A Blog of My Very Own!

Menu Plan Monday

2012-01-16T18:05:00.000-06:00

Trying a new link-up to get me organized this year...

Menu Plan Monday

Monday - Crock Pot BBQ boneless Ribs
Tuesday - Leftover BBQ Ribs
Wednesday - Crock Pot Chicken
Thursday - Salmon Patties
Friday - Meatloaf
Saturday - Frozen Pizza
Sunday - Beans & Cornbread

Seeing the Lord in everything...

2011-06-21T15:13:00.001-05:00

I was really hoping to be able to write a poignant, moving post today. I am thinking about my last few weeks trying to find something that just shouts "Come See a MAN!" And nothing is jumping out at me as "extraordinary." But I'm not discouraged.

I have been studying the Word of God with some wonderful ladies in my Good Morning Girls group and my Maximize Your Mornings group. I am also taking the 21 Days of Prayer for Boys Challenge. I am waking earlier and making time to spend with the Lord in study and prayer. I can truly feel the difference in my life as I practice letting the Lord in.

Twice in the last month my 3 yr old son has called my attention to just how much I am changing.

About 2 weeks ago, I was working in the kitchen and he looked up at me from the living room and said, "I'm so glad you are being a nice Momma now." I knew that I had been yelling too much and too easily; I had begun praying that the Lord would help me remember to be kind to my son. Not only did the Lord help me, He did it so quickly and obviously that my son saw the change.

Then yesterday, we had been shopping at the grocery store. As I started to leave the parking lot, I remembered something I needed to text to my husband. So I pulled into a parking space. From his seat, my son could only tell that I had stopped driving and appeared to be bowing my head. His question to me at that moment was, "Momma, are you praying?" It was a super reminder to me of how much the Lord is working in our lives, that my son has seen me praying, and a reminder that I need to pray with him and for him more often. I, of course, stopped what I was doing and we prayed for the Lord to watch over us and keep us safe on our drive home.

So for now, I will be looking for the Lord in everything.

John 21:4-14

2011-06-01T06:00:00.002-05:00

4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.” 6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some. ” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. 9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.” 11 Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come andeat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish. 14 This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.

The verse that struck me this morning is verse 7. When the disciples realized it was Jesus standing on the shore, Simon was so excited that he couldn’t wait for anything or anyone, he just grabbed his coat and jumped right into the water racing toward the Lord. I would like to have that, that sincere hope and faith, where no one and nothing will hinder my love and excitement for the Lord; and I can jump right in knowing that those with me will follow me to Him.

1 Peter 4:8 ...keep loving one another earnestly...

2011-05-30T06:33:00.001-05:00

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

This is one I have to work on, not just for my husband and son , but for my extended family as well. I tend to be overly critical of them. Not that I ever stop loving them of course, but when they fall short of my expectations or short of the expectations (morals) they taught me to have growing up, I tend to forget I am a Christian and I harbor anger. I know no one is perfect, least of all me, but I have a hard time coming to terms with that when it comes to people I feel should know better...should be better.

And when comes to forgiving someone who doesn't ask for it, I know that is so important for my own peace and my relationship with the Lord. If I can't forgive and *let go of it (the hardest part for me)*, I will just sit and boil in my anger and then I can't go to the Lord, not because I think He would turn me away, but because I just physically/emotionally am unable to turn to Him when I am in that state of mind. Last week was an exceptionally hard week for me, because of this exact reason (a close family member doing something unthinkable, completely contrary to how we were raised). I am so grateful for this group and this study, because I was able to get up and start my days off right, in communication with the Lord and I was able to hand Him a lot of what I was feeling; I didn't choose to deal with it alone.

Lord, please help me to cast my cares on you and to allow you to care for me (1 Peter 5:7). Help me not to fight or struggle against what you want for me. Help me to forgive others, especially those you know I am most disappointed in right now. Thank you for bringing my family safely past the Joplin tornado path as they traveled. Please keep my family in your loving hands.

Ministry of Motherhood: Intro For Study and Discussion

2011-05-28T06:54:00.001-05:00

Questions are from: Clarkson, Sally (2009). The Ministry of Motherhood: Following Christ's Example in Reaching the Hearts of Our Children (p. 20). WaterBrook Press. Kindle Edition.

What purpose do you think God had in mind when he designed the role of mother? Have you ever specifically considered that, in becoming a mother, you have actually been called to a ministry? In what way does that concept change how you think about your role?
*After reading Proverbs 14:1(The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish pulls it down with her hands.), I feel that the Lord designed mothers to be builders. Our house is our family. We must use our faith in the Lord to build our house and build up those within it, rather than tearing it down by having a bad attitude about everything. I had never thought of myself as being called to a ministry, but after reading this question, I remembered many conversations my husband and I had when we found out we were pregnant with my son. We had not been attending a church regularly for many years, but we immediately wanted to find a church home in which we could raise our child. Thinking about motherhood as being a ministry is a bit intimidating for me. I am so new in my own regular study of the Word. But a few months ago, a friend told me to let my son see me study. She is a preacher's wife and was raised in a house who love the Lord. Her parents studied privately, so while she knew they were Christians, she never got to see the importance of studying the bible. She and her husband sit down daily with their children and study together as a family. We are not to that point yet. But I do make sure my son knows that the reason I am up early is so that I can study with God.

Read Psalm 127:3 (Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward.)—if possible, in more than one translation. What does this verse imply about the ministry of motherhood?
*I feel this verse reminds us to treat our children well because they are not ours, they belong to God. If I would treat my neighbor's child well, why would I not treat my own child well? As mothers/wives, we have a lot of demands on us, especially in today's society where a lot of us also must work outside the home in order to make ends meet. We take out our anger, frustration, resentment, and exhaustion on those precious little souls who have been entrusted to us by our Lord. A lot of times those feelings just bubble over and over time we will end up killing our children's spirits if we don't get hold of what we are pouring into our own souls. The best analogy I have heard about this lately is if I have a mug and I put water in it, if I bump the mug water will spill out. If I fill the mug with coffee, then coffee will spill out. We must take care what we pour into ourselves so that when life bumps us, as it inevitably will, what spills out on those around us is good and clean and pure.

