Hey there ladies! In continuation of my recap from the DotMom conference, today's blog is a recap from Vicki Courtney. Vicki spoke on the relationship between Mary & Martha & how that applies to us. Which as women I think is something that most of us probably struggle with.
Vicki started off reading Luke 10:38-42 "As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
In the verse's above there was a word that Vicki highlighted which was distract. Distract means "To prevent someone from concentrating on something. To divert someone. To drag around." Martha was distracted from the Father being right there in her living room. She was prevented from focusing on the Lord & more worried about if there was enough green bean casserole or banana pudding. (If I had to guess!) She couldn't stop long enough to realize that Jesus himself was sitting on her porch swing teaching. To me that is a powerful conviction because my fear is I would be the same way. I would be running around making sure everyone had enough sweet tea or that no one saw that stain on my carpet where the boys spilled chocolate milk that morning. And then to boot I know I would be huffing & puffing to myself about how my sister is just sitting there doing nothing to help me out. Can't you just see Martha running around trying to do everything & then she looks over to see her sister sitting. SITTING!!! I can only imagine the things Martha was thinking in her head about Mary. Then finally when she thinks she has to say something because it's just not fair. What does the Lord say back to her? "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Angela said "Martha, Martha" would translate today to "Bless your heart!" I can just see it now, "Martha, Bless your heart. No I won't tell her to help you. But I am gonna tell you, you need to come sit down & listen. You didn't have to make 2 kinds of desserts & 3 casseroles, 1 would have been enough! Mary is making the right decision & I won't make her get up to make another jello salad." Maybe I am paraphrasing but just a thought.
Vicki gave us 3 qualities to have a Mary attitude in a Martha world:
1.Make time to sit & listen
*Find a balance to everything. But you must make time for the Lord. Vicki talked about how she puts herself on a media diet. Only getting online on Monday, Wednesday, Friday in order to find that balance. Maybe that's not where you struggle but find what works for you.
2.Aim for enough rather than to much
*Going back to how the Lord said "few things are needed-indeed only one". Don't overdo it! Whether that's food or the time you spend online. Or even the kids activities. Make downtime for your kids & for you. Vicki talked about how they made a rule to only do 1 extra curricular activity per child per season. For them it worked so find what you need to cut back on.
3.Make Jesus your primary affection
*No matter what you are doing, make sure Jesus is always number one. In your family, your work, your home, your everything. Nothing else matters without Him!
As Mom's we feel like we have to be perfect at everything to be a good Mom. But the truth is a perfect Mother doesn't mean you have to be Paula Deen, ya'll! (I added that in for effect! :) Vicki said she told her husband when they got married that there would be cooking in 1 room of this house. The kitchen or the bedroom. "You pick!" She freely admits to eating out okay & if that's not an are where you are blessed, then that's okay! Maybe you are blessed in cleaning, or crafting, or encouragement. It could be any number of things the point is we don't have to be an alien combo of Joan Cleaver, Carol Brady & Clair Huxtable to be a good Mom. I just have to be me! How wonderful!!!!!!
Thanks ladies, next up is Pricilla Shirer! Have a great week ladies!
~Cass
Vicki started off reading Luke 10:38-42 "As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
In the verse's above there was a word that Vicki highlighted which was distract. Distract means "To prevent someone from concentrating on something. To divert someone. To drag around." Martha was distracted from the Father being right there in her living room. She was prevented from focusing on the Lord & more worried about if there was enough green bean casserole or banana pudding. (If I had to guess!) She couldn't stop long enough to realize that Jesus himself was sitting on her porch swing teaching. To me that is a powerful conviction because my fear is I would be the same way. I would be running around making sure everyone had enough sweet tea or that no one saw that stain on my carpet where the boys spilled chocolate milk that morning. And then to boot I know I would be huffing & puffing to myself about how my sister is just sitting there doing nothing to help me out. Can't you just see Martha running around trying to do everything & then she looks over to see her sister sitting. SITTING!!! I can only imagine the things Martha was thinking in her head about Mary. Then finally when she thinks she has to say something because it's just not fair. What does the Lord say back to her? "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Angela said "Martha, Martha" would translate today to "Bless your heart!" I can just see it now, "Martha, Bless your heart. No I won't tell her to help you. But I am gonna tell you, you need to come sit down & listen. You didn't have to make 2 kinds of desserts & 3 casseroles, 1 would have been enough! Mary is making the right decision & I won't make her get up to make another jello salad." Maybe I am paraphrasing but just a thought.
Vicki gave us 3 qualities to have a Mary attitude in a Martha world:
1.Make time to sit & listen
*Find a balance to everything. But you must make time for the Lord. Vicki talked about how she puts herself on a media diet. Only getting online on Monday, Wednesday, Friday in order to find that balance. Maybe that's not where you struggle but find what works for you.
2.Aim for enough rather than to much
*Going back to how the Lord said "few things are needed-indeed only one". Don't overdo it! Whether that's food or the time you spend online. Or even the kids activities. Make downtime for your kids & for you. Vicki talked about how they made a rule to only do 1 extra curricular activity per child per season. For them it worked so find what you need to cut back on.
3.Make Jesus your primary affection
*No matter what you are doing, make sure Jesus is always number one. In your family, your work, your home, your everything. Nothing else matters without Him!
As Mom's we feel like we have to be perfect at everything to be a good Mom. But the truth is a perfect Mother doesn't mean you have to be Paula Deen, ya'll! (I added that in for effect! :) Vicki said she told her husband when they got married that there would be cooking in 1 room of this house. The kitchen or the bedroom. "You pick!" She freely admits to eating out okay & if that's not an are where you are blessed, then that's okay! Maybe you are blessed in cleaning, or crafting, or encouragement. It could be any number of things the point is we don't have to be an alien combo of Joan Cleaver, Carol Brady & Clair Huxtable to be a good Mom. I just have to be me! How wonderful!!!!!!
Thanks ladies, next up is Pricilla Shirer! Have a great week ladies!
~Cass
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