by leaps and bounds

I really love my car.  I try to take care of it, sometimes it gets a little dirty on the inside and I must stop and take a minute to clean the garbage out and wipe the dust off the dash. It is much easier to do if I do this a little every day than if I wait ‘till I have a bunch of trash that builds up and then try to clean it out.

I also keep the oil changed (almost on time) and make sure the fluid levels are where they need to be to make sure she will be running well.

I do try to choose gas stations I know have clean fuel for Dora (I drive a Ford Explorer named Dora the Explorer).  I need to depend on her so I want to make sure she is taken care of, and I can depend on her.

It’s like this with ourselves also, but as busy people and moms and dads, we usually neglect ourselves (especially moms) to take care of everyone else’s needs.  Taking care of ourselves so we can take care of others better is often said but honestly, it is one of those things that is so easy to say to someone else but walking it out each day is another story.

The enemy is always trying to fill our mind (our floorboard or backseat) with junk and trash (some of us have a lot of junk in the trunk….lol).  It is so much better when we are in the Word everyday to combat that trash from piling up and remind ourselves that all that stuff we are carrying around is just trash from the enemy.

Wiping off the lies everyday by praying keeps the dust from accumulating.  Keeping our mind on all things that are good and holy and not the distractions the enemy tries to give us.

Today it is so easy to drive thru and cure that hunger pain quickly than it is to plan and eat the food (or fuel) that God intended us to eat.  If you have ever gone a few months without eating fast food, you will find that when you go back to it that it is salty and greasy and usually makes your stomach hurt.  God gave us the fuel we need for our bodies, and we need to make the right choice of fuel.

When we go on a trip, we watch our gas gauge and when it starts to get low, we plan and make sure we look for a reputable place to get gas before we deplete our supplies.  But when it comes to what we put in our bodies we are not always so picky.

I am guilty of this as much (if not more) than anyone else.  Join me for a one-week challenge.

1.  Know when to get rid of the trash, read your Bible everyday and know that you don’t need to carry.
2.  Dust off the lies by planning the time to spend in prayer every day, even if it is while your driving (just make sure you don’t close your eyes and bow your head while praying while driving)!
3. Treat your body kindly, abstain from fast food for one week.  Replace the quick drive thru by planning and taking bananas, oranges, or apples with you and drink more water (I carry my fake Stanley cup everywhere I go.)

We will discuss how this went next week in our Facebook group:  Mopping up the Blessings.  If you are not in this group, please join us.

As always you can reach me at moppinguptheblessings@gmail.com

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Tammy Bassett is a speaker and the author of the Mopping Up Your Blessings blog. She was born and raised a country girl who’s roots run deep in the mountains of Appalachia. She has worked a wide variety of jobs ranging from radio to insurance agent. She is now a stay-at-home mom, who along with her husband, are raising five daughters (ages 10 to 25), seven cats and one dog. She uses her accounting and business administration degree to help run her busy household.
She loves spending time with her family and homeschooling her two youngest children. She spends a lot of her day trying to conquer the obstacles in her home. With four of her children still living at home the laundry pile (nicknamed Mt. Wash-more) is her nemesis. Some days she wins and some days she doesn’t, but she always gets up the next day and tries again.
She also loves camping with her family as long as there is a camper with air conditioning, a comfy bed, and indoor plumbing. Her downfall is her obsession with iced coffee. Thankfully the closest Starbucks is an hour from her home, or she would be broke. She also loves reading and learning new skills such as homesteading, being more self-sustainable, gardening and foraging.
She relates the most to her favorite animal, the alpaca. They are both kind of weird and look like they are two months past due on a haircut. Much like alpacas she makes a gentle humming noise when happy and if irritated she often stamps the ground with her feet. Her husband has refused to buy her an alpaca much to her disappointment.
But more than anything, she loves the Lord and is growing more in her faith each day and hopes to inspire others to do the same. She wants everyone to understand that God’s grace is truly amazing and has changed her from the inside out and he can do the same for you.