What's Really Important

"And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.”

Mark 12:33 NLT

I missed the blog this past weekend, as I suspected might happen. My husband and I spent all weekend packing things into a moving container and a storage unit with a few bigger items--our backyard swing and our grandson's sandbox--to our son's backyard.

As we pack up our house for a move in mid-September, I'm prioritizing what we use every day and what we can pack up now without major inconvenience in the coming weeks before our move.

Most of the cupboards are bare...

But the coffee pot remains and the pantry overflows. (Why do we have so much peanut butter?)

In the physical, materialistic sense, I'm realizing what's really important.

• Beds, clothing, toiletries, our comfy sofa, and tables to eat at and set things on.

• Food, basic dishes, mugs, and cooking utensils--although we can also eat out, order in, or make sandwiches and use paper plates. (That's our plan for the final week.)

• My laptop, Bible, phone (of course) with plenty of books loaded into the Kindle app since I've already packed the rest of my books.

• Financial records and business paperwork needed to transfer from one home to another.

These physical things are important to our daily life. And this made me consider: what about spiritual things?

What's really important in our every day spiritual life ? What do we need to keep close on a daily basis? Here are a few things that came to mind.

• Prayer, Bible study, worship and praise.

• Fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

• Church and fellowship with other believers.

• Setting a Christian example as a witness to unbelievers.

I also thought about mental things such as peace, a sense of humor, and a grateful attitude. I'm happy to notice that the spiritual things take care of me mentally as well.

When my husband and I disagree or he does (or doesn't do) something that's annoying, remembering the fruits of the spirit helps me keep things in perspective and give him grace. Moving is stressful for everyone.

I can be annoying too (can anyone say OCD?), and I appreciate his grace for me. Funny how the more grace I give, the more I get in return.

Grace, listening with consideration and understanding, and a sense of humor are keeping us sane and in sync. Being married 40 years and really getting to know your spouse has its perks. Of course, marriage, family, and friends are the most important under God himself.

Tell me what you're thinking. What's really important to YOU?

God bless you every one,

Dianne

PS - Please keep in mind that my blog will likely be unpredictable for the next month or two as we move and renovate. Thank you so much for bearing with me!

To learn more about my books and writing, visit my website: www.diannemiley.com.

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