Proverbs 31:10-31 paints a vivid portrait of the life of a godly woman. Describe what a Proverbs 31 life might look like in a modern context. What parts of this description do you find particularly inspiring? Which areas pose a challenge for you? How do you think these reactions relate to your ministry as a mother?
*The Proverbs 31 life. Wow, I think that life would be so good. Kind, hardworking, trustworthy, generous, proactive, not idle or lazy, business-savvy, poised, faithful, strong, graceful, cheerful about the future, sensible, thoughtful, care-giver, loves and honors the Lord. I find being cheerful about the future and loving and honoring the Lord to be the most inspiring. I find not being idle, especially in the age of television and the internet, to be especially challenging. Even with this book club. I find myself logging in more often to hear everyone else's thoughts. And while I am being uplifted and praising the Lord, I find I am letting my housework slide. I have to learn how to balance it. If I love and honor the Lord, I should find myself being cheerful about the future, which will make me a more stable mom. My son will see my attitude changing and see that it is my love of the Lord that is making me a better person. I will be able to teach my son to love the Lord if I love and honor Him first.

Read Proverbs 14:1. In what specific ways can a woman in this day and age build her house or tear it down? If possible, give examples from your own observation or experience. Then list four specific ways you want to build your house by ministering to your children and making disciples of them. *
A woman today can build her house by being godly and being kind, wise and faithful. She can tear it down by being resentful, hurtful, angry, by not loving the Lord.
*Four specific ways I can build my house by ministering to Jack and making a disciple of him: 1) study to increase my own faith so that I can be a good example for him 2) pray with him 3) teach him to pray 4) take him to church.

Write out a plan for ministering to your own children using the acronym GIFTS. List at least one goal for each letter.
G - Demonstrate grace to Jack on a day to day basis.
I - Inspire Jack to live for Christ by taking up my cross daily, forgetting about myself and following Christ (Luke 9:23)
F - Help develop Jack's faith by attending a strong bible-believing church and by setting an example myself at home, studying, praying and living the Word.
T - Train Jack up in the Word that he may be like the Teacher (Luke 6:40)
S - I have to develop my own desire to serve before I can teach Jack how important it is

Proverbs 31:26-28

2011-05-27T06:38:00.002-05:00

FRI 5/27/2011 6:20 AM - Good morning!! I really love waking up to study the bible in the mornings. It is such a wonderful way to wake up and start my day.

S - Proverbs 31:26-28 this morning: 26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. 27 She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her...

O - The good woman is wise and kind. She is not lazy and makes sure her family is taken care of. Her husband and her children love and respect her because they can tell she loves and respects them.

A - As a Christian wife and mother, I should aspire to all it means to be a "Proverbs 31 woman". If I use these verses as an example of what I can be, and don't allow myself to become discouraged when I don't live up to her example, then I will do well in my life.

P - Dear Lord, Thank you for Your word that we can study to become approved (Phil 1:9-11). Please help me to be like the woman described in Proverbs 31. Allow me to be someone my husband can trust at all times: grant me wisdom so that I know how to raise my son and bring others to You. Give me a kind word at all times for everyone who needs it, even if that person is me. Help me to be a person whom my son and husband can and will respect and love always. ~Amen

Proverbs 14:1

2011-05-26T06:53:00.002-05:00

Scripture - The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down.

Observations - We should "build our houses" by building up those who live with in it. By learning/living the bible, we can become more like Christ and that builds us up. As we are built up, we start building up our husbands and our children. Or as we learn to be more like Christ and begin emulating him we will build up our husbands and children and that action will build us up spiritually. I am thinking about one of this week's questions in a Ministry of Motherhood: What plan do you think God had in mind when he designed the role of mother? I have been thinking about that for a couple of days and this morning's scripture has helped me. We are to be builders, building our home by building up those within it. If we are always nagging, complaining, grumbling then we are tearing down our house. Even if we do everything we are "supposed" to do in a day but we do it all with a negative attitude and a resentful heart, we are tearing down our house.

Application - Study what it means to be wise. Practice listening rather than talking. Pray faithfully and continually for wisdom. I want to start building my house, building up my own spirit by studying and doing what the Lord wants; my husband and my son will be strengthened by my faith and by my example and they will be built up as well.

Prayer - Lord, please have patience with me as I learn what it means to be wise. Please be with me, always whispering in my ear, reminding me to stop talking and to listen to what is being said to me. Please keep a prayer in my heart at all times so that I am always with you and thinking of you. And by talking to you at all times, may my actions reflect the peace I will have in my mind and heart.

Jack

Lord, teach Jack to value work and to work hard at everything he does, "as working for the Lord, not for men." (Col 3:23, Eph 6:7)

Col 3:22-24 - 22 Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters,t not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Eph 6:5-8 - 5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ,6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man,8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

Jason

Help Jason not to be anxious about money but to seek Your kingdom first. Help him to be a cheerful giver. (Luke 12:31, 2 Cor 9:7)

Luke 12:31 - 31 Instead, seek hist kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

2 Cor 9:7 - 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

31 days to clean Challenge

2011-04-29T15:03:00.000-05:00

A few months ago I ran across Courtney of Women Living Well's study of Proverbs 31. Since then I have been obsessed, devouring every blog I can find about how to be a better Christian, wife and mother; and actually attempting to put their advice into practice in my life.

I am ~~trying~~ learning to spend my days in prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). I'm still new at "praying continually" and haven't mastered it by any stretch of the imagination. I tend to get exasperated with my child easily and trying to remember to pray at all times is helping that...{some}.

