So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. – 1 Corinthians 10:31

I wake up just before the alarm goes off, and I decide it’s futile to fight, so I launch into a quick prayer time before my feet hit the ground, knowing they’ll hit the ground running. It’s a true winter’s morning in Florida, so I find a rare heavy sweater, get dressed and get going.

I get the dogs out first thing, fix their breakfast, get my first cup of coffee, which I convince myself I drink in excess for health benefits, and I notice I have an email through Global Media Outreach from a disciple in Africa. If someone on the other side of the world is reaching out to me, I generally drop everything and write back immediately. So I do.

Breakfast is Greek yogurt, strawberries, more coffee, a chapter in Exodus and a chapter in Philippians (Chapter 2, actually – one of my favorites). Next I deal with work emails and plan my day. I pray for inspiration on a project for which I need inspiration, and I jot down a few ideas. I come up with my best ideas while doing random things – chopping vegetables, talking on the phone, tripping on furniture,  breaking toes. Eventually the inspiration comes at no cost to my toes.

Then I walk a few miles and pray. Praying while walking helps me focus. Today I pray for the believers in our immediate and extended family. A particular extended family situation pops up on my radar throughout the day. A heartbreaking situation within my church also remains on my radar. I am reminded to pray continually.

After my walk, it’s back to work. Right now work mostly involves extensive editing, and after a few hours, my eyes are tired. I fit a load of laundry in between to give my eyes a break, and then I’m back to it.

Before the daylight fades, I remember the yard trash truck comes tomorrow, and I remember the heavy wind we’ve had over the past few days and the fact we have more than 200 trees, and I head outside with the dogs to gather yard trash. Their idea of helping involves running with sticks and getting dangerously close to me as they Liam Neeson each other in the yard.

I get back to work again. This is the life of a self-employed person, particularly one who works with people on either coast. Between work and work, I add a new side to the leftovers I’ll heat up for dinner (lamb for me, ham for my husband), and I laugh to myself as I recall one of my favorite lines from Big Fat Greek Wedding: “What you mean he don’t eat no meat? That’s okay. I make lamb.” Even if I didn’t like lamb, I would still have to eat it for that reason alone.

Work resumes for both of us after dinner, and I bounce from project to project, occasionally remembering we have a house guest coming Thursday for an indefinite amount of time and that I’m not quite ready. I must tend to one of my least-favorite pastimes, shopping. For now I choose work over shopping. I choose most things over shopping. But tomorrow shopping must win. I will lose.

The day is nearly over. A shower and a new Kindle book await. For a few minutes at the end of the day, our family will gather in the living room and talk about our days. My son will melt into the chair after yet another day of work that ends with worship ministry; my husband will likely fall asleep on the couch, and we’ll laugh about how his toes dance while he sleeps.

I will end the day as I started it – with prayer. Each night I pray over specific Bibleless people groups, and I pray again over our family. It has been an ordinary yet full day. But I’ve learned to treasure even the ordinary days, because even in the ordinary, you encounter the extraordinary. Today I have encountered God. That is enough.