devoted.

I miss writing!

This last week been so incredibly full that I haven't found time to process.

There's been a giggling, still-awake-at-10:30-pm sleepover with 4 fun girlies, the funeral, still teaching three classes, a lot of time with first year collecting student stories (which I love!), translating and typing them up to try to find good partners for them each, grading, what is for dinners?, creating and ordering invitations for graduation, creating programs for graduation, learning a new finance program for OMS, student registration for next semester, school for Lily (braids, braids, braids!), homeschool, putting together ministry plans with students for summer break, the laundry NEVER ENDS, still (still) trying to get issues with my computer sorted and find thousands of photos and songs and documents that are out there somewhere...

The end of the school year is always truly the perfect storm with everything falling at once!

All that being said, I wish Carol, Uncle Don, Maria and Elisa and my sister were all here, and then everything would be getting done :)

Needless to say, that also means that this time of year is always personally defined as a time when my best efforts come no where close to being enough.  It's NOT all getting done.  I'm NOT making it all work.  And I'm TIRED.  (though that might actually be from last night's slumber party, let's face it).

As I read through Romans 12 yesterday, fittingly titled, "Dedicated to Service" and asking for His TOUCH, He broke down a bit of the overwhelm for me.

Don't be conformed to this world,
be transformed by the renewing of your mind
love without hypocrisy
abhor what is evil
cling to good
be devoted to one another in love
give preference to one another
don't lag in diligence
be fervent in spirit,
serve the Lord
rejoice in hope,
persevere in tribulation
be devoted to prayer
contribute to the needs of the saints,
practice hospitality
bless
rejoice with rejoicers
weep with those who mourn
don't be haughty
respect what is right
be at peace
overcome evil with good

Somehow, this list simplifies things.

Reading through it again, asking the Lord to focus me even further, it was "be devoted to prayer" that rang out the loudest.

One thing we could NOT add to the huge list of things on my plate right now is devoted to prayer.  My prayers have become more like little whispers of begging thrown about throughout the day...

oh, please don't let Lily be getting sick!

Lord, how am I going to find time to do THAT?

I am SO tired...Lord, get me out of bed, please!

oh Lilibeth.  Be with her.

God, bless Ezechiel.

"Devoted to prayer" sounds so welcoming.  So unhurried.  So deep, so quiet, so still.  So satisfying.

So I'm deliberately hemming it in.  Turning my bed-time check-list brain to devoted to prayer.

Forcing my happy-place-boilng-shower fog-lifter to dedicated listening for His voice.

Trying to habit my walk to my office into a 1 minute opportunity to pray for our team, my folding laundry time into lifting up it's dear wearers, even trying to add in deliberately praying with my students after we meet, praying with our staff after we discuss ministry plans before they go.

Already, I am so thankful.  Needed more deep to my piles...more full to my busy.

Run through the Romans 12 list with me...what's He drawing your heart to?  How can we deliberately pursue it?