It appears that I have the attention span of a flea or a gnat or some other buzzing, hovering bug that flits fast from one place to another. Is it my ADD? Have I nurtured this problem by surfing Facebook and Pinterest for fast images and information and for a wonderful way to waste time?
I'd like to get back into writing this blog. As some of you know, I had a previous blog for about five years in which I wrote at least half a dozen posts each month. A lot of things have changed for me in the past two years and I am working on just being whole, healed, and at rest in the arms of Jesus.
I gave up writing my blog and I gave up reading other blogs. Information overload of a different kind.
Now I want to just write. Poems, lines of prose, dreams, fears, hurts, stories....But it is not coming easily to me. Nor are my other plagues such as a consistently clean and organized house. Nor is my favorite hobby of reading.
So, this is it for today. Hopefully, I will be heard from again in sooner than four months.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Past My Bedtime
Shhh...it's 9:38pm and it's past my bedtime. Hubby usually calls bedtime for everyone at 9pm because, well, HE has to wake so early in the morning for work. But it is summer, after all, and we are changing up the routine a little. Our son is currently in the den spending time with our other family, the Robertsons. You know, from Duck Dynasty. No matter that Papaw Phil and Uncle Si have told him all those stories a dozen times by now.
Myself, I'm not sleepy. I think I may or may not have had 2 or 3 naps today, helped along by thunder and pouring rain. Several quite soothing storms that rocked me to sleep like a baby.
"I need to write, I need to write, I need to write....." said the exhausted 41-year-old mother of the teenager. I've never gotten the hang of handling life easily, of caring for others and a home and myself all with perfect balance. So the home and self slide until we are quite messy.
But others tell me I cannot allow myself to get overwhelmed. When I find it happening I have to ask myself what the benefit of it is.
I have to get in touch with my Natural Child and when I do, I will be closer to who I was always meant to be.
I have to take care of myself with enough food and sleep and plenty of time for play, which for me is reading. If I'm having trouble reading, it's a big indicator something is wrong.
Son will be headed off on a mission trip in two weeks. Husband and I are heading off for a little getaway of our own, where we can hike to waterfalls and fish and swim and go to museums when we are dry and try at least one swanky restaurant, eating mostly out of our refrigerator in our hotel room. We will in our room early each evening to stretch out on the king-size bed. Hubby to no doubt watch some sports on TV. And me to read and write and try to get back in the swing of life.
Such are the things of dreams and disturbances. Things that keep me awake and things that lull me to sleep.
Myself, I'm not sleepy. I think I may or may not have had 2 or 3 naps today, helped along by thunder and pouring rain. Several quite soothing storms that rocked me to sleep like a baby.
"I need to write, I need to write, I need to write....." said the exhausted 41-year-old mother of the teenager. I've never gotten the hang of handling life easily, of caring for others and a home and myself all with perfect balance. So the home and self slide until we are quite messy.
But others tell me I cannot allow myself to get overwhelmed. When I find it happening I have to ask myself what the benefit of it is.
I have to get in touch with my Natural Child and when I do, I will be closer to who I was always meant to be.
I have to take care of myself with enough food and sleep and plenty of time for play, which for me is reading. If I'm having trouble reading, it's a big indicator something is wrong.
Son will be headed off on a mission trip in two weeks. Husband and I are heading off for a little getaway of our own, where we can hike to waterfalls and fish and swim and go to museums when we are dry and try at least one swanky restaurant, eating mostly out of our refrigerator in our hotel room. We will in our room early each evening to stretch out on the king-size bed. Hubby to no doubt watch some sports on TV. And me to read and write and try to get back in the swing of life.
Such are the things of dreams and disturbances. Things that keep me awake and things that lull me to sleep.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
And All The Angels Sang "Summer!"
I have gone from pining for the season of spring to relishing the beginning of summer. That's what today is. I don't care what the calendar says. The last day of school always means the start of summer.
