I don’t normally make New Year’s resolutions that I take very seriously. Last year I swore I would quit buying clothes for myself at Wal-Mart and make an effort to purchase clothes that didn’t look like I had either just rolled out of bed or was headed to the gym. And I did it. I made a conscious effort to get dressed every day. After having three babies in four years, I felt like I was really accomplishing something by wearing real clothes. This year, my goal was more serious. After the chaos that ruled my life in 2010, I was ready to be more focused. I wanted this year to be a year of purpose, direction and thoughtfulness in every area of my life. Instead of life spinning me around like a blindfolded kid at a birthday party, playing Pin The Tail on The Donkey, I wanted to be focused and present in every moment of my life. I wanted to stop multitasking so much and pay full attention to each task that needed to be accomplished. For example, instead of writing on my laptop outside … [Read more...]
Christmas Blahs
I've got a case of the Christmas Blahs. It's more than that really. I don't know how to say this without sounding like a totally ungrateful brat but, my kids have too much. We aren't rich by this country's standards. My husband has a good job and my freelance gigs are enough to put gas in my car... every once in awhile, but still my kids have so much stuff. Their drawers are stuffed full of clothes and their closets are bursting forth. I am equal parts humbled, overwhelmed by God's blessing and simultaneously disgusted by the excess. We don't do a whole lot for Christmas. My kids know that Santa isn't real and their gifts are reasonable. But once they get gifts from us, from my parents, from the in-laws...it's just so much. I'm thankful that they have so much but like my friend Whitney said in her blog post on the same subject, was writing if we have to get rid of toys to make room for more stuff is that a good thing? What are we doing to our kids? I tell my kids 'No' on a … [Read more...]
Quiet Time
I grew up “in the church.” I don’t remember a time in my life when I ever doubted that God existed and that He loved me. But I was in college before I had an authentic realization of who God was to me and that I was utterly useless without Him. That is when I began to seek a relationship with the Lord on my own and wondered what His plans were for me. I started going to Bible study groups and attempting to read my Bible on my own. It was enlightening and simultaneously foreign. I was surrounded by people speaking in code: quiet time, meditation, seeking the Lord (did He go somewhere?), walking with Him (where were we going?) I was a bit overwhelmed, but there was no way I was going to look like an idiot by opening my mouth to ask someone what these words and phrases actually looked like in their daily lives. Quiet time and meditation were totally alien concepts. For one thing, I’m a talker. I probably even talk in my sleep. Sitting still and waiting for God to “speak” seemed … [Read more...]
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