Compelled to Cook May 30, 2009

Before leaving for my almost week-long training in Michigan, I made a scrumptious breakfast casserole.  The kind that everyone in my family will eat. There are never any leftovers.  The children sing my praises when I bring out this dish.  I feel so accomplished as a homemaker when all of the food is gone.

The morning I was leaving, I scurried around and got myself packed, Meredith to volleyball camp, Locke was at a friend’s house, and Barrett was at work.  Scott was at home getting ready to go to his office and had just finished a bowl of cereal.  Now what should I do?

There were clothes that needed folding, the dishwasher needed unloading, and a few other household chores that needed attention in the 30 minutes I had left before I needed to leave.

I fixed a beautiful breakfast casserole.

I can’t explain it. There was no one at home to eat it.  It was an emotional need of mine to cook.  I was compelled to cook.  I had to laugh when it finally hit me, I was cooking this for me, though I wouldn’t eat a bite.   Hopefully, someone will heat it up while I’m away.

If they go hungry while I am gone, it’s not my fault.  There is a lovely, cold egg casserole in the fridge.

Staying Connected to My Values May 29, 2009

I value health, but I eat too many sweets and let my exercise slide. I value reading the Bible, but have to be very deliberate to read daily. I value eating together as a family, but struggle to make it happen. I value a clean house, but….

Losing sight of what is important is so easy to do. Priorities can get shoved to the side and ignored in lieu of pressing needs and urgent demands.

Staying connected to my priorities can be difficult. I’m pretty good at articulating what is important to me, but I’m not as consistent in living those priorities out. It’s not always easy to make decisions based on my stated priorities.

Try these scenarios out and see if they might help you stay connected to your priorities.

Scenario 1:

You are given 5-10 years to live. What would you change?

Not much. I am grateful for the path my life is taking.

Scenario 2:

Money is no longer a hindrance. You have plenty of money. How would you live differently?

Housekeeper would come twice a week, maybe three times.

Family vacation for a week…I could play with this idea a while!

I don’t know if I would quit work. Now that’s a revelation! A really good thing to know about myself. I really like what I do and I think it is good for my family… I don’t have it all hammered out, but intuitively, I believe the positives outweigh the negatives.

Scenario 3:

You are told that you will die tomorrow. What are your regrets?

Missed opportunities to honor and bring glory to God.

Not a Dress! May 22, 2009

Meredith’s 6th Grade Promotion was last night and she did not want to wear a dress.  I decided it wasn’t worth fussing about, so I was resigned to her wearing pants.  Then I thought of one more possibility…  Yesterday afternoon, I took her shopping.

I don’t shop much, especially not with kids.  I’ve never really liked it.  I hate the cold sweat from spending too much money.  I hate trying on ill-fitting clothes.  I hate being faced with the non-model 5’5” body.

So, unless I’m having an I-feel-skinny day, I’d rather not go shopping and have to face the cold, hard facts.

However, this might be the ticket for Meredith, who loves to shop.  She loves to look at jewelry, scarves, shoes, clothes….for her or anyone!  She has nearly as much fun shopping for someone else as she has shopping for herself.

We went into Cato’s.  I never go to Cato’s.  But sure enough, there were some brightly colored clothes she was more than happy to try on.  She chose some she liked and then went straight to the shoes and then to the jewelry.

Yeah!  She wore a skirt for promotion.  I was so happy.  Perhaps we need to shop more often!

Facebook Friendships May 20, 2009

Do you have a Facebook account? Do you facebook people? What is it about Facebook that draws so many of us?

What are some things that you like about Facebook? What are some negatives associated with the social network site?

Analyzing FB seems daunting because it is so complicated, but there is an aspect of “Speed Friendships”. We ache for friends but are pressed for time. We want connections, but not risks of rejection. We want to be involved with people, but that gets messy. Don’t call, you might get stuck on the phone. Facebook them, and then at your convenience, respond…quickly, neatly, and efficiently.