My body, mind, and spirit are limp with the relief of knowing there are fun and carefree days and nights ahead. No more homework. No more books. No more hearing about the Social Studies teacher with a bad case of what I like to call "Little Man Syndrome" who has been bullying my son. The five-foot-five inch teacher, age 35, who has been bullying my 5-foot-8 inch son, age 14 (as of yesterday).
Now, just sunshine and flowers and swims at the lake. Fresh peaches, blueberries, squash and corn. Long days and starry nights.
Of course, I'd like to have some kind of pattern and schedule so that we won't dissolve into chaos and grumpiness. Our days will have one hour of TV and more hours for books and imagination. We will rectify a failure of the public school system by teaching my son to write in cursive. Didn't you know cursive is, like, SO old-fashioned and passe'? Kids never have to read it because of computers and texts and stuff, they say. With the genius of that logic I foresee a day when letters and documents written in cursive will be viewed like ancient hieroglyphics and scholars will have to undergo rigorous, intense learning to be able to decipher them.
I'm going to read a lot. And keep the house clean. And cook. Meet friends at the coffee shop. Host sleepovers. Plan picnics and day trips. Try art journaling and maybe crochet. Find time to journal or write every day. Walk at the gym. Practice my Praise Moves, the Christian alternative to yoga. Settle into a warm, safe, and sleepy place of halcyon days and restful, dream-filled nights.
And blog more often.
My body, mind, and spirit are limp with the relief of knowing there are fun and carefree days and nights ahead. No more homework. No more books. No more hearing about the Social Studies teacher with a bad case of what I like to call "Little Man Syndrome" who has been bullying my son. The five-foot-five inch teacher, age 35, who has been bullying my 5-foot-8 inch son, age 14 (as of yesterday).
Now, just sunshine and flowers and swims at the lake. Fresh peaches, blueberries, squash and corn. Long days and starry nights.
Of course, I'd like to have some kind of pattern and schedule so that we won't dissolve into chaos and grumpiness. Our days will have one hour of TV and more hours for books and imagination. We will rectify a failure of the public school system by teaching my son to write in cursive. Didn't you know cursive is, like, SO old-fashioned and passe'? Kids never have to read it because of computers and texts and stuff, they say. With the genius of that logic I foresee a day when letters and documents written in cursive will be viewed like ancient hieroglyphics and scholars will have to undergo rigorous, intense learning to be able to decipher them.
I'm going to read a lot. And keep the house clean. And cook. Meet friends at the coffee shop. Host sleepovers. Plan picnics and day trips. Try art journaling and maybe crochet. Find time to journal or write every day. Walk at the gym. Practice my Praise Moves, the Christian alternative to yoga. Settle into a warm, safe, and sleepy place of halcyon days and restful, dream-filled nights.
And blog more often.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
The Long Winter
Just like the book by Laura Ingalls Wilder, it has been a long winter. Well, not just like it. We haven't had to twist wheat until are hands are raw to have something to burn in the fireplace. And we are not drinking wheat coffee. Was it wheat? I don't know...some kind of grain. The books are right here next to me on a shelf but I am too lazy to reach over and check my reference.
Usually winter lasts just long enough to the point where I am going to scream and then (cue "Hallelujah" chorus") spring bursts forth in all it glory. I cannot wait to see green grass and the leaves on the trees. I long for the site of snowy white Bradford pear trees and the green vine of yellow jessamine that wraps itself around our fence. I long for my my weary soul to be soothed by the blooms of the dogwood trees and the pink and red of my enormous azalea bushes.
I long for new life. And that is what spring brings. The reminder of our new life when we live in Christ and the promise of an eternal life with Him. Jesus didn't just die on the cross. He rose again. We have the hope of the Resurrection.
Come, season of Spring. Hurry so that I may rest more easily.
