Having a Mary Heart

This fall, I've been reading the book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver. My "Mom's Bible Study "has been using this book as our study .

This book is very convicting. The chapter we discussed today was #4 The Cure which is about overload, burn out and the expectations we place on ourselves as believers. We want to serve God, but too often we take on too much, get stressed out, and forget thatFellowship with Him is only "one thing" that matters to God.

Too often, I am that Martha by working away in the kitchen, at the church, at the school and missing out on the joy of just following with Christ.

I guess to keep it real that if I am trying to be "found faithful," I'm missing the boat because I'm too busy on the shores of life trying to check one more thing off my list

Here are a few of the key points I underlined from this fabulous chapter....things I want to walk away with and store in my mind and heart

"The problem is, contrary to popular belief, we can't do it all. We're not even suppose to try." (page 57)

"Sometimes I think I struggle to discern God's will because I'm surrounded by the obvious....I'm surrounded by legitimate needs, and I want to do them all." (page 57)

" I realize then that, while there are many things that need to be done, things I'm capable of doing and want to do, I am not always the one to do them. ....God may be calling me to pray that the right person will rise up to accomplish it. What's more, I may be stealing someone else's blessing when I assume I must do it all." (page 59)

"Service was never supposed to be our first priority. .. Only one thing is needed and it is happening not in the kitchen, but right there in the living room. .. The Truth is, we can't get our spiritual act together unless we go to the Living Room first." (page 60)

"I cannot do everything, but I can do "one thing"." (page 63)

That "one thing" is to sit in God's presence and to worship Him, to learn more about Him and to have fellowship with Him through prayer and time in His Word.

Some of my greatest moments of worship of late have been in the car. We have KLOVE on the radio most of the time and my kids will ask me to turn it up so they can hear and sign along. I love to hear all three of them singing songs of praise, of comfort and words of scripture. They are hiding God's word in their heart one melody at a time.

It does a Momma's heart good.

Now I just need to make sure that I'm hiding these precious words above in my heart too. That I'm sitting in the Living Room hearing/listening to God's still voice instead of in the Kitchen trying to get the next thing done.