I have heard the time in which you are Facebooking called “nearly now”. You are not really in the present, but neither are you in the past. It’s just “nearly now”. Nearly Now has no pressures. It’s not risky. You won’t be put on the spot. You have time to formulate your response. You have time to formulate how you are perceived. You have much more control. It’s not messy.

People are messy. Relationships are messy.

Just a thought….

Walking with the Creator May 19, 2009

From Psalm 138:

⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes,
with your right hand you save me.

⁸ The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your love, O LORD, endures forever—
do not abandon the works of your hands.

The Lord is with me in the midst of my troubles.  He will fulfill his purpose for me.  What an awesome God!

He cares about me.  He loves me.  I matter to God….The God of the universe…these thoughts are too great to wrap my mind around.  I am not walking in this world alone.  I walk with the Creator.

Not Everyone Gets a Trophy May 18, 2009

I would much prefer winning to losing, but I believe more is learned from losing than from winning.  At least, that is how I have consoled myself after some heartbreaking loses.  In athletic competitions, the heartbreaks are usually short-lived, but oh, so intense!

Amy

I lost again on Saturday at our horse show.  Losing in that arena is not placing in the top 5.  It’s disheartening to lose time and time again.  I find myself approaching show day feeling defeated before we ever enter the show ring.  Then afterwards talking myself back into the confidence I find in riding, learning from the horse, teaching him, and caring for him.

Meredith got 2nd on my horse and then 4th in a speed event with her favorite horse.  Meredith placing is much sweeter than placing myself!

And yet….I still want to hear my number called.

Meredith

I got a glimpse of how some children must feel about school.  They enter those huge front doors feeling defeated before the day even begins.  When I feel defeated, I have the emotional and cognitive ability to talk myself through it and get over it.  Most children don’t have that capacity.  I’m not sure I would have it day after day after day.

I have never bought into the idea that everyone on every team at every competition should get a trophy, but neither should we subject children to constant defeat.

The answer lies somewhere  in the adult world of balancing challenges with successes, positives with negatives,  and security with risk.  We have to help our children experience success without keeping them from facing risks and real loses.

__________

Yeah for the filly!  Rachel Alexandra is the first filly to win the second leg of the Triple Crown in 85 years!  I love it!

Don’t Pay Attention to Every Word May 15, 2009

Words can hurt so deeply.  There are times when I have been too sensitive to what other people say.  I want to heed Solomon’s advice in Ecclesiastes.

²¹ Do not pay attention to every word people say,
or you may hear your servant cursing you-

²² for you know in your heart
that many times you yourself have cursed others.  Ecclesiastes 7

He’s right.  I have said bad things about others and meant no harm.  I may just spout off thinking something is witty or fits with the moment.  Sometimes I am hurt or frustrated.  I would prefer not to hear what others say of me when they are under pressure.

I resolve to not pay attention to everything people say.

Thankful Thursday May 14, 2009

A list of things I am thankful for today:

• children’s curiosity and desire to learn
• sunshine
• rain
• Barrett -  wrote me a letter of gratitude
• work
• growing children
• summertime
• my car
• bedtime
• flowers in the evening
• birds in the morning
• dry home
• the wind in the trees
• the break the weekend brings
• grace
• love
• Scott
• my parents
• Locke
• Meredith
• church family
• time – nothing stays the same, for good or bad

Praise the Lord.  Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love endures forever.  Psalm 106:1

Tuesday Evening at Armstrong Springs May 13, 2009

Scott and Meredith went to the saddle club meeting, but I really wanted to stay home. So I took some pictures of the evening.

A Lamp Unto My Feet May 12, 2009

Finally, I have caught up with my Bible reading.  Now, I am determined not to get behind again.

I want to hide his word in my heart. I want to meditate on his law.  I want to fill my mind with his words.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”  Psalm 119:105

I need a lamp and a light.