I think about all the days when I forsake my quiet time to "do"

And it should be no surprise to me that when it progressively becomes almost habitual to neglect my spiritual health, the rest of me becomes undone.
And I fail to recognize what is actually going on in my everyday life.

And that's exactly where Satan wants me to be.
I am no threat to him when I am disconnected from my Father.
And Satan can manipulate my world under my radar b/c I simply can't see it.
Whispering what needs to be done: websites that are behind, camping trip to prepare for…blah blah blah…and I listen.


I can't do this life on my own.  I can't.
No one can.

We have to be totally and completely dependent on Jesus.  For everything.  Every day.

I can see a pattern of times when life gets nuts and I get so caught up with "stuff" and I fail to see the real problem- I am not connected to my "lifeline", and I lose power.
Not my power, but the power that flows through me from the Holy Spirit.

A lamp does not have power and cannot light a room unless it is connected to it's power source.  Not only connected, but turned ON so that the power can flow successfully in order to make it work.

And  I can look back and easily connect the dots.  My 6 year old daughter could do that dot-to-dot picture. 
Out of touch with my Savior and out of control.

Who am I to think that I can do this on my own?
I can’t.  I have to depend on Jesus to give me patience, to give me the wisdom to parent these gifts of children, to give me the clarity to see things the way they truly ARE and not what they APPEAR to be- in my marriage, in my friendships, in my day to day drama,  etc.

And who suffers the most?
Certainly not me, I think the kids and my husband do.
Because I fail to give them the best of me- because JESUS is the best of me.
And I can’t give them JESUS when I am not connected to Him.

I'm reading Luke chapter 9

verse 1-2

"When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick."

And later on in the chapter, the Twelve could not drive out the demon in a boy.  They had the power to do so, but I think they forgot where the power came from.  They stopped being dependent on Jesus and so they were unable to do what Jesus sent them out to do.

Let us remember to be dependent on Jesus so we can do what He has called us to do.