Living Deliberately

With 2018 here (yes I am a few days behind) there are a few things I have decided to be more purposeful about.  Let's don't go crazy and call them New Year's Resolutions, but really, they are things I want to see growth or change in.

Here's hoping!

Date Nights- This is the first thing I am working on!  Seriously, gotta put that husband first sometimes. ;)   We are not even what I would consider busy people, but it seems that other things just slide into the slots and we get the leftovers of each other sometimes.  Trust me when I say the left overs of me after a crazy day of schooling are not very pretty folks!  My goal is to put ourselves on the calendar at least twice a month for a few hours out alone.  We do not even require babysitters any more, so honestly this should not be that hard.  It's all in the planning. 

Exercise and Health- If you have been here long enough, you know my health has been questionable for a while now.  In the quest to find the problem, doctors found a gall stone and I had my gall bladder out in May.  While I no longer have THAT particular pain, the surgery gave me a host of other issues I am still dealing with.  It is burdensome and tiring and I have had enough already!  I am still tweaking things in my diet and such but had put exercise on hold because I have felt so poorly.  Enough of that!  I am getting my backside busy again if it is the last thing I do.  Someone hold me accountable!

Leisure reading- I read A LOT!  But mostly they are books on parenting and such, or curriculum or books for review.  This year I want to be a little selfish and read at least one book a month just for me.  Simple, mindless, sweet books.  Historical fiction.  Mysteries. Whatever.  Feel free to shoot me your recommendations!

Making memories with my sons-  I feel like I have fallen down on this a bit lately.  With the girls it was easier.  I was younger (think NOT tired) and let's face it I have more in common with them because well, they are girls!  But I do not want my boys to miss out on mom moments just because I am old and - a GIRL!  I am making specific plans with my boys for some fun at least once a month.  Again, it is all a matter of scheduling!

Simplifying life- In our 34 Weeks of Clean quest, we have simplified MUCH in our lives.  Layers of stuff are gone and it feels good.  It also motivates me to do more, especially with the possibility of another move in our future.  But it is not just stuff I want to simplify,  it is life in general.  I want to concentrate on what really matters and set aside the rest.  Take note, SOCIAL MEDIA is the first on my list!

Time with friends- This is an area that homeschool mommas seem to struggle with. (or is it just me?)  Lunch dates are hard to fit in the middle of our school days and by the time we are done, late afternoon coffees often require more than I have to give.  I am working on a plan to shorten my Fridays and dedicate some time to friends.  I am also determined to get over this crazy fear of flying and hop on a plane to a see a few friends.  Watch out ladies, I may land on your door step!

More time in the Word- This should have come first of course, but I saved the best for last.  While I attend a Bible study and we do devotions nightly as a family, time in the Word with just me and God often gets lost in the busyness of my day.  I am determined to get back to that time in the morning before I even step foot out of bed.  What a better thing to wake up and start your day with!

Oh, friends, I may be adding as I go, but this is where I will start!  Whether you choose to make resolutions or just want to make some positive changes in your life, I pray 2018 will be a year of great strides in a positive direction for you and one filled with love, laughter, hope and joy!

One filled with GOD!

Blessings,

Avoid Contamination

Crazy title I know, but stick with me here.


On one of our recent trips (we have had many so they have all blurred together at this point) I saw a sign in a public restroom that said "Avoid contamination"...and then something about washing hands.  I wish now I had risked weird looks and taken a picture of it because for some reason that saying has just been stuck in my mind.

Maybe because I have not seen a hand washing sign with such strong words, or maybe because, well I do not know.  But every since, I have been mulling that phrase around in my mind.  And I starting wondering- just how do we avoid contamination?  Other than the obvious washing of hands.

Here's what I have been processing-

Our lives can be easily contaminated.  Let's face it, we do not live in a perfect world with perfect people.  Except for totally isolating ourselves (a very tempting option for me sometimes) our lives are eventually going to be exposed to things, situations, and yes, even people that can contaminate it.  Sad, but true.

So what are those things we must avoid and how?


Negative Talk- Gossip.  Glass half full mentality.  Whatever it looks like, it is bad.  It hurts not only you but the people around you.  Psalm 19:14 says, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight."  We attended a church where the pastor recited that passage every Sunday before he preached.  It was seared into my brain and I have found it to be a good scripture to recite to myself on many occasions.  When we are tempted to say things we should not, share things we should not, or even think things we should not, we need to stop and reverse direction.  Literally walk away if you have to, but do not be a part of those types of situations.