Usually winter lasts just long enough to the point where I am going to scream and then (cue "Hallelujah" chorus") spring bursts forth in all it glory. I cannot wait to see green grass and the leaves on the trees. I long for the site of snowy white Bradford pear trees and the green vine of yellow jessamine that wraps itself around our fence. I long for my my weary soul to be soothed by the blooms of the dogwood trees and the pink and red of my enormous azalea bushes.
I long for new life. And that is what spring brings. The reminder of our new life when we live in Christ and the promise of an eternal life with Him. Jesus didn't just die on the cross. He rose again. We have the hope of the Resurrection.
Come, season of Spring. Hurry so that I may rest more easily.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Clutter Control
Hmmm....interesting that my last two titles have both had that word "CONTROL" in them! It's something I constantly have to work on, giving up trying control everything in life and giving it over to God.
But back to that other word...."CLUTTER". I started my "spring" cleaning during Christmas break. And by "spring", I am not talking about seasons. I am talking about years' of accumulation of stuff. Years as in we've been married 18 years and have lived in this house for 16.5 years.
I have finally gotten it straight in my head, though, where to put and store everything. And I am also taking great delight in throwing away and donating stuff. I have a concrete plan of where to store important documents, photos, greeting cards and correspondence, miscellaneous items, and my son's art work and school papers. I have even designated a spot for what I am going to call the "Crap Box" and this is where I will dump all the things that my son and husband leave lying around that I have no idea what to do with: tools, hunting equipment, batteries, mysterious cords, cables, and chargers, etc.
There is just so much to do. Even when you live in a tiny 1,000 square foot home. I wouldn't want a (much) bigger home (okay....1200 square feet would be the bomb!) because I know all those extra places would get filled with more stuff. I just want things to be neat and organized. And when things are neat and organized, that makes for peace and rest and calm. And I really desire peace, rest, and calm, not only for my family, but for my poor, disorganized, scattered brain!
Let's face it, though. Other than me, my family consists of two males, ages 38 and 13. A mess doesn't necessarily bother them. What does bother them, however, is how I react to a mess! Poor guys. You know the old saying, "When Mama Ain't Happy, Ain't Nobody Happy!" Very true here in our humble abode. :-)
So I have cleaned out two closets, given away 150+ books, given away a bunch of items for the church's next yard sale, and am busy throwing away useless junk and unnecessary paperwork, and sorting clothes to give away. My goal is to have this spring cleaning, which began in December, completely finished by May 31. Why that date? Because school is out for the summer beginning the next week and my son and I will have a much more pleasant time together if everything is tidy and in order.
Well, off I go. I have trash bags to fill!
What is YOUR spring cleaning like?
But back to that other word...."CLUTTER". I started my "spring" cleaning during Christmas break. And by "spring", I am not talking about seasons. I am talking about years' of accumulation of stuff. Years as in we've been married 18 years and have lived in this house for 16.5 years.
I have finally gotten it straight in my head, though, where to put and store everything. And I am also taking great delight in throwing away and donating stuff. I have a concrete plan of where to store important documents, photos, greeting cards and correspondence, miscellaneous items, and my son's art work and school papers. I have even designated a spot for what I am going to call the "Crap Box" and this is where I will dump all the things that my son and husband leave lying around that I have no idea what to do with: tools, hunting equipment, batteries, mysterious cords, cables, and chargers, etc.
There is just so much to do. Even when you live in a tiny 1,000 square foot home. I wouldn't want a (much) bigger home (okay....1200 square feet would be the bomb!) because I know all those extra places would get filled with more stuff. I just want things to be neat and organized. And when things are neat and organized, that makes for peace and rest and calm. And I really desire peace, rest, and calm, not only for my family, but for my poor, disorganized, scattered brain!
Let's face it, though. Other than me, my family consists of two males, ages 38 and 13. A mess doesn't necessarily bother them. What does bother them, however, is how I react to a mess! Poor guys. You know the old saying, "When Mama Ain't Happy, Ain't Nobody Happy!" Very true here in our humble abode. :-)
So I have cleaned out two closets, given away 150+ books, given away a bunch of items for the church's next yard sale, and am busy throwing away useless junk and unnecessary paperwork, and sorting clothes to give away. My goal is to have this spring cleaning, which began in December, completely finished by May 31. Why that date? Because school is out for the summer beginning the next week and my son and I will have a much more pleasant time together if everything is tidy and in order.
