All I Want for Christmas Is...

Well I already have my two front teeth so can I have some consistency instead?  Pretty please?  Santa, I've been a good girl, I promise.  If you could just drop some consistency in my stocking and a little gift of motivation under the tree I'd appreciate it so much!

Do you struggle with it too?  Some areas I am very consistent with so I would wonder why in another area it seems so difficult to obtain?

In case you don't know I'm married to the lead minister at my church, Matt Brent.  When I sit and listen as he preaches sometimes I am thinking how proud I am of him, how excited I am for what God is doing through him, amazed at how well he communicates God's Word and relates it to the church.  Other times I am listening to his words, his points, following along, etc.  One day recently I'm just going right along thinking about how well he is bringing these points together.  In fact I'm even thinking about how this person and that person is probably going to be affected today because he is talking about exactly what they are going through, blah blah blah, until...I felt it.  My toes.  Ouch.  Something hurt.  Hey!  Wait a minute!  He's talking to ME now!  Ouch!  He did it again!  He stepped right on my toes...all ten of them!  I didn't mind though.  I like being convicted when I need it.  I don't even mind that it's by him.  :)

It all boiled down to a "God hole."  That place you try so hard to fill, the "hole," and nothing seems to fill it, fix it, or take it away.  That's because it's a God hole, and no one and no thing can fix it except Him.  God.  Only He can fill it.  I don't have just one hole to fill, I have several.  And they can all boil down to two things...consistency and motivation.  I've tried many things and I am finding that they only work temporarily.  I am seeing now that those are God holes and only He can fill them.  "If I had motivation I would finally be able to tackle this, this and this.  Consistency would then keep that, that and that under control."

Where do you get your motivation?  You know you need to do something.  You may even know WHAT you have to do, but you lack the kick to get it going.

This post doesn't really have anything to do with kiddos or children's ministry on the surface, but I know that allowing God to fill these holes will then make me a better mom, a better teacher, a better ministry leader.

And I also know that Santa won't be the one to deliver it...just the One.

Ho, Ho...uh oh!

As of right now my 9 1/2 year old still believes...at least she acts as if she does.  But I'm bracing myself this year for the question, "Momma, is Santa real?"  She asked last week if the tooth fairy was real so I assume maybe doubts of Santa may be coming too.  I'm not really worried about it.  It wasn't traumatic for me, in fact, I don't even remember when I found out Santa was actually Mom and Dad.  

I probably need to decide exactly what I want to say when that question comes.  What did you say when your kids found out?  Or if you have kids that still believe, what do you plan to say?  Any creative ideas to share?