Negative Words-  You know what I mean here.  Words like always, never, you don't, you can't, you won't.  If you are a fan of the Love and Respect book, you already know that those words are not good in a marriage.  They are not good in any relationship.  They tear people down, disrupt communication, and build walls.  When we use negative words, especially to words of affirmation people like me, we wound hearts sometimes beyond repair.  We need to purpose to use kind and affirming words to each other, not only the people we are closest to but to anyone we made contact with.  Can you imagine what a nicer world this would be if everyone spoke kindly to each other?!

Negative People-  There are just some people who can suck the life out of us if we allow them to.  It is my firm belief that we try to minister to those people, but at some point if things do not change you need to free yourself from those types of relationships.  Always focusing on the negative will drain you, as will the people who encourage you to do so.  They can suck you dry and eventually you can become the very thing you are avoiding.  "Do not be deceived. Bad company ruins good morals."  1 Cor. 15:33

Negative Thoughts- This one may be the hardest for me.  I am too often my own worst enemy.  I let fear, worry, and life overwhelm me at times.  Then, all you need to do is add the outside voices of others and THEIR fear, worry, and yuck to my brain and I can easily succumb to contamination.  The Bible says we must "...take every thought captive..." ( 2 Cor. 10:5)  Do you see that?  Every thought!  That means the fear. And the worry.  And the yuck stuff too.  We need to take those thoughts captive and speak truth to ourselves.

Negative Media- It is no secret that we are pretty strict around here about what movies we watch.  With the addition of VidAngel to our life we are venturing out with more movies these days since we can censor them to fit our convictions.  Regardless of your convictions though, the Bible tells us in Phil 4:8, "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."  Seriously, friends, there is some not lovely and pure stuff out there.  The less we fill our hearts and minds with that kind of stuff the better.  As my husband tells our kiddos, trash in, trash out!

Contamination comes in many forms.  It is a daily, sometimes hourly, battle to separate ourselves from it.  But separate we must.  You will be blessed by your efforts, I assure you!

Avoiding contamination right there with you, my friend!

Blessings,

You Can't Even Make This Stuff Up!

A week ago I was retelling- oh okay, whining to a friend of mine about our past four weeks since my husband has been gone.  When I finished my tale of woe, her words were-

You can't even make this stuff up!

No kidding!  Thankfully I am beginning to be able to laugh about some of it.  Not all, mind you. That may not come.  And as another friend suggested, I am going to start yelling PLOT TWIST and see if that helps me feel better.  At the very least it will entertain the troops here at home.

Let me just give you a taste of things... it may make you feel better! ;)

Week 1-The night of my husband's departure, my 7 year old began running a high temperature.  This is the kiddo who doesn't do sick well and therefore freaks out and asks if he is going to die every few minutes.  Fun times.  The good news is that it is hard to be too emotional in saying good bye when you are sleep deprived and distracted.

Two days later he got better and my daughter and I got sick.  We headed to the doctor to be told she had a virus, me- bronchitis and pneumonia.  Four weeks later, I am still coughing.

Week 2-  Back to doctor! Daughter got better, but oldest son was down for the count and diagnosed with pneumonia.  I was put on a second round of antibiotics because I was not getting better.  Oh, and the mice moved in while mom was in bed for 6 days straight!  YUCK!

Week 3- Back to doctor! Next daughter started feeling badly.  At the very least she is worn out and the allergy thing is still not worked out.  She is not feeling well, not sleeping and generally feels like dirt!  Hmmm, could be from taking care of a sick family, stress of finishing her degree and working a job, plus college/church ministry and on and on!

Plus while we were at the doctor's office the doctor turned on me, I mean turned to me, and said, "I notice you are STILL coughing.  That is not good!"  Add a steroid to my list of medicines.  This is the family who does not like to take medicines, I remind you!  Plus, we came home with more cough medicine with codeine, which my daughter begged him not to give me since it makes me cry. A lot!  Funny how codeine works!  For the sake of the family, I have refrained from taking it.  I am nice like that.