Well, off I go. I have trash bags to fill!
What is YOUR spring cleaning like?
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Control Freak
No, I'm not really a control freak. Although I did used to have a cute little keyring with the saying "I Quit Trying to Be Perfect Because When I Was Perfect I Wasn't Getting Enough Attention". It caused many cashiers to chuckle when I handed them my keys to scan my store rewards cards.
But, alas, it was true. I struggle with being in control. I like things to be planned out. Far, far in advance. I am not what you would call a spontaneous person.
I also struggle with perfectionism, but that's a whole other story....
I title this "Control Freak" because I was inspired to write in response to my friend Donnamo's new post "I Work Hard For My Money". She has been focusing on issues of control and learning to let go of it and let God be the one who is in charge of everything, including our money. I love how open Donna is to sharing her heart and her life experiences---the good, the bad, and the ugly. She is a true Titus 2 woman.
Anyhow, her post made me think of my own attitudes and opinions about money. So, here goes:
Both my parents taught me the value of a dollar at an early age. The lessons I learned stuck with me, even if they may have forgotten them. (Though I have reminded them and thanked them in my adult years).
My mama and daddy both grew up very poor, my father more so than my mother. At least my mother's father had a college degree and a steady job as a school teacher. Daddy's father was never the same after he returned from World War II and never held a steady job; it was left up to my Grandma to be the breadwinner in the family. Both my parents grew up in homes without running water. You know what that means. Yes, the outhouse.
We were in my mom's hometown last week and she showed me the jewelry store she worked at during the summer when she was 18-years-old. I was astounded when she told me she worked 8-hours a day, six days a week and got paid a whopping $25 a week. Every work day she went to the five-and-dime store on the corner and had a lunch of vegetable soup, corn bread, and a glass of water for 25-cents.
Anyway, I can tell my parents' story some other time. Let's just say that they have always joked about their dislike for Showboat pork and beans because they ate so much of it early in their marriage. But after the Marine Corps, Daddy worked and then went to college and became a successful "captain of industry and able executive", so says a tongue-in-cheek sign that I think used to hang in his office. It was funny when my brother played baseball (and he played a LOT of baseball) and Daddy would come to the ball field after work in his suit and tie. Other kids always asked us if we were rich. Uh, no, those are his work clothes. He works in an office. For my part, I didn't understand friends with dads who had to sleep during the day because they worked shifts.
Mama was able to stay home with my older brother and me. She didn't get another job since before my brother was born until I was 20 years old. I saw value in her being a stay-at-home mom, and as I grew older I understood sacrifices that she made to be able to do so. She did things like using cloth diapers for both her babies, to save money. She claims Pampers existed back then but people only used them when traveling. I'm sure plenty of people used them all the time, it's just that she didn't. She didn't buy jewelry or much clothing for herself until her kids were grown.
My parents are not interested in material things. Their house is nice and comfortable but it is not something out of a decorating magazine. They have had the same green velvet furniture, so named in this blog's title, in their living room that they bought when I was six months old. Did I mention I will be 41 next month? But they spend their money on memories and vacations and gifts for their children and grandchildren. And making necessary repairs and remodels to their house. AND buying new furniture for other rooms of the house (don't get me wrong....they are not cheap)
I am like my mom and I could not be more proud. We both could not care less about the latest in shoes and pocketbooks and clothing and STUFF. She learned it from her mother who was known to say, "You can only wear one outfit at a time." This is how my mom and I go "Black Friday Shopping"----After dinner on Thanksgiving day we settle down in two recliners and go through all the store ads and talk about either good or ridiculous deals. Then we are done and we have a ball doing it!