I am learning to keep a cleaner house, and to have meals prepared for my husband when he arrives home from his long day at work. My meal planning is lacking at this time, but I'm working on it.

I am learning to rise earlier so that I can get a few things* accomplished before my son wakes for the day. *Things like studying the bible, reading encouraging blogs, etc.

I am learning to go to bed earlier so that rising earlier will be attainable.

And my most recent, and fun, project is the Homemaker's Challenge and the 31 days to clean. It begins on Monday and I can hardly wait! It will tie right in with everything else I'm trying to accomplish, and hopefully give me a strong starting point.

http://joyfulmothering.net/tag/31-days-to-clean/

A soy-free, vegan life?

2011-03-31T18:10:00.000-05:00

I might be going off on a new tangent for a while.

6 months ago we found out my son has allergies. Lots of allergies. He's allergic to milk, eggs, soy and peanuts. For the last 6 months I've wracked my brain trying (unsuccessfully) to think of things I can feed him. I didn't realize how many of his favorite foods had soy in them until he had a terrible "outbreak" of eczema a couple of months ago. I started reading labels like a mad woman and found soy in every last one of them. We've been pretty good at avoiding milk & eggs, and we avoid peanuts like the plague. But we hadn't been avoiding soy at all, even though I thought we had been. But I was running out of food ideas. I mean there's only so much oatmeal and tortillas with beans a kid can eat, right?

As I was surfing the web, looking at minimalist sites, I had a thought. VEGANS don't eat milk or eggs. So I started browsing vegan sites looking for recipes, only to be a bit disillusioned by the amount of soy, tofu, etc. After a few frustrated minutes, I finally decided to look up "soy free vegan" and I've had great luck finding LOTS of recipes. Thankfully for now, it looks like he won't have to go full vegan, since it seems that he can have meat. But I'm concerned that since most of our meat in this country is fed soy feed, there might be soy in the meat as well...a concern first presented to me by my sister. And after doing a little more research, I think that will be a question for the allergist.

In my research, I've also noticed that a vegan diet might be beneficial to me as well, since I have diabetes. I figure, I can start cooking some vegan meals and just adding a side of some type of meat to appease my husband.

An experiment

2011-03-18T01:07:00.000-05:00

I need to try something both for the sake of my budget and my health. I am going to attempt to give up Starbucks, maybe all coffee, and Diet Coke for a week (maybe more, we will see how this goes). I do have tea to use as a back up in moments of desperation. And I do like water, so that will help a bunch.

It's late. I hope I remember this in the morning.

3 Day Potty Training: Day 11

2011-03-15T19:39:00.000-05:00

Well, it took a little longer than 3 days, and I'm sure we will have some slip ups, but "we" have now officially pooped and peed in the potty on our own now.

I totally recommend this book & method to everyone! (this is not an affiliate link)

3 Day Potty Training: Day 2

2011-03-05T16:13:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we had 3 "successful" potty trips. We have had a bit of trouble keeping the flow inside the potty, but that is due to bad design on the training potty makers' parts (we've tried 2 different potty chairs with 2 different leaking problems). So far today we have only had 1 accident, and that was my fault, I got sidetracked and forgot to be by his side. We have even pooped in the potty 2x. Granted, he has only told me he needed to go a couple of times, I'm catching him in the act the rest of the time, but that is to be expected. I mean, today is only the 2nd day in his entire life that he's actually used the potty instead of his diaper. So I say WAY TO GO, SON!!! And I am currently loving this method.

3 Day Potty Training

2011-03-04T15:20:00.000-06:00

Ok. I've done it. I've begun the dreaded task of potty training. I had heard about the 3 day training methods. I almost bought one a year ago for $40. I held off because, well, it was $40. I looked again today and found a pdf copy of the 3rd edition of 3 Day Potty Training by Lora Jensen http://www.3daypottytraining.com/. (*This is a link to her website, not to the pdf copy I found since I'm not sure she authorized the pdf.) I have found her method to be straight forward and a lot less stressful than I expected, so we're going for it. So far DS has had 3 accidents today. They say to expect up to 20 today, and hopefully only half that tomorrow, and hopefully by Sunday only 1 or 2. So far he has also not successfully peed on the potty, and I didn't start first thing this morning, so he already had pooped in his diaper before I put big boy pants on him. So we will do the official throwing away of the diapers tomorrow morning. I will be not actually throwing the diapers away, I will make sure to have a clean empty trash bag in the can so that he can ceremoniously toss them in, but then when he's not looking I will put them in a box to be mailed to a friend of ours who has a younger son. I mean, it's $8 worth of diapers, I can't really see throwing them in the trash when we know people who are still using them. I am actually excited about this. And she recommends sleeping in his room with him so that we can continue training at night (going in and laying down after he is asleep so it's not a party)...so I'm hoping that over the next 3 days we can also get him sleeping in his own bed all night too. 2 birds with 1 stone. Wish us luck!!

Focus

2011-03-01T16:32:00.000-06:00

I think this may fall under a "what I want Wednesday" post even though it is only Tuesday.

As my recent posts probably betray, I am suffering from a lack of focus in my life. I have a ton of things I'd like to accomplish, and no real plan for how to do it.

I'd like to finish decluttering my home.
I'd like to lose 17 more pounds.
I'd like to complete the 100 push-ups challenge (not so much now that I've started trying)
I'd like to be a good Christian wife & mother. (Probably MOST important)
I'd like to blog more about important issues.
I'd like to be successful at project 333 (doing well, thankfully)
I'd like to be more frugal and cook healthy meals for my family
I'd like to "lose" my car (we live 1000 miles from nowhere, so probably won't happen)
I'd like to learn how to coupon
I'd like to start speaking like I'm not a bumbling idiot
...and the list goes on and on and on.

