The Resolution for Women - Surprisingly Satisfied

Today I (re)started reading the women's accompaniment to the movie Courageous. It's a movie about being the person God has made you to be and holding yourself to a high standard to the people around you. As I read though this book, I am going to use my blog to process what I am reading. That is not the only thing that I will blog about, but one of the many. If you're looking for a challenging book, to encourage you to be a better woman, I encourage you to join me. I am doing this with my small group of women, but would love to discuss it with others as well.

The first chapter is called Surprisingly Satisfied and is broken down into even smaller portions. The first, called Every Bite Counts. This section was about savoring the moment of our lives that we are in. I am majorly guilty of always looking forward to the next thing that's coming up in my life, and although not a negative thing, can cause me to lose sight of where I am at right now. If you think about it, this is the ONLY year you will get to be the age you are now. For me that is 30...I will never get to be 30 again...the only 30th year of my life I will ever know. If I am busy looking forward to x, y or z, soon I am going to look back and realize that I missed the only moments my life would ever be like this. EVEN IN THE STRUGGLES, we need to cherish our time there and find out what God wants to show is in those times, so we don't have to be there again, learning the same lessons. When we rush through life, we subtly devalue those around us and the experiences we're involved in. Having this what's next, or I can't wait to get through this mentality is called discontentment and it "robs you of the growth that comes from battling through the difficulties." So...

What are some of the good parts of your experience that you've missed in your attempt to rush through the more difficult ones? What can you do differently today to gather up all the good things around you and begin enjoying the journey of your life?

For me...some things that I most didn't realize the value of at the time, that I was busy looking forward to the next season of my life was in my teens. There were so many amazingly beautiful moments, with my friends, with the ability to be carefree, but what sticks out most is my siblings being young and us being together, all the time. I wish I would have savored their youth more and realized that I would so want that time back. Things that I can do today would just be to just be more cognizant of being in the moment in my relationships.

The second portion of Surprisingly Satisfied is called The Secret. The secret is the philosophy of happiness. Especially as women, we have been told that we need more to be happy. If you live in an apartment, you should own a house, if you have a house, it should be bigger, ect. With this mentality that we need more, it's inevitable that we won't appreciate where we are currently. Feeling incomplete, substandard, unhappy, unfulfilled. However, there are women who have not bought into this mentality and it's obvious when you meet them. They have peace, serenity, rest fullness, and a sense of ease. They have CHOSEN to be satisfied. They have chosen to trust Gods wisdom and to live their lives accordingly, like Philippians 4:11..."I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am." A great example of this was Paul. He had a life that was filled with the worst conditions a person can imagine living, facing death and enduring torture. However he didn't take the role of a martyr, getting some sick satisfaction from knowing he had it worse then everyone else. No, he resolved to be content, "I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content - whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things though Him who strengthens me." - Phillipians 4:11-13. When we realize that we don't constantly need to have more or what others have, we're incredibly free. Who are we to say that our God can't be trusted to give us exactly what we need to fulfill His plan for our lives?

What might God be trying to grow in your character or cement in your relationship with Him by keeping you separated from some of the things you want but don't yet have?

For me...I think its discipline and reliance on Him to do things in life, rather then out of Brooke's own power is something that He's STILL working on in me. I always think that I have to just be strong enough to make the right decisions or accomplish the things my heart desires, instead of just asking for help. Silliness that I am and have been very aware of this for some time...yet here I am...still learning that lesson

Section three, Overflowing Blessing. Woo hoo!! Finally a section I fully understand and practice. Luke 6:39 - "Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full - pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back." I know that when we chose to give, He will always give back, even more then we had to begin with. He's not a God that's concerned with what's fair, or even what we deserve...if we give, His return is more then we deserve.

When you consider your level of willingness to give of yourself, does it reveal more contentment or discontentment residing in your heart? In what way?

I have a lot of faults, oh man do I ever, but this is actually not a struggle for me. I LOVE giving. WAY more then getting. I've never been one to hold back when time or money if asked of me because He has proven to me time and time again this provision to be true. I've given so little and His rewards have always been nothing short of amazing.

The final section of this chapter is called The Balancing Point. So what? Being satisfied, that just means giving up my desires? I'm supposed to never hope for more? Not! It's just requiring that our desires be appropriate and humble. Not the driver of our lives, forcing us to follow an ever changing list of "needs."

I am happy to be here, and when God determines the time, I will be happy to be there.