Gosh, this is long but---TA-DA!---this is how my parents taught me about money:
When I started first grade Daddy started giving me an allowance of 25-cents a week. He explained to me that if I saved my allowance for a month I could turn in those 4 quarters for a whole dollar! I was thrilled to accumulate my dollars.
One day when I was about 7yo, my friend Karen came to the door. She had been to the beach and had made necklaces from seashells and she was selling them (say that 3 times real fast!). I wanted a necklace with a small, beautiful, pinkish conch shell on it, but my mother said I could not spend my money on it because, at 25-cents, it was too expensive. I had to buy a less pretty 5-cent necklace. This must have been before I started getting an allowance, because I was a little confused about what my coins looked like and I ended up giving Karen a quarter instead of nickel for the necklace (I like to think that Karen was confused by coins, as well. I will have to call her up and ask her.) When I told Mama about my mistake, she didn't get angry or yell but she said in a very serious voice, "Caroline, a quarter is A LOT of money."
So, again in that first grade year, I attended my first book fair at school. We were allowed to browse through the book selection on the first day so we could go home and tell our parents how much money we needed. Well, I fell in love with the pink pop-up Thumbelina book that I wrote about here. I had some of them dollars saved from my allowance and I was ready to make my very first book purchase of my own. Of course, I asked permission first. Once again, Mama emphasized to me that $3 was a lot of money, but she said it was OK to spend my precious savings on it.
After I was first married, I saw a TV show with the financial guru Suze Orman on it. She said that she always asked people to remember their first experiences with money. She said her first experience was when her family's restaurant caught on fire and her dad risked his life to go in and remove the cash register. This gave her the idea that money was more important than life. Which, of course, it is not. But it made me reflect on my first money experiences and be grateful for them.
When I was a teenager and making pretty good money babysitting, I enjoyed doing things like purchasing my own shampoo and socks and miscellaneous items. And when Mama and I were shopping at The Limited (THE store in the 80's), if I wanted a dress or a pair of jeans that she wasn't willing to buy, she would loan me the money. I would make payments on the clothes, leaving the money on my parents' dresser with a note stating the amount and what it was for and how much I had remaining to pay on the garment.
In 18 years of marriage, during which I have "stayed-at-home" both as a wife and mom, for all but one year, my husband and I have certainly had our money struggles. And we certainly have made mistakes. But we learned early on to sacrifice for the things that were important. Before we had a child, it was important that I get out of an extremely stressful working environment. And we found that our household runs more smoothly when I am at home to take care of things. After we had our child, of course, I wanted to be home with him...and I'm still here almost 14 years later! Even when he's in school all day! (Yes, I get that question, "What do you DO all day?" quite often) Well, we've found that our family still runs more smoothly when I am at home and that it is better for my health to be home.
We've sacrificed. We've done without dates, vacations, new clothes, cable TV, giving gifts to each other etc. I neglected my hair (my favorite thing about my physical body!) for years. We didn't buy our first brand new car until five years ago and we've only had cable TV for about 5 years of our entire marriage. We didn't buy new furniture for 16 years. I used to only allow myself to buy ONE book a YEAR and I would agonize for hours in the bookstore about which one to get. Well, I definitely don't neglect my hair anymore and now I buy any book I want, but I've found that I don't want so many and I never pay full price.
So, yes, as Donnamo also pondered about herself, I am a control freak about money. But when I start to get too freaked out I remind myself about how God has always, always taken care of us, even at our very poorest and even when we had not been faithful to Him. He's never let us down and He's not going to let us down now or ever!
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there might be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." ~ Malachi 3:10
But, alas, it was true. I struggle with being in control. I like things to be planned out. Far, far in advance. I am not what you would call a spontaneous person.
I also struggle with perfectionism, but that's a whole other story....
I title this "Control Freak" because I was inspired to write in response to my friend Donnamo's new post "I Work Hard For My Money". She has been focusing on issues of control and learning to let go of it and let God be the one who is in charge of everything, including our money. I love how open Donna is to sharing her heart and her life experiences---the good, the bad, and the ugly. She is a true Titus 2 woman.