Just writing some of these things out, I see that some of them will piggy-back others, so hopefully making accomplishing them a bit easier.

My plan right now is to create a schedule that works for me. It may end up being a work in progress. And there are a couple of very important things I need to accomplish before the rest of the stuff starts falling into place. I need to get my son sleeping in his own bed so that I can get up early in the mornings and have time to work on my other goals without waking him up. And I need to get my son potty trained.

My blog may end up being more utilitarian than anything for a while, helping me to track my own progress. But ultimately I hope that if I can get the rest of this stuff in order I can take time to be creative with my writing.

Food Waste Friday

2011-02-26T23:16:00.000-06:00

As I sit here, trying to avoid bedtime (yes, adults do it too), I ran across a blogger who blogs about her weekly food waste. Ok so this is not as gross as it sounds. We're talking about that bit of soup you made last week that didn't get eaten, or that lettuce that went brown and watery. Basically any food that gets trashed for whatever reason...like the food on my husband's plate that he never eats because he thinks I should know by now how much food to serve him (I think he should just serve his OWN plate)...maybe I'll just start serving him half of what I would eat and letting him go back for seconds if he needs them. I really like the idea of reporting what I toss out. It should shame me into actually using/eating the food that I buy. I should list the contents of my freezer too...maybe I'll actually start cooking at home for a change.

A wasted life?

2011-02-25T22:57:00.002-06:00

2011.02.25 - I am having a crisis. My husband is asleep. My son is asleep. There's nothing new on TV. There are no recent status updates on Facebook. No one has sent me an email. I am for all intents and purposes, at this moment, alone. And tonight it is really bugging me. I have said before, I've been looking into minimalism. Many of the blogs I read recommend unplugging. A sabbatical from electronic gadgets and from being connected and reachable all the time. Some suggest doing it every weekend. I think I might need that. I am at a point where I don't know how to be alone with myself or my thoughts anymore. Having time to think is scary for me. I actually feel nervous right now; I honestly have a knot in the pit of my stomach. Which I'm sure is why I am writing right now instead of sitting quietly and listening to my inner voice. I rarely sit quietly. I occasionally turn off the TV, but never without the computer open or my phone in hand. *In the car, I rarely leave the radio off. I used to. I used to drive to work in silence, in the dark, before daybreak. It should have been peaceful. But even then, I would find myself getting tense and nervous, and realize that I had been holding my breath, breathing shallow breaths for most of the drive. Back then, I thought it was the drive making me tense. But now I realize it was the quiet. What a strange, sad world we live in where we can't stand silence, or peace, or darkness. I live in the country. When we are outside on a clear night we can see stars. So clearly. I can see more stars from my front porch than I have ever been able to see anywhere my whole life. And yet I don't look. I don't take the time to be quiet long enough to enjoy being able to see the heavens. What a waste of the beautiful life God has given me.
*2011.02.26 - in my original post, this sentence was not a link, but I found a blog post that was on that specific subject the next evening while I was reading.

Happiness is warm sourdough bread

2011-02-25T13:59:00.000-06:00

Yum. I just had a grilled cheese made with homemade sourdough bread, that I made myself (both the bread and the sandwich). It was pretty delicious even though it was made with plain old processed American cheese. I can't wait to try my next one made with some yummy expensive nice cheese...maybe some Havarti?

What do I Want?

2011-02-23T15:50:00.003-06:00

I am sitting alone in my living room, relishing the quiet time. I have time right now to focus on me, my home, my family, my life. I am trying to answer the question "What is it I want?" Thankfully I have recently figured out that what I want isn't material possessions. And for the most part, it isn't money. Obviously we need money to live, even modestly, so the desire to have enough money is still there. So while I have somewhat figured out what I don't want, I still need to figure out what I do want.

I want to have a purpose. As a wife and mother, I at least know part of my purpose. My purpose is to take care of myself so that I can take care of my spouse and my child. I know that includes preparing healthy meals, and keeping a clean and organized house. But is that my sole purpose? I don't know. Someday soon, my child will start school and then a big portion of his day will be filled by others. That leaves me 8 hours or more a day that I need to find a purpose outside of him, right? And what happens when he grows up and leaves home? Then while I'm sure I will still feel like I should be taking care of him, it will be someone else's responsibility. Hopefully his own. I hope that we raise him well enough that he can take care of himself so his future wife won't be overwhelmed by responsibility. So there, that is a big portion of my purpose. I have to teach my son how to run a household. Ha, if only I had that down so I could teach it to him. What does running a household entail? Cooking, Cleaning, Finances, Relationships. What else? Maybe I should learn. This will occupy a lot of my time for the next few years, I suppose. I guess part of my purpose is to learn it well, so that I can be a good teacher.

What do I Want?

2011-02-23T15:49:00.000-06:00

A couple of updates...

2011-02-22T15:49:00.000-06:00

I've got a few "irons in the fire" right now as far as life improvement projects. I am studying the woman described in Proverbs 31, because of that I am attempting to make keeping a cleaner, neater, happier home a priority and I am taking the no complaint challenge. I am on weight watchers. I am doing the Reverb 10 project. And today I started the 100 push-ups challenge.

Right now, I desperately need to clean my kitchen and fold a load of laundry. Thankfully both of those things can be done in about 30 minutes. I only had to reset my complaint timer twice yesterday; today has been a bit more challenging. I had to reset it 3 times at Walmart alone. Oops :) I have lost almost 12 lbs on Weight Watchers and have about 17 more to go. I am about to do my 3rd Reverb 10 post, right after I finish this update and kitchen/laundry project. And I did my initial test for the push-up challenge this morning. I technically could start on level 2, but since I did modified push-ups rather than "real" ones, I am choosing to start at level 1. I would rather build up my strength enough to do real push-ups. I think that would make me feel more confident in my ability to stick with something really challenging. Oh...and right now my TV is turned off! WooHoo, Go ME!!

