The identity crisis

For most of us, we sometimes feel that somewhere between the altar and our ever after that we have lost our Identity. We Have to make choices that involve more than just ourselves. We have to grow up.
And honestly, being a grown up, isn't always all it's cracked up to be. Life in the adult world is crazy. And to add to it, you lost yourself to the wants and needs of others. Careless days, a thing of the past.
Here are a few must haves to keep us sane.
1. Bubble baths. Not only are they awesome, but they help to release tension as well. At least one every two weeks.
2. A hobby. Something that you love to do. Something just for you.
3. Date night! You don't need a sitter to have date night. Feed the kids early and make a candle light dinner to share with your husband.
4. Joy and hope. When you are exhausted with life grab hold to joy and hope. Remember HIS joy comes in the morning.
These are just some quick home remedies for us to connect and get back to ourselves.

I know as a whole our "me time" us about 15 minutes a day.

Also, I am not a big advocate for "me time". We rarely get out and when we do it's usually together. I'm happy with that. I have dreams and ideas I hold on to for when my kids are grown. Then, I can have my me time. Until then I will rely on bubble baths and chocolate.

Doh!!

5. CHOCOLATE! How could I forget chocolate, oooh and
6.....the occasional retail therapy visit.
And........
Fill in the blank.

-- Post From My iPhone



-- Post From My iPhone

Loopty loop

Yesterday I was cruising down the road of life. Listening to my driving music and dancing with joy. Then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, I got thrown for a loop.
Life, as I know it, may never be the same.
It doesn't matter what road you travel, eventually, we all wind up in the same spot. Lifes roads are full of dead ends, road blocks, and pot holes. And navigating through them is almost impossible. But we manage on a day to day basis.
Yesterday, my road came to a halt. It is a road I have been on for Years and years, a branch of a road that belonged to someone else. My soul sister. Now, she is lying lifeless in an ICU and I am staring down the road of life that was OURS. This stretch of land belonged only to us. It was things we have experienced and been through. Places where my road or hers became one because we have been so dependent on each other. Or places where the sun shone blissfully because she was always the bright spot in my dark days.
Yes, I have been thrown for a loop of massive porportions. I am traveling upside down because my life flipped topsy turvey.
We are human. We weren't meant to be able to navigate through the times and the seasons of life alone. So naturally, we cling to other humans. Humans who are just as beautifully messed up as we are. Then one day, they are gone (or on the fence of life and death) and we are left alone. Trying to navigate our way through life. Looking for some sign that everything will be okay again.
The lesson that I have been taught through this wild ride is that we are meant to love each other but our only long lasting ally is God. We are made weak, so he can make us strong. People will walk in and out of our lives and He remains steady. Through rain and tears he stands strong. Loving us all the while.
He doesn't navigate us over the hurdles of life. He runs through with us, cheering us on. He walks with us. He drives with us and sets our paths on the right course when we are off track.
The reason we are so drawn to depend on other humans is to teach us that there are none who won't let us down. We learn this to understand where our hope and direction really come from.

My life has taken a different direction from the route I was on. The road is long and difficult, but I can already see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's far off and hard to see. But He has set a path before me and I will travel it.
No matter what happens I know that my best friend and I's path will meet again. My HOPE has promised me that.
So for now, I trudge along the road he has placed me on. Tired and weary from all the pain. But I know there is something wonderful just beyond one of these hills and I'm going for it. Because my heart, my faith, my trust, and my hope are all in my Navigator.
He sees me. He knows me. And he loves me. And no matter what else is going on, that has to be enough.
-- Post From My iPhone

Slow down!!

What's up with the fast paced hustle and bustle of life? The constant rush to get ahead? And not just in adults but also in children.
Why do we feel it is so important to make them grow up so quickly. Why can't we just be content to let them be little?
We live in a different age than when I was a kid and we could roam the streets safely. Where we could leave the doors unlocked and rest easy. The world is set in a downward cycle and the crimes have worsened to a sickening level.
Sure, we should educate our children and teach them to be safe, but it is our job to keep them safe. More than that it is our job to make them feel secure.
The bible says to train your children in the way you want them to go. I have strong convictions in raising my children. And letting them be little. The world is a nasty place but home shouldn't be. Here are a few basic guidelines to raising your children with moral values, while letting them choose who they want to be.
1. Teach them to look in the mirror and say "I am beautifully and fearfully made. ". Holy cow! We were made by the creator of the entire universe and he took the time to make each and everyone special. We shouldn't look in the mirror and feel pressure to be someone we aren't. We should be proud of who we are and stand firm on the ROCK that created us.
2. Don't keep up with the fads. Kids have to learn to go against the grain instead of struggling
To fit in. They will develop their own interests and likes and be strong and firm in them.
3. Play with them. Get loose and silly every once in a while. Let them be silly! Let them get dirty!
4. Teach your children, especially your daughters, the value of modesty. Our body is a temple. A temple to and from God, not a temple for man to gaze at. Teach them when they are young how to dress appropriatly. They can still look plenty cute and not have a ton of skin showing.
5. Grace, grace, grace! Everyone messes up. It's part of learning to be an adult. But just like God to us, our grace and mercies should start fresh each day. We can't hold onto anger.
My big thing with this is to ask myself "Is this really going to make a difference in 10 years?". Or "Will I even remember this in 10 years?". If the answer is no, let it go.
6. Love them like there is no tomorrow. If tomorrow doesn't come, do they know how much they mean to you? Compliment them constantly. Love them unabashedly.
7. Be open and honest with them. If they have a question, answer it honestly (or as age appropriatly as you can). Never. Ever. Lie. To. Your. Children. Build a trust while they are young that develops into a deeper trust as they grow.
8. Teach them the traits of a strong man/woman. Grace, humbleness, strength, courage, honesty, and optimism. No matter what life throws at them they will persevere.
9. Pray for them. Pray for their health, safety, and faith. Pray for their future spouses. Pray! Pray! Pray!
Above all, remember these beautiful blessings were bestowed upon you so you could raise them up to be what HE wants them to be.
Just like there is no such thing as a perfect adult, there us no such thing as a perfect child. We were made by a loving and wonderful
GOD, not a factory assembly line. It is through our imperfections that his perfection is clear. Have a little faith, and let them be little.