Anyhow, her post made me think of my own attitudes and opinions about money. So, here goes:
Both my parents taught me the value of a dollar at an early age. The lessons I learned stuck with me, even if they may have forgotten them. (Though I have reminded them and thanked them in my adult years).
My mama and daddy both grew up very poor, my father more so than my mother. At least my mother's father had a college degree and a steady job as a school teacher. Daddy's father was never the same after he returned from World War II and never held a steady job; it was left up to my Grandma to be the breadwinner in the family. Both my parents grew up in homes without running water. You know what that means. Yes, the outhouse.
We were in my mom's hometown last week and she showed me the jewelry store she worked at during the summer when she was 18-years-old. I was astounded when she told me she worked 8-hours a day, six days a week and got paid a whopping $25 a week. Every work day she went to the five-and-dime store on the corner and had a lunch of vegetable soup, corn bread, and a glass of water for 25-cents.
Anyway, I can tell my parents' story some other time. Let's just say that they have always joked about their dislike for Showboat pork and beans because they ate so much of it early in their marriage. But after the Marine Corps, Daddy worked and then went to college and became a successful "captain of industry and able executive", so says a tongue-in-cheek sign that I think used to hang in his office. It was funny when my brother played baseball (and he played a LOT of baseball) and Daddy would come to the ball field after work in his suit and tie. Other kids always asked us if we were rich. Uh, no, those are his work clothes. He works in an office. For my part, I didn't understand friends with dads who had to sleep during the day because they worked shifts.
Mama was able to stay home with my older brother and me. She didn't get another job since before my brother was born until I was 20 years old. I saw value in her being a stay-at-home mom, and as I grew older I understood sacrifices that she made to be able to do so. She did things like using cloth diapers for both her babies, to save money. She claims Pampers existed back then but people only used them when traveling. I'm sure plenty of people used them all the time, it's just that she didn't. She didn't buy jewelry or much clothing for herself until her kids were grown.
My parents are not interested in material things. Their house is nice and comfortable but it is not something out of a decorating magazine. They have had the same green velvet furniture, so named in this blog's title, in their living room that they bought when I was six months old. Did I mention I will be 41 next month? But they spend their money on memories and vacations and gifts for their children and grandchildren. And making necessary repairs and remodels to their house. AND buying new furniture for other rooms of the house (don't get me wrong....they are not cheap)
I am like my mom and I could not be more proud. We both could not care less about the latest in shoes and pocketbooks and clothing and STUFF. She learned it from her mother who was known to say, "You can only wear one outfit at a time." This is how my mom and I go "Black Friday Shopping"----After dinner on Thanksgiving day we settle down in two recliners and go through all the store ads and talk about either good or ridiculous deals. Then we are done and we have a ball doing it!
Gosh, this is long but---TA-DA!---this is how my parents taught me about money:
When I started first grade Daddy started giving me an allowance of 25-cents a week. He explained to me that if I saved my allowance for a month I could turn in those 4 quarters for a whole dollar! I was thrilled to accumulate my dollars.
One day when I was about 7yo, my friend Karen came to the door. She had been to the beach and had made necklaces from seashells and she was selling them (say that 3 times real fast!). I wanted a necklace with a small, beautiful, pinkish conch shell on it, but my mother said I could not spend my money on it because, at 25-cents, it was too expensive. I had to buy a less pretty 5-cent necklace. This must have been before I started getting an allowance, because I was a little confused about what my coins looked like and I ended up giving Karen a quarter instead of nickel for the necklace (I like to think that Karen was confused by coins, as well. I will have to call her up and ask her.) When I told Mama about my mistake, she didn't get angry or yell but she said in a very serious voice, "Caroline, a quarter is A LOT of money."
