Joy in the Journey: drawing from sources

Last week I posted about the question that plagues our generation today. Unfortunately, our girls.

"What are you going to do with your life? Don't throw it away with fairy tale ideas."

Since when did becoming a wife and mother merit the term "fairytale."  How did we as a nation go from having high school classes devoted to helping girls fulfill their God-designed and planned roles to pumping up the feminine success that drives our current culture?

Sad, very sad.

Seeing as I am not the norm, I have never really cared for the norm, nor will my thoughts be changed anytime soon (or easily for the matter), I choose to break the pattern my generation has laid firmly. I choose to be career minded in the blueprint written and sketched in the love letter from my Father. My job description can be found here and the requirements/qualifications can be found here. Just as I wrote in my last post, I am in training. I am working hard!

Like I wrote, it is sometimes trying. Sometimes, it is hard. However, I wanted to follow up with some helpful hints. I can't say it enough, DRAW from sources around you! This will be your most helpful text book!

1. Surround yourself with people who have done it, are doing it, and want to do it. Gain insight, encouragement, and passion. When you are with like-minded individuals you will grow in your love for the subject. It's like music. Alone, a guitar or piano sound nice. If you put the two together, and add drums, electric, bass, maybe a little wind, all of the sudden you have a fantastic sound all because you added it together. Same in life. If you feel discouraged about the next step in obedience, get some encouragement. After a while the sounds together will become a wonderful and big sound.

2. Read about it. There is a whole new world of encouragement out there thanks to the internet. Some of my favorite reads are moms young and older who I find full of information and passion for their positions. They post, funny stories, recipes, family activities, ways to add fun to teaching your children, and fun organizational or budgeting tips. Thier resources are endless if you stockpile enough of them in your bloglovin'!! Try it out! Some of my favorites are:

Raising Arrows
Grace Full Mama
Raising Homemakers
Time-Warp Wife
Serving Joyfully
Simply Helping Him
Blissful and Domestic
Unveiled Wife

3. Teach, teach, teach. It is said that your retain more information if you are teaching someone else what you're learning.  That is exactly why I turn the tables on my ESL class and have them "teach" me or each other a new phrase they learned or why a word is pronounced a certain way. In order for them to teach they have to learn and once they tell the others they are more apt to remember. Same principle applies here. Grab a sister, or honorary sister, have a baking party, plant a garden, babysit, clean something, make a meal for someone, do a project, the possibilities are endless.

God has provided not one, but 2 built in learners. Being in the middle of 5 girls, I have 2 older to learn from, and 2 younger to teach (and sometimes learn too! =D). I have the best of both worlds!

4. Draw from where you find the passion in the first place. Lean heavily on the Father. He is your source of strength. He planted in your heart the desire and He will finish in you the work He has started. In His Word he has printed time and time again that He is your joy! Find it!

5. Remember you are already a Bride. As Christ followers, bought with a price, we are already brides of Him. We may not be able to cook Him meals, and rub his tired shoulders, but anything we do to the least of these, we do to Him. He says in His Word, everything you do, do ALL for the glory of God. Your life of service will praise His name or tear it down. So living the right now to HIS glory is our ultimately calling as brides of Christ.

Take heart! Enjoy the journey!