We also went back to the doctor the following day with the youngest because he too has developed a cough and the doctor is either concerned or just likes seeing us frequently.  Medicine for him.  Is it any surprise to you that the gal in the pharmacy actually called me by my first name, pondered out loud why we were back AGAIN and told me how sorry she was for us?!

Then just to add to the fun, while I was out my 13 year old was "fixing" a pen that exploded blue ink on our bedroom carpet.  I am still working on that matter.  And yes, the same day as the doctor visit! Then I had to take the car in to get the oil changed and Farmer Dan's wife (who has had car issues of her own) said she could take me to pick it up.  My chariot arrived, we chatted for a few minutes and then out to her car we went- yep, it was dead!   You would have been proud of us- we just laughed.  We should have yelled PLOT TWIST!  With the help of another sweet friend, we got car picked up and I safely delivered 7 people to church for a few hours.  I drug myself home for a few hours of quiet to only walk through the door to find the dogs had opened a glass bottle of natural supplements intended for the college daughter and had eaten 86 out of 90 of them!  Brand new bottle!  I spent the next hour calling vets and making the dogs throw up.  And just possibly saying not so nice things to the dogs. More fun times.

Then, I tried to put a storage crate away in the garage only to have it about fall on top of my head.  Managed to duck in time, but my back may not be the same for weeks.

Oh, and I fell in a store nights ago.  Yep, embarrassed everyone and bruised my knee.

Week 4- Today you will find us back at the doctor.  Yes, you did count that right- four weeks in a row.  More tests  and various blood work for the oldest who is not getting better.

See,  you can't even make this stuff up.

BUT, before you feel sorry for me, let me share some words of wisdom from a dear friend who has been there done that with this deployment thing recently.  I had shared with her that I was afraid people were going to start to wonder about us and why so many things seem to be crashing around us.  And trust me, I was beginning to wonder the same thing.  Here's what she shared-

Such is the life of a military wife.  Or any other spouse for that matter whose does life alone at times.  Things just happen.  Whether a significant other is around or not.  The difference is we are suddenly doing it alone.  There is no one to rescue us at the end of the day.  No one to pass the baton to.  No one to whine to.  And so our friends see and hear much more than they normally would.  We just air our dirty laundry more (you can thank us later) and therefore you see our lives as an open book.  We probably have no more craziness than any other person reading this, it just can seem like it because it is center stage.

Well, thank goodness.  Not that our mess is center stage, but that our mess is no worse than your mess.  

At least I hope.

I am however looking for the nearest vacation spot!  You are welcome to come with me.

Blessings,

Remembering March

I mentioned last month that I was so done with February.  Well, thankfully March more than made up for it.  I am thankful...

For friends who helped move us and all of our stuff into a different house.  You know you have amazing friends when they take a break from their busy lives to spend days with you moving.

For a house that is a more healthy environment for our oldest daughter.  Every day that I wake up here I remind myself that we are so blessed to be here and without worry that the house is making her even sicker.

For the smaller spaces.  Seriously.  This I have learned about myself - I am overwhelmed by large spaces.  Not the spaces themselves, mind you.  But the baggage they bring along with them.  More places to clean.  More to take care of.  More space between rooms.  More stuff!  As we simplify our stuff, I love that we are simplifying our space.  I love that our bedroom is just off the living room.  I love that I can stand in the kitchen and still be a part of the living room conversation.  I love that my boys are just a few feet away at all times.  Call me crazy, but I love close and cozy.  It frees my mind of clutter and makes my heart sing.

For a normal school schedule.  Yes, I missed doing school.  Can you believe that?  I love sitting at the table doing school with my kids.  I love working through things with them.  I love that we can study hard and then play hard.   My family does better on a schedule.  Which is good since they have a mom that loves schedules!

For TOS Review Crew and the independent reviews that I do, as well.  We are blessed weekly by review opportunities that knock my socks off.  Like getting to see God's Not Dead before it was released.  Reviewing a CD series that my family loves to listen to.  Like finding yet another Spanish program that is challenging us to learn even more.  It keeps me busy, but it also brings me a lot of joy. I have been asked to guest blog in several new venues and I love it.  Can you believe that someone actually likes to hear me ramble on...other than my husband?!

So, yes, school and life are how I remember March.  And it is all good!

I pray that you had a blessed month as well and are excited for April.  I hear it may almost be   spring...somewhere!

Blessings,