So, again in that first grade year, I attended my first book fair at school. We were allowed to browse through the book selection on the first day so we could go home and tell our parents how much money we needed. Well, I fell in love with the pink pop-up Thumbelina book that I wrote about here. I had some of them dollars saved from my allowance and I was ready to make my very first book purchase of my own. Of course, I asked permission first. Once again, Mama emphasized to me that $3 was a lot of money, but she said it was OK to spend my precious savings on it.
After I was first married, I saw a TV show with the financial guru Suze Orman on it. She said that she always asked people to remember their first experiences with money. She said her first experience was when her family's restaurant caught on fire and her dad risked his life to go in and remove the cash register. This gave her the idea that money was more important than life. Which, of course, it is not. But it made me reflect on my first money experiences and be grateful for them.
When I was a teenager and making pretty good money babysitting, I enjoyed doing things like purchasing my own shampoo and socks and miscellaneous items. And when Mama and I were shopping at The Limited (THE store in the 80's), if I wanted a dress or a pair of jeans that she wasn't willing to buy, she would loan me the money. I would make payments on the clothes, leaving the money on my parents' dresser with a note stating the amount and what it was for and how much I had remaining to pay on the garment.
In 18 years of marriage, during which I have "stayed-at-home" both as a wife and mom, for all but one year, my husband and I have certainly had our money struggles. And we certainly have made mistakes. But we learned early on to sacrifice for the things that were important. Before we had a child, it was important that I get out of an extremely stressful working environment. And we found that our household runs more smoothly when I am at home to take care of things. After we had our child, of course, I wanted to be home with him...and I'm still here almost 14 years later! Even when he's in school all day! (Yes, I get that question, "What do you DO all day?" quite often) Well, we've found that our family still runs more smoothly when I am at home and that it is better for my health to be home.
We've sacrificed. We've done without dates, vacations, new clothes, cable TV, giving gifts to each other etc. I neglected my hair (my favorite thing about my physical body!) for years. We didn't buy our first brand new car until five years ago and we've only had cable TV for about 5 years of our entire marriage. We didn't buy new furniture for 16 years. I used to only allow myself to buy ONE book a YEAR and I would agonize for hours in the bookstore about which one to get. Well, I definitely don't neglect my hair anymore and now I buy any book I want, but I've found that I don't want so many and I never pay full price.
So, yes, as Donnamo also pondered about herself, I am a control freak about money. But when I start to get too freaked out I remind myself about how God has always, always taken care of us, even at our very poorest and even when we had not been faithful to Him. He's never let us down and He's not going to let us down now or ever!
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there might be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." ~ Malachi 3:10
Friday, November 23, 2012
It's Been A While....
If you pay any attention to me, you'll note that I have not written on this blog since May. And, paying even closer attention, you'll see that I've deleted several posts all the way back through March.
I'm not exactly sure what I want this blog to be about. But I know I miss the writing.
My family has a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. My daddy had emergency brain surgery at the beginning of May. I thought he wasn't going to make it. I thought he would never be the same again. But the Lord has healed him and he's back to his normal self.
Yesterday I said the blessing before our Thanksgiving feast at my parents' house. I thanked God for my father's recovery, for my mother's gift of selflessness and commitment as she tirelessly takes care of people, for my brother's new job, for my husband's good job, and for my son who is growing and thriving as he should. But the number one thing I am thankful for is that I am absolutely certain that every single one of us around that table knows Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and that we will be able to spend eternity together with Him. Praise God!
My internet habits and interests have changed over the past few months. I am no longer obsessive about reading blogs about frugality, personal finance, writing, and Christianity. I am no longer interested in reading blogs and news sites where the comments are worthless, inflammatory, negative and blasphemous. I am no longer interested in trying to learn about the Lord and the way He wants me to live my life by reading about other people's lives, especially other Christian SAHMs. I want to go to directly to THE source---God and His Holy Word, the Bible. I'm also returning to my first love of reading, that old-fashioned thing called the book.
