Total confession time.  Just between us, last week was not pretty.  Nope, not pretty at all.  Well, it had it's "up" moments for sure.  But, the lows were pretty low.  I was just struggling all week.  I WANTED to really make the most of having the kids home for Thanksgiving break.  I had visions of a fun and memory making week.  I even made some special plans--like going to ICE at the Gaylord.  But, all in all, the week just fell short.  I felt irritable and short tempered, fatigued and just all around beat down.  As is always the case, the children certainly reflected what they saw modeled.  Oh, I could sure take the high ground in a rather mature manner and point to the children to say, "THEY STARTED IT!"  But in hindsight--does it really matter which came first--the chicken or the egg?   Today's Bible study pretty well pointed that finger right back at me with this quote from Nancy Leigh DeMoss:

"The Enemy doesn't care if we 'believe' in God, if we are doctrinally orthodox, or if we fill our schedules with a lot of 'spiritual activities,' as long as he can get us to run on our own steam, rather than living in conscious dependence upon the power of the Holy Spirit."

The reality last week was this simple truth.  On my own--without prayer and time in the Word--EPIC. FAIL.  Yeah, yeah, yeah.  Story of my life.  Over and over again--it all boils down to the screaming need for consistent and daily time with Him.  Devoted time.  Now, there were seasons of my life--when I had toddlers and infants--when this kind of time was hard to carve out.  But, there are no excuses now.  None.  So when am I gonna EVER learn this?  
 
This morning, I saw a picture painted through the words of Psalm 119 that pretty well drove this point home.  Imagine that you are on a sinking ship and have to dive into the water.  Would you REALLY refuse that life preserver?  Would you really say to that person extending it to you--"Uh, no thanks!  I'd rather chance it alone.  I just don't have time for such life saving resources."

Yet, all too often, that is what I do as I start my day.  I jump right into the water, thinking it's safe to go it alone.  I have somewhere to be and I was too slow getting ready.  I think--"Oh, I'll grab that life preserver later--when I have more time."  Then, before I know it, it's the end of the day and I'm just too tired to make the effort.  If I truly examined how those days went, I'd see clearly that I struggled to stay afloat.  


And all that struggle is simply unnecessary.  Every moment of every day, God wants to extend His life preserver to us--to avoid struggles, to avoid drowning in our own limitations, to avoid running out of steam because we refuse to call on the power of the Holy Spirit.  Just check it out.