has given me, the ordinary things seem so much more special.</p>
<p>Just since that evening a few days ago, I have tried to stop and think throughout the day about God's blessings and to make a conscious choice to enjoy what He has given me &#8211; not just on the special days.</p>
<p>What will you enjoy today, my friend?  The smell of a Christmas candle?  The sound of Christmas music on the radio?  The love of your family on this ordinary day?  The pretty things God has given you to decorate your home?</p>
<p>Stop.  Look.  Listen.  Enjoy.</p>
<p>Everything we have is a gift from God.  He loves us, and has given us &#8220;richly all things to enjoy&#8221; (1 Timothy 6:17).</p>
<p>So let's enjoy what He's given.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://www.imperfecthomemaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/a15.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-783" title="Relishing the Ordinary" src="https://www.imperfecthomemaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/a15.jpg" alt="Relishing the Ordinary" width="500" height="378" srcset="https://www.imperfecthomemaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/a15.jpg 500w, https://www.imperfecthomemaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/a15-300x227.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.imperfecthomemaker.com/2012/11/relishing-the-ordinary.html">Relishing the Ordinary</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.imperfecthomemaker.com">Imperfect Homemaker</a>.</p>
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