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I’m working on a workshop that’s going to be awesome!
It is based on one of my favorite Bible stories–and it’s a favorite for a good reason.
Mary and Martha–the sisters who were friends with Jesus–and whose particular story I’ll be teaching on gets a mere five verses of real estate in the Bible.
And yet–it’s one I return to again and again…
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things.”
(Luke 10:41 ESV)
I know, Lord. I know!!! 😩🙄😭
My mind has been busy. 📋👩🏻💻📝🦃🙋🏻♀️✍🏼🎄🎁
And, thank You, Jesus–it’s all really good stuff, but it’s a LOT of stuff, nonetheless.
We leave for a five-day trip tomorrow–a pretty long travel day on either end that will involve planes, no trains, but automobiles, and airports in two to three hour legs.
And we just got back from a “quick” trip to see a different son and his family.
Here’s the thing:
I’ve been spending a crap-ton of time lately thinking through the last few months of 2026.
What do I want these months to:
- look like?
- feel like?
- BE like?
Yes–I want to finish strong. 💪🙌🏻
Yes–I want to continue making progress. ✅
Yes–I want to set my business up well for 2027. 📆
But, also yes–
I want to be present and I want to ENJOY it. 🥰🥰🥰
Some scriptures that have been popping up in my mind to that end:
I want to taste and see that the Lord is good. (Psalm 34:8)
I want to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13)
God has richly given me all things to enjoy. (1 Timothy 6:17)
That last verse is especially telling because the entire verse is speaking specifically to those who are “rich in this present age” to not be proud and trust in those riches, but instead to trust in God who has richly given us all things to enjoy.
Every one of the verses above require something of us to fulfill them–we need to notice and appreciate the goodness we already have.
There’s a lot to unpack–just right there.
I’ve seen this trend on Instagram where people say something like “rich in this life because…”
And the post will then have a picture and a caption that explains what makes them feel rich.
Whether we acknowledge it or not, I think most of us truly are rich in this life in so many ways.
Did you know indoor plumbing only became fully adopted in the United States in the 1940’s or 1950’s?
I love me a period drama with the interesting homes–I’m good with a palace 🏰 OR a prairie 👩🏻🌾–and the period clothing and hair, but I’m SO thankful that God saw fit to let ME live now.
I could say: Rich in this life because I live in an age of indoor plumbing and central air conditioning. 🚽😎
And that’s just one small over-looked example!
Back to that last verse…it said…
Given richly…to ENJOY.
I think that flies in the face of much of the religious dogma so often perpetuated.
It doesn’t say stingily doled out to feel guilty for wanting or having–
Though that’s the way we are sometimes made to feel that God works.
It’s not what the Bible says.
The Bible says given richly.
To enjoy.
So–part of what I want for the remainder of this year is to purposely ENJOY what I’ve been so richly given.
Yes, it’s busy.
Yes, I have too much to do and a lot on my mind.
There are a lot of moving parts right now and that will only increase as we move into November.
(But are those not in many ways forms of abundance?)
The parallels happening in my own life to the workshop material I am going to be presenting November 17th–my birthday!!–and to Mary and Martha’s story in particular are undeniable.
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things.”
Jesus, I know! I AM anxious and troubled about many things!
I know what to do.
I could (and will) teach a class.
But I suspect you know what to do, too.
- Be more present.
- Be appreciative.
- Sit at the feet of Jesus.
That list above? Yes. Those are good instructions and intentions meant to help us.
But it’s amazing how quickly that list can turn from encouragement to instead feeling like an indictment.
It can feel like yet more things we’re NOT doing when the tyranny of the urgent crowds out what’s important.
Anxiety and performance and perfectionism and the tasks are LOUD and BOSSY.
God is a gentleman.
In the book of Revelation, it says Jesus stands at the door and knocks. And if anyone hears and listens to and heeds His voice and opens the door, He will come in… (Rev. 3:20)
He is always present, and always pursuing us, and yet He waits for us to tune in and listen and to be invited in.
I’m just sharing how I’m applying this in real time in my actual life.
Here was the victory of this past weekend:
I felt fully present. 🙋🏻♀️
I SO enjoyed all I was so richly and kindly given. 🥰
And that was my intention.
(It’s always my intention.)
But my presence was super-charged because of a few unexpected and, frankly, undesired circumstances.
Undesired circumstance #1:
My computer has a glitch.
It won’t let me past the sign-on screen unless I’m physically in my own home office.
It’s happened before–a few months back–and I was going on a trip then–a work trip so I needed to have my computer, and I had figured out a workaround and brought some extra equipment.
I thought it was fixed, so this time I left the workaround at home.
Usually, I use that 6 hours in the car to catch up on some work. I take advantage of my husband sitting right next to me and it’s like having a special board meeting where I get his undivided attention and help.
We both enjoy it.
Win-win.
Not this time.
But–there was an uncoiling that happened as we drove and I was unable to work.
There’s always stuff I’m holding in my working memory that feels a little like a weight I’m carrying. The muscle holding up that weight released that tension with the absence of my main work tool.
Undesired circumstance #2 happened on the drive home. There were some cray-cray rain and storms.
Super wet roads. Super low visibility.
Still a ton of cars and 18-wheelers flying down the road right alongside us in those terrible conditions.
I felt the best way to support Brent who was doing the driving was to stay watchful and alert and choose the right thing to be listening to as I DJ’ed from my phone.
I wasn’t tense, like one is when a teenager is driving where you are bracing and judging and making everyone nervous.
It was more like–I want you to not feel alone in navigating this.
Super-charged presence.
Living out this intention of being present–and noticing in real time how that’s playing out–has me that much more excited about the workshop coming up.
I’m sharing “Unpacking Christmas” before Thanksgiving and before December to help us set ourselves up to be present in the way we’d want to be this coming season.
We’ll talk about letting go of the pressure so you can show up for what matters.
I want you to not feel alone in navigating this season.
And clearly–I’ve already got the Lord helping me apply this to my own life.
Please, please, please sign up!
Give yourself the gift of spending time in God’s Word and setting your mind on things above before you go make that monster trip to Walmart for the turkey and all the fixings.
Big hugs--
Mary
P.S. If you know someone who might be interested in the upcoming free workshop, please pass this email along or send them my way!
*Also, it has come to my attention that the audio player under the
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message isn't showing up in some of your emails.
I tested this and in Apple mail I can press the play button right there, but in gmail I cannot. The link above should take you to the audio file, though, or you can always find my newsletter with that audio option on mary-muses.com.
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