That's it for the updates. Now it's time for me to go do something productive.

My Complaint Free World

2011-02-20T21:18:00.001-06:00

I complain too much...about everything. So I am going to stop. A few years ago I found a site called a complaint free world and I thought it was a great idea. See you get this bracelet (one those plastic colored ones, like the Lance Armstrong yellow one...only theirs is purple instead) and every time you complain, you move your bracelet from one wrist to the other. I haven't bought one of their bracelets yet, but I have one I can use for now. I've also downloaded an app...because "there's an app for that." It counts how many minutes (and hopefully hours and even days) you have gone without complaining. And it works kind of like the bracelet. When you catch yourself complaining, you click the "oops, I complained" button and your timer starts over. So far I have about 20 minutes. Yay me :) The idea is to get a full 21 complaint free days, since most experts agree that it takes 21 days to create a new/break a bad habit. And since complaining is a habit for most people, you have to replace complaining with not complaining. To help me out, I have looked up a few bible verses about why we shouldn't complain. I will be printing them out and taping them in conspicuous places so that I am reminded NOT to complain often. Wish me luck. This habit is ingrained in me deeply. I will try to remember to keep my reset tally updated on my blog. Hopefully I will see the number get larger and larger rather than being reset too often :)

Writing

2011-02-12T23:11:00.000-06:00

December 2 - Writing.
What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it?
(Author: Leo Babauta)

What I do each day that doesn't contribute to my writing...that doesn't contribute to my life in any way really, is turning on the television. I am addicted to it. I like to have, almost need to have, the distraction, the background noise, the flashing colors, the vicarious life of some fictional person, the babysitter.

Why? Why do I feel that I need that in my life? Habit? Maybe. Mental illness? Probably not in clinical terms, but maybe on some practical level. I find myself watching Grey's Anatomy and wishing I could be a doctor. Not because I really want to be a doctor, but because the characters make being a doctor look so easy, and it seems better than my boring housewife life. I think wanting the life of a tv character might classify as mental illness. And I think the majority of our society is suffering. I ran across a blog, I wish I could remember which one it was so I could link to it, talking about teenage girls who want to be Bella from the Twilight Saga, girls who want to be in a real romantic triangle between a vampire and a werewolf. TV, movies, society, they have glamorized these fictional villainous, dangerous characters to the point that we feel for them, love them. It makes me wonder what kind of real-life men these women will choose. Will they choose a dangerous good-looking man because in their delusion he is the "good vampire"?

All this being said, I don't know if I can turn it off. I have begun limiting myself. I try to turn it off when my son is napping and when he has gone to bed for the night. I know that's not enough. I still use it as a pacifier and a babysitter for my son, I mean how else will I get my morning bath without an audience? What a terrible habit for me to teach my 3 year old. I feel like a bad mother, but yet I can't seem to make myself leave it off. Maybe tomorrow I will start by turning it off for 30 minutes while he is awake and making him play in his room. Goodness knows he has enough toys not to be bored. Tonight I turned it off for a little while and he put together a 24 piece puzzle all by himself.

Can I do it? Yes, I'm sure I can. Will I do it? That is the real question. It will be difficult. Will I rise to the occasion and show that black box in my house who is boss? Well I know who is boss. It's time for me to get a promotion.

Reverb 10: February 2011 Prompt

2011-02-12T22:42:00.001-06:00

February Prompt:
One month into 2011, what question(s) are you living? Are there any prompts/questions that arose during #reverb10 that are still resonating in your life? Are you living new questions?

Wow, ok. So I can't actually answer this question because I haven't gone through all the prompts from 2010 yet. I guess I need to get high behind. I did the first prompt, One Word, in December. Then next prompt is Writing. I am supposed to eliminate something that I do each day that doesn't contribute to my writing. And for me since blogging is still a hobby and not a career (maybe someday?) And since this blog was started to remind me that happy things happen to me everyday, and focusing on my spirituality is helping me to notice those happy things, I need to eliminate something that doesn't contribute to expanding my faith. I know what that thing is. So now I just have to create the blog post about it. And be willing to follow through with eliminating it.

I am a Mrs. and proud of it

2011-02-11T23:16:00.001-06:00

Lately I find my internet searches being guided more and more to websites geared toward teaching women how to be good Christians. As I have said before I have become interested in minimalism, and I search a lot of sites trying to gain insight about it. Over the course of the last few weeks my search is taking me from minimalist sites to Christian women sites, sometimes even directly, through blog rolls. Tonight I happened upon a site that is anti-feminism. In the past, my husband and I have discussed at length our feelings about feminism. I have always joked that I am one of the biggest male chauvinists around. Don't get me wrong, I like to work. I really loved my job when I worked. But after our son was born, my whole perspective changed. I have been home with him now for about 3 years. I am not the best mom, or the best homemaker. I have a lot of work to do in my Christian walk. I can only hope that my husband, my son and God are patient with me while I'm learning.

These sites I am finding are encouraging me to be a better wife, mother, homemaker, Christian. I find the story of the Proverb's woman (Prov 31) very motivational. I find myself wanting to find ways to be more feminine. I am considering wearing skirts, which I have never been a huge fan of. But I feel pretty in them, on the rare occasion I do wear one. I also don't usually wear makeup, but I find myself considering that as well. Mind you, I don't mean "made up" just put together, like I actually care about myself and how I present myself to those around me.

