What is Important in Life?

Many people ask this question to themselves. What is really important in life? Whatever you come up with defines who you are. If you value spending time with your family at the dinner table, you are definitely a family oriented person. It is the same concept Brother David (my pastor at Antioch) says, "If you want to know where your heart lies, look into your checkbook. You invest everything, your money, your time, and your efforts, into what you value the most". This is true, if you spend all your money at the bookstore buying new books to read, you value reading and being by yourself more than anything. I value many things. I value my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ more than anything, and closely following Him is my Dear Husband Clay that God gave me. I also value my immediately family, My Dad, Mom, Hanna, and Caleb. I value Clay's immediately family, Mr.Troy, Mrs. Melanie, Katie, Johnny, Rachel, Rebecca, Anna, and James.I value my church family at Antioch, as well as at New Oak Grove, although I am not as close yet to them as I was Antioch. I did not realize how closely I hold Antioch to my heart until I moved. I miss my Antioch family, and I refer to them as my family because I see the people that go to my church more than I see most of my real family. I have known the Antiochians for longer than I can remember, I was born and raised there with most of the same people that are still there today. When Clay and I go home to visit we stay until after church on Sunday morning so I can visit my family at church. They mean the world to me, and they are the most genuine, loving, caring, and Godly people you will ever meet. I am sure that my new church will become like Antioch to me, it will just take some time getting to know everybody. I just wanted to say that I value Antioch so much. I love the Antiochians and always will. You all hold a special place in my heart. (Because I have A.D.D. {self-diagnosis} and cannot stay on one thought process at a time, I will now continue on with the things I value). The store Michaels, I value very much. I love to do arts and crafts, which remind me I will show you the craft I did a few days ago, SO CUTE, and whatdayaknow I bought the supplies at Michaels. That place might be the death of Clay's wallet (I need to start making some money). I also value family time. I love to spend time with both of our families, just sitting around eating, playing cards, watching movies, and just spending quality time together. I value cooking, and the smile it puts on Clay's face when he sees how hard I have worked in the kitchen to make him proud. I value well, so many things. I'm going to make a bullet list because this writing thing is getting tiring saying "I value" "I value" every sentence, and I'm sure you're getting tired of reading it. So here it goes.
I value:

• shopping time with Hanna
• taking pictures with Rachel
• getting cooking tips on how to make things from scratch from Mrs. Melanie
• a clean home
• candles burning and the aroma they bring
• sweet tea
• pictures colored with crayons made from the little girls I babysit
• making an A on an assignment
• no dirty dishes in the sink
• pretty tableclothes
• Clay getting all his work done and coming home before dark
• friendship from everyone
• family (even Aun'ts, Uncle's and Cousins who are dear to me)
• washing machine and dryer (how did the Pioneer's live?)
• the body that God gave me
• the list could go on and on.....

The point is that there are so many things that I value and that I am thankful for. I think everybody should sit down every once in a while and write out the things that you value and that you are thankful for. It does my heart good to see how many things I am blessed with, and how much thanks I should be giving to God for everything He has done for me. I challenge you today to write out as many things you can think of that you value and that you are thankful for. I guarantee your hand will be tired of writing before you finish! How blessed we are. Thank you God for all that you bestow upon us!

Until next time,
Tiffany