-- Post From My iPhone

Wives encourage each other

I don't know what happened but somewhere we started to compete with each other. We tear each other apart instead of edifying one another.
Some work. Some don't. Some have to. Some of us are naturally little Betty Crockers and Suzie Homemakers. There's no reason to judge one way of life above another. There's no reason to have harsh words. How could someone possibly be offended that as a wife and as a woman we will do whatever we have to do.
I have a ton of respect for the working wife!! I honestly can't fathom how she does it. But I also have a ton of respect for the stay at home wife.
It's irrational to me that people fight over such petty things. Things which quite honestly, are not their place to judge. I'm not a 50's woman, waiting hand and foot on my husband. I do not oblige his every whim. I'm a modern woman, capable of thinking independently and making my own decisions.
On the other hand I'm not a driven, corporate woman. I'm somewhere in the middle.
Here are some rules to apply if you for some reason are offended by the lifestyle of another wife......
1. Shrug it off. To each their own, right.
2. Mind your manners. If you don't have something polite to say, don't say nothin at all.
3. Sit on your hands. Especially if you are on the computer. No need to dawn on your dragon Internet personality and go to town.
4. Remember, even though we do it differently, we all have the same goal.
Above all, I just thank God for how different he made us. We were all wonderfully and fearfully created. With tools planted in
Our hearts and our minds to fulfill our own destiny's, which were also created wonderfully. Live your life with passion, grace, and dignity and pass it along to others. There are plenty of speed bumps and dead ends on the road called life without the mud slinging and nastiness. Lift each other up!!!



-- Post From My iPhone

A day in the life of me

A normal day, in the Lucky kingdom, would look something like this:
First, me and hubby wake up. I run downstairs to make coffee, clean up the family living room, and unload the dishwasher. I make hubby a cup of coffee and meet him in our bedroom ( I don't drink coffee, but if desperate enough will have a cup of Earl Grey or breakfast tea.) Here I do a quick clean. Make/strip my bed and clean off the dressers and night stands.
2. I wake up the kids and they do their chores while I shower, dress, and tidy up the bathroom. I run through and check the chores and grab cups to start a load in the dishwasher (which we just recently got and I ADORE).
3. Breakfast and breakfast clean up.
4. We start school. We do it til about 11:30 and then clean up for....
5. .....lunch and lunch clean up. They have an hour between 12 and 1 to eat and play.
6. Finish school. Anywhere between 1-4 we are done, depending on what we are doing.
7. Free time. We can play together or just chill out until dinner.
8. Dinner and dinner clean up.
9. Kids take baths and decide what they are doing for the night. Watching tv/a movie with us? Playing a board game? Playing by themselves?
10. At 8 pm. The kids are shooed off so we can have a few hours of hubby and wife time.
11. Bed time.

I have daily goals to go along with each day:
Monday-laundry day. Everyone gets new linen today.
Tuesday- trash day/ kitchen clean. This way any funky things found can go out with the trash.
Wednesday-office day/big house clean. I tackle paperwork and desktop dust once a week.
Thursday- bathroom or bust day.
I call it that because it is one of my least favorite chores but it has to be done!
Friday- errand/field trip day.
Saturday- big clean number 2 and family fun day.
Sunday- the bare minimum/ big dinner day.

And then to make things more
complicated I have daily chores. Things that must be done every day, except bare minimum day:
1. 4 loads of laundry.
2. Deep clean one room.
3. Grade papers.
4. I have a daily honey do item. I ask. What can I do for you while you are working today? If he doesn't have anything I will try to do something special to show I was thinking of him.
5. Momma loves time. At least 10
Minutes a day with each child of one on one time.
6. What's tomorrow. Breakfast? Lunch? Dinner? School? Appointments? I make sure I am all ready for the next day.
7. Devotion time. I will either read a Christian book (I love Beth Moore, frank peretti, and stormie) or a daily devotion. Some days I might even have time to do both. Lol.

That's the basic outline but of course things get juggled around from day to day, but at least when I wake up in the morning I think I know what to expect.


-- Post From My iPhone