One of the things that struck me when I was reading the anti-feminist blog I mentioned above, is that the ladies who founded it, refer to themselves as "Mrs. Such & Such" (of course they use their real names), as do many of their guest contributors. I hadn't really thought about it before, but I enjoy being Mrs Jennifer G. I love addressing envelopes for greeting cards and such that we send as a family. I love that we are Mr & Mrs JG & J (yes we all really have J names). I was giddy about it our first Christmas when I sent out cards and I assumed that feeling would go away over the years, but it hasn't. When my husband and I married, I chose to keep my maiden name as part of my legal name. It wasn't a feminist choice. I was adopted by my dad when I was 13, and I felt very strongly that I didn't want to lose his name after we had fought so hard for me to have it. But my my name is not hyphenated. My maiden name is just now my legal middle name.

I am grateful that the Lord works in mysterious ways. I am grateful that in looking for ways to find happiness and contentment in my life, I am being lead back to my faith. I am grateful that this blog is allowing me to share my journey.

What's next in 2011?

2011-01-24T14:26:00.001-06:00

I have been following some minimalist blogs for the last few months. As a result, my husband and I are in the process of pairing down our belongings. At this point we still have quite a long way to go. I love the idea of the 100 thing challenge, but for me right now it feels too daunting. I am doing Project 33:3 and it's working well for me. But one of the blogs I read posed the question of what comes next? And so now while I am not quite to where I want to be with my belongings, I really do want to ponder why I'm doing it. I know I'm not doing it because it's a popular fad, because I didn't know it was a popular fad until I started looking into it. I just knew I needed to get rid of some stuff that was emotionally weighing me down.

I love the idea of not being weighed down by possessions and being able to move around the world at the drop of a hat. But lets face it. I am a stay-at-home mom of a rambunctious 3 year old. There's no way I'd drag him off around the world because I wouldn't get to enjoy it for fighting with him. And besides, I like some of my stuff. I don't want to live like a hermit in my own home. I've seen pictures of some gorgeous minimalist homes and then I've seen pictures of places that look like the furniture came out of someone else's trash can. I think minimalism can be done to an unhealthy extreme.

I think ultimately what I'd like my life to be as a result of minimalism is less stressful. I want time to be a (happy) mom to my son. I want time to be a good wife to my husband. I want time to grow my relationship with God. I think what's next for me is working on being human. And that means taking time to interact with other humans, in reality (not on TV or Facebook or Twitter, etc). And if I'm not consumed with/by stuff I think that will be possible.

Resolutions

2011-01-22T23:09:00.000-06:00

I know I'm a little late, but I have a couple of resolutions for this year. I'm studying Proverbs 31 & Titus 2, and I'd like to become more like the women described there. I don't know if I have the fortitude for it, but I'm sure going to find out. As part of that I'm going to start waking up earlier in the morning (before my son, if possible), and going to bed earlier at night. I'd like to take my minimalism more seriously, and my husband is being very supportive so far. I'm working on our closet right now and we can see FLOOR!! I still have quite a way to go, but I'm excited.

That's it for now.
1. Stronger woman (better wife, mother & Christian)
2. Early riser (hopefully translating into more productive)
3. Minimize possessions

I think 3 is a short enough list to be doable.

Diggin' my floor registers

2011-01-14T22:42:00.000-06:00

We moved into our manufactured home right before summer 1 1/2 years ago. It has been my first experience with floor vents. In the VERY hot summer of 2009, I really didn't like them. And then it got cold; and AHHH!!! I could have warm feet for the first winter of my entire life, because I could stand directly on the hot air! I love it.

One Word

2010-12-31T19:05:00.003-06:00

If I were to pick one word to describe 2010, it would have to be encouragement. This year has been encouraging to me in so many ways. We have settled into our new home. We are beginning to see a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel in regard to our debt. I have embraced FlyLady and have begun being a better housekeeper. And I discovered minimalism, though we have not embraced that as much or as quickly as I would like.

I hope that the word I choose to describe 2011 will be spiritual. I have made an effort to turn off the TV. Though tonight I am choosing to use it as a babysitter; it seems to be having a calming effect on DS, in turn having a calming effect on me. With the TV off, I am able to focus more on my spiritual growth. I have been able to listen to some much needed sermons from our preacher at our last congregation. I have begun reading bible stories to my son. And one of my major goals for 2011 is to attend church more regularly.

I know this post is a little longer than my usual 5 sentences, but I guess occasionally we do have things to say that require more words :)

Happy New Year.

Reverb 10

2010-12-31T14:50:00.000-06:00

Last night while enjoying one of my new favorite pass times, reading minimalist blogs, I was directed to a site called Reverb 10. I was introduced to it very late in the game, but I'm going to try to go back and follow their prompts for the next month. Ideally I should have started this on Dec 1 and worked through today on it. It is supposed to help *us* learn from our past year and to carry this knowledge into the new year. I figure better late than never, and as it sounds like a useful resolution, wish me luck.

Gift

2010-12-30T23:51:00.001-06:00

What’s the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, I received this year?

Time with my son. So many mothers have to work outside the home and they don't get that time with their children. I don't know if my son is better off for my time or not. But just this week we have turned off the TV, and I am making an attempt to be a better Christian. I have faith that both of these things, the latter obviously being most important, will have a positive impact on our relationship.

How ever will we survive?!?

2010-12-26T22:07:00.000-06:00

DH & I decided, today, that we are going sans TV. I don't know if I can do it, but I intend to give it the old college try. DH doesn't think I can do it on my own, so he hid the remotes from me (I'm grateful because I probably would already have caved if I knew where they were...). I think we are all going to have some withdrawal issues (how are we going to watch the Spurs play?) Thankfully DS is accepting that the TV is not working and we've lost the remotes.

Declutter: Day 31

2010-11-09T22:10:00.000-06:00

I am ~~sad~~ embarrassed to say that I have gotten behind on my declutter plan. I do have a few things squirreled away in a "special" place in preparation for a trip to the thrift store. My goal tomorrow is to find at least 18 things (that's how many days-behind I've fallen) to either throw away or donate. I am trying to remember that my son's excessive toys don't count in my personal declutter challenge. Though with Christmas coming up we do need to clear out his less loved/played with toys...I am looking forward to tackling his toy room.