Sure, there's a lot of junky, self-help, feel-good, health-wealth-and-prosperity books out there, even in Christian bookstores. But there are also a lot of valuable scholarly resources that can enhance my knowledge and understanding of the Bible.
I started a Bible study at my home this fall with four friends and it has been a huge blessing to all of us. The book we studied was The Girl's Still Got It by Liz Curtis Higgs, about Ruth. It was a fun and revealing read, chock-full of information that we couldn't have gathered on our own. I loved listening to my friends' different perspectives on what we read and also how they found ways to apply what we were reading to our own lives.
Back to the internet....Yeah, I finally joined Facebook about 15 months ago, so it takes awhile to catch up on that once a day. I've also discovered Pinterest and really, really enjoy it!
But I'm reading more regular old books, and watching classic movies on TV, and doing things around the house. I love being able to stay at home. I am a homebody and an introvert at heart. I never run out of things to do here. And, though the house may look like a mess most of the time, I know for a fact that I make things run smoothly around here.
So, here is my foray back into blogging. Not sure how often I will post, but hopefully when I do write something it will be something of quality.
Thanks for stopping by and sticking with me!
And to my dear blog friends: Gabby, Donnmo, Davene, Margie, Laura, Carrie, Mary Ann, Robin and all others---I do not include you when I say I am tired of reading blogs. Your blogs are the ones I want to get back to reading. I've just, you know, been on a blog break.
I'm not exactly sure what I want this blog to be about. But I know I miss the writing.
My family has a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. My daddy had emergency brain surgery at the beginning of May. I thought he wasn't going to make it. I thought he would never be the same again. But the Lord has healed him and he's back to his normal self.
Yesterday I said the blessing before our Thanksgiving feast at my parents' house. I thanked God for my father's recovery, for my mother's gift of selflessness and commitment as she tirelessly takes care of people, for my brother's new job, for my husband's good job, and for my son who is growing and thriving as he should. But the number one thing I am thankful for is that I am absolutely certain that every single one of us around that table knows Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and that we will be able to spend eternity together with Him. Praise God!
My internet habits and interests have changed over the past few months. I am no longer obsessive about reading blogs about frugality, personal finance, writing, and Christianity. I am no longer interested in reading blogs and news sites where the comments are worthless, inflammatory, negative and blasphemous. I am no longer interested in trying to learn about the Lord and the way He wants me to live my life by reading about other people's lives, especially other Christian SAHMs. I want to go to directly to THE source---God and His Holy Word, the Bible. I'm also returning to my first love of reading, that old-fashioned thing called the book.
Sure, there's a lot of junky, self-help, feel-good, health-wealth-and-prosperity books out there, even in Christian bookstores. But there are also a lot of valuable scholarly resources that can enhance my knowledge and understanding of the Bible.
I started a Bible study at my home this fall with four friends and it has been a huge blessing to all of us. The book we studied was The Girl's Still Got It by Liz Curtis Higgs, about Ruth. It was a fun and revealing read, chock-full of information that we couldn't have gathered on our own. I loved listening to my friends' different perspectives on what we read and also how they found ways to apply what we were reading to our own lives.
Back to the internet....Yeah, I finally joined Facebook about 15 months ago, so it takes awhile to catch up on that once a day. I've also discovered Pinterest and really, really enjoy it!
But I'm reading more regular old books, and watching classic movies on TV, and doing things around the house. I love being able to stay at home. I am a homebody and an introvert at heart. I never run out of things to do here. And, though the house may look like a mess most of the time, I know for a fact that I make things run smoothly around here.
So, here is my foray back into blogging. Not sure how often I will post, but hopefully when I do write something it will be something of quality.
Thanks for stopping by and sticking with me!
And to my dear blog friends: Gabby, Donnmo, Davene, Margie, Laura, Carrie, Mary Ann, Robin and all others---I do not include you when I say I am tired of reading blogs. Your blogs are the ones I want to get back to reading. I've just, you know, been on a blog break.
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