A time of refreshment.

I have just had the most refreshing and encouraging weekend! I needed it, too- on many levels.
The last weeks have been a bit of an emotional roller-coaster.  Opening my online stores, designing and making the products, listing them for sale, starting my blog and reading others' has been an exiting new venture for me.  It has been enjoyable, but it has also has its stresses!  From exitement at starting a new venture I would swing to discouragement at the lack of sales.  Then someone would "heart" my shop, or make an encouraging remark and my mood would soar... only to crash again when I got some constructive criticism, which I interpreted (wrongly) to mean "Why bother- it's no good anyway!"  I found myself waking during the night with thoughts of how to improve my design, spending far too much time on the computer, late into the night, and getting irritated with my husband and children when their needs interrupted the "flow of my creativity".  My head was in a spin, I was tired and I was not focusing on my priorities.
Then came the sisters' weekend!!
It started on Saturday evening with a sisters' feast.  Some young brothers had decorated the hall, set the tables, prepared delicious food, waited at the tables and cleared everything away afterwards... leaving us nothing to do but have a time of fellowship, edification and fun together!  This was followed on Sunday with transmissions from a sisters' conference in Norway.  http://www.brunstad.org/en/News/Latest-news/Lay-hold-of-your-heavenly-calling!.htm
There were many good and edifying messages, but one thing stood out for me:  the testimony of a sister who told about her journey to becoming a co-worker with God.  In particular it hit home when she told of a moment (when her oldest children were small, and things were busy), when she found herself thinking : "It takes two to have children- why does it seem that I have to do all the work for them alone?"  At that point, she suddenly realised that this was her task, her mission field.  She could choose to be a co-worker with God in her given task, doing it heartily as unto the Lord.
I pray that I may give up all demands of the others, and be a servant and a blessing to those I meet on my way- in particular those at home.  May they experience blessing and joy from me, whatever the circumstances.
"Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: and let him turn away from evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, And his ears unto their supplication: But the face of the Lord is upon them that do evil."  1 Peter 3:9-12