Are 5 lines enough?

2010-11-02T08:45:00.000-05:00

I'm following the example of a minimalist blogger I ran across, Leo Babauta. He advocates keeping email responses to a maximum 5 sentences, to keep to your point succinctly and not waste your recipient's time. I'm sure there will be times when 5 sentences will not cover a subject on my blog, but for now it's working for me. I haven't implemented it in my emails yet. I guess that will be my next challenge.

Is there life after the microwave?

2010-10-24T21:05:00.000-05:00

Our microwave oven died yesterday, in a fit of sparks and smoke (thankfully more smoke than sparks). Today I haven't missed the microwave part, but I have REALLY missed the toaster oven part. And the clock. My kitchen looks huge without it on the counter. What is a girl to do?

Decluttering: Day 5

2010-10-16T22:41:00.001-05:00

I have found that I do not wish to post about decluttering every day; so I won't. I'm also getting DS over a high fever, so decluttering and blogging have been pushed to the back burner. But I have gotten rid if a few more things: 2 picture frames, 2 serving spoons, some office supplies, and old "overnight bag", the knick-knacks that were being stored in that overnight bag, a clothes hamper, and a pair of socks with holes in the toes. I have also begun scanning my files and receipts, and I have a plan for scanning my photos so that I don't feel required to scrapbook them. It feels pretty great to have a plan and to be following through on it.

Decluttering: Day 2

2010-10-12T22:50:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I committed to decluttering 1 item every day for the next year. Since then I have tossed several bathroom items that were no longer necessary. I have also packed up a set of bath towels, 30 or so empty hangers, and a purse that I will never use (a "hand-me-down" from DMIL when she discovered it was too small for her) that will all be going to a thrift store whose proceeds benefit the animal shelter. I have several throw rugs that will be going as well; I washed them tonight to make sure they were not destined for the trash can. I can't wait to see what I find to toss/donate tomorrow.

Declutter: 365

2010-10-11T21:26:00.000-05:00

I recently read about an interesting decluttering method which is simply to rid yourself of 1 unwanted, unusable, or unloved item each day. The item could be as small as a pair of socks with a hole in the toe; but you make the choice to remove it from your space. Daily. If I make a conscious decision not to bring any new items in, at the end of a year I will have 365 fewer possessions. I think I have to try this method.

Chili's

2010-10-09T20:23:00.000-05:00

Today we went to Chili's. Ok, DS3 thought we were going to Chili's; but we actually went to a chili cook-off that our friend was cooking in. We had a great time with old friends and met a few new ones too. DH even got to be a judge. We can hardly wait for the next one; maybe tomorrow?

I survived day 1. Woo Hoo!!!

2010-09-03T22:23:00.000-05:00

2010 Sep 3

153.8

Today was Day 1 of my new lifestyle. It went pretty well. I watched what I ate, how much I ate and how often I ate; I tested my blood sugar with each meal. I didn't journal like I should have, but tomorrow is a new day.

I did a small resistance training session. I was going to do my walk video, but discovered it does not work without the remote control for my DVR. So DH and I are going to buy an inexpensive DVR for me tomorrow.

I am excited about this for the first time in a LONG time. I am going to be thin and healthy again.

Another Makeover...

2010-09-03T12:54:00.000-05:00

I have been holding onto 30 lbs of body clutter for 3 years. I am finally fed up with being uncomfortable in my own skin. So last night I took "before" pictures and this morning I started my new healthy lifestyle. I have set my weight watchers points to a level that I think I can maintain, and I am going to start using my "walk fit" videos every day. I will also start my resistance training. I will take new pictures each time I have a 5 lb loss. My hope is to be close to (if not at) my goal by New Year's day. I was diagnosed with diabetes about a month ago, so I have already cut out sugar, but carbs seem to still be a problem for me. Therefore I am limiting my carbs to keep my blood sugar at a healthy limit. My goal is to not let my blood sugar go over 140. It may be difficult at first, but I know I will feel so much better for it.

Here are my before pictures and an outline of my plan:

Main goal is to lose 30 lbs by New Year.

**Take new pics every 5 lbs**

Get diabetes under control:

1. healthy diet

**Weight Watchers, 24 pts a day plus 35 weekly**

a. no sugar

b. no or low carbs (no more than 15 gm per meal)

c. more fruit and veggies

d. lower fat protein

e. drink more water (at least 9 glasses a day)

2. exercise

a. walking outside or video EVERY DAY

b. resistance training 3x a week

3. LOSE WEIGHT - should come from measures above

Do redheads have more fun?

2010-08-25T15:07:00.001-05:00

So the change isn't as striking as I had hoped for, but it is a change. I think I like it. I hope Hubby does too. Next up, new haircut. When? Who knows!

Me Before

Me After

Structure: What's That?!?

2010-08-03T23:48:00.000-05:00

For the last few days I've been trying to get DS on a schedule. I am a sahm and I've gotten very lax about things like naps, bed times, meal times, etc. DS is showing this lack of control in his personality/behavior. I don't want him to be cranky like me, so I'm working on this.

My first goal is to get DS to sleep in his own bed. He will nap in his bed, but sleeping at night has become a "living room ritual." I have established 8:45pm as his bedtime for now. When we get the hang of it, I may move it back to 8:30pm. I can't do much earlier because we go to church on Wed nights and it doesn't let out until 8pm. I have also established 1pm as nap time. I haven't been very good at that one yet, and today even though he was in his room for 1 1/2 hrs, he did not sleep.

Once I get nap and bedtimes established, my second goal is regular meal times. My plan is to feed him 45 mins to an hour before bed. This should also cut down on the amount of milk he is drinking. I figure, milk with meals; water or apple juice between. Which hopefully means he will eat more food instead of substituting with milk.

My 3rd goal is to introduce new, healthier meals in an attempt to broaden his palate. Right now he likes fish sticks, dry toast (go figure), flour tortillas, oatmeal, bananas, strawberries, teddy grahams, graham crackers, club crackers and "hot chocolate" (which is 8 oz milk with 1/4 tsp of ovaltine heated in microwave for 30 sec). He loves McDonald's chicken nuggets, but I've recently heard disturbing things about their ingredients, so those are off the menu forever more. Occasionally he will eat scrambled eggs, bacon, grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken nuggets, chips with bean dip, plain white rice and certain gerber graduate meals. Rarely we can sneak in a pbj sandwich. He absolutely abhors dry cereal with milk. He gags at the thought. He used to like veggies, but now he is picky about the ones he eats. Spinach, green beans and peas are among the few he will eat. Sometimes cooked carrots and corn are OK. Wow, that's quite a few things to choose from. That gives me some options :)

Next month: Lose the pacifier

October: Potty Training, maybe.

Donkey Face

2010-06-21T00:47:00.000-05:00

Today was a challenging day. DS woke up with attitude and he had it all day. The little donkey face even tried to bite me at church this morning. But after church we went to lunch to celebrate Father's Day, and he did really well. He even fed himself so I was able to enjoy eating my lunch. We drove around a bit hoping he would nap, but he didn't fall asleep until we were almost home and then was wide awake as soon as I took him in the house. So we watched some cartoons and played a little and then we went to the bookstore. It's his new favorite place. While we were there he tripped and fell right onto the corner of a table they had. He cried and his forehead bled something fierce. But we took him to the emergency clinic and he didn't need stitches or even any of that glue stuff. WHEW!!! Poor little guy was hungry before we took him to the bookstore, and because he fell, he didn't get dinner before the dr appt either. So I know he must have been starving after the appointment was over, but he fell asleep before we got to Whataburger to pick up food. He's been asleep now for over 4 hrs. We have checked him for responsiveness, just in case of concussion, but Dr didn't think we had anything to worry about there (I didn't either, but it was good to have her confirm it). I think my DH (dear hubby) was more upset than DS. But tonight we are all settled in and getting ready for our coming week.

VBS begins for DS tomorrow. I think he will really enjoy it. And I can get some work done around the house while he is there, too :)

Yellow is my favorite.

2010-06-18T08:47:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we went to DS’s favorite store, Walmart. I decided that I would like to paint my nails, so we went down the makeup aisle. As I was choosing my polish color, DS stated, “Yellow is my favorite.” As I was telling him that they didn’t have yellow nail polish, I noticed that Walmart does indeed carry yellow nail polish. So to make my little DS happy, we now have sunny yellow fingernails.

Happy Day! Happy Day!

2010-06-16T23:19:00.000-05:00

My son's favorite new favorite thing is to say, "Happy day, happy day." And then follow that up with the question, "What kind of day is it?" So I am going to follow his lead. Today was a happy day, happy day. We started our day in a good mood, with pleases and thank yous being offered without prompting.

I woke up with a craving for Chick-fil-A. So I got up and got dressed, kicked off a load of laundry, and we got on our way. Chick-fil-A was horribly crowded, so we almost went through the drive-thru instead of fighting for a seat inside. But my 2 y.o. son, who rarely gets to go out to play, convinced me to stay and eat there. After we ordered we proceeded to look for an open table. There were none, so a sweet older couple who were sitting at a decent sized table let us sit with them. DS (dear son) was very good while they were finishing up their lunch and stayed in his seat without fighting, while I ate my lunch. He even managed to take a few bites of his own lunch. After lunch, I decided we'd try their play area. We had so much fun there, DS was great with the other kids. And while he did get a little upset when it was time to leave, I reminded him that if he was good and acted like the big boy he is as we were leaving, that his reward would be getting to play again another time. That worked and we got into the car without too much drama.

DS slept for most of the ride home, and then for about an hour after we arrived home. I enjoy his naps for the most part, though they typically mean a later bedtime for him that night. And tonight was no exception. But I jump ahead of myself.

After DS's nap, he was in a good mood. I didn't get much done around the house, but decided I'd rather have a happy kid than a clean house. So "we" played in his toy room and then we went outside and blew bubbles, tossed rocks, flew a paper airplane and watered his pumpkin.

Tonight we went to bible class. We were very late (as usual), but we got to enjoy it anyway. DS got a good report from his teacher. And afterward, he got to play outside on the jungle gym for a little while.

We went to Dairy Queen for dinner/dessert with some friends. He had a rough time sitting in his seat there, but did fine after I put him in a highchair. Once he was "contained" I got to have a nice visit with our friends.

Now I need to clean my kitchen and fold some clothes. It is late, but DS is finally asleep, so I have a few minutes to get my stuff done before it is my bedtime.

Today really has been a happy day, happy day.

Oh...I almost forgot. The happiest news of all. My brother-in-law and his wife had a healthy baby girl this evening! Welcome to the family, Molly June!

What's it all about?

2010-06-16T22:52:00.000-05:00

I think this entry will be a type of brain-storming session for myself, as I haven't completely decided how to set up this blog, yet.

I have a terrible attitude most of the time so my goal is to remind myself that good things happen everyday. I figure if I take the time to think about, and write down, these good things, I can change my own attitude for the better. I don't know if this will be in outline or paragraph form. I'd like to practice my creative writing and communication skills at the same time, so paragraph form will probably be the route I choose.

I subscribe to Pam Young's Innerkiddies (www.innerkiddies.com) newsletter. Each day she sends out a different quote or saying. I also like the idea of writing about what those quotes mean to me.

As I sit here trying to decide on how to get started, my "stinkin' thinkin'" is starting up. So I guess that means I should stop thinking about how to do this and just do something.

Tune into my next entry to see what exciting, fun and good things happened today.