I Did It

           I have been thinking about deactivating my Facebook account for a while and yesterday I did it.  Just like that no announcement, nothing just went in and deactivated.  It is so liberating.  I'm not checking umpteen times a day for updates from people who I have no significant relationship with.  The people that I am truly interest in hearing from I can contact by phone, email or through their blog.  A few people have commented on my husbands page that they would miss my daily thankful post which I am continuing in a journal.  So why did I deactivate because I had so many "friends" that I truly had not interest in hearing about but did not want to hurt anyone's feelings by deleting them as friends.  Call me lazy but I also didn't want to go through all of my friends and take them off the news feed.  Finally, I spent a lot of time looking at stuff that was for sale even though I don't need anything and haven't bought anything in a long time.  I'm not sure whether this is a permanent deactivation or a temporary one, all I can really say is that right now it feels like it is a permanent deactivation. 

Changes in our Home

As a parent I'm always seeking to do better in my parenting.  Lately, I know there has been a struggle when it comes to parenting.  Since about Thursday of last week we have struggled with temper tantrums in our home.  Temper tantrums aren't exactly what you want to see from your five year old, who keeps throwing temper tantrums.  So what is a mother to do.  First, we've cut out the enormous amounts of sugar that he is taking in during the day.  You know fruit snacks, fruit by the food, juice boxes etc.  Second, we are getting rid of the clutter.  Well it's more than that we are actually downsizing our lives.  We're getting rid of things without meaning and keep the things with meaning.  Since I'm not very sentimental that should be fairly easy to do.  Third, we've turned off the television, computer, and phone.  We are living in a world that has to much focus on electronics.  I know I'm guilty of checking my email too often at home.  I'm too connected with Facebook, you repeatedly checking to see if anything has happened since the last time I looked five minutes ago.  Fourth, we're trying an earlier bedtime.  We may not be asleep at 8:00 but we're going to try to be in bed by 8:00.  Last but not least we're going to work on using this time as a learning experience.  We're going to talk about character traits and work on developing them.  I'll update you on how things are working. 

God Even Speaks When You're Cleaning Up Vomit

After a wonderful weekend with family we made it home late in the evening last night.  All was well and Robert and I went to bed.  Around 1:30a.m. I was awakened by my husband with "we threw up."  So I get and go into my son's room and sure enough he had thrown up.  So I proceeded to clean up the vomit and think about how much my husband owed me.  Then God spoke.  He reminded me of my Facebook friends who were mourning the loss of their children.  He reminded me that those parents would be willing to trade places with me.  To have the honor of cleaning up their child's vomit.  I am truly blessed even while cleaning up vomit for two reasons.  One I still have a child that is with me and still needs me to take care of his needs and two God speaks to me. 

I Made It

Well I decided a couple of months ago to start running.  Now mind you I have never been a runner.  I ran because I had to in other sports but I did not run for the sake of running.  In fact when I would see people running I would joke with my husband "I wonder what is chasing them."  Well now I am one of them.  I ran my first 5K this weekend and no I did not finish last.  In fact I was mid pack which I thought was great considering the front 20 our so were obvious runners.  My goal was to run the entire race.  I didn't really care about where I finished so long as I was not dead last.  Praise God for the people that were walking or walk/running.  I am now addicted to running.  I love that feeling of completing a race, crossing the fininsh line.  I am running in another 5k race this weekend and will begin training for a mini marathon in September.  I will probably run more 5Ks between now and then and may run a couple of other mini marathons after September. 

It's Been a While

It has been a long time since I've posted.  I have been busy with work and reading at home.  I've read the Diary of Anne Frank and am currently reading about Deitrich Bonhoeffer.  I'm not sure what the fascination with the Jews in Germany is for me at this point.  I think we as a church can learn a lot from recent history and being quiet.  I'm beginning to wonder if we can look at things that are going on today in this country and learn from what happened in Germany with the Nazis.  We must stop the "small losses" before we start having big losses. 

Faithful

I haven't been as faithful to this blog as I had hoped but I'm more faithful than I was on my last attempt at blogging.  I have been faithful in some things which now seem to be more habit than anything else.  I still workout 6 days per week.  My P90X goes with me or when I'm at my mom and dad's house I use my brother's P90X dvds.  I'm still eating well.  I splurge every now and then by adding cheese to a subway sub when I need more calories or the other day I had chicken and mushroom pizza.  I haven't had my McDonald's sweet tea in two months.  (I've heard a rumor that the McDonald's is closing maybe there is a connection.)  My last adventure has been my dress.  I have focused on dressing more modestly and more feminine.  I haven't worn pants since Tuesday and have enjoyed my skirts.  I bought new shoes today to go with my skirts since I've been wearing nothing but one pair of boots since then.  I'm still letting my hair grow out.  My husband even commented that I need a hair cut.  I haven't started my reading through the Bible in a year but will start with an online group on January 30 and will read through the Bible in 90 days.  Someone said that they could do it in 90 days because by the time you get to the point of wanting to quit your almost done. 

Modesty

Have you ever had one of those moments in life when God is speaking so clearly to you to do something that it seems like everywhere you turn the message is there.  I have been hearing that message from God about modesty for a few days now.  It seems that everywhere I turn and everything I do seems to direct me toward modesty.  I've seen it talked about on several blogs, it was even on the radio last night, and then the same women was on blog this morning totally unrelated to the radio program.  Plus when I went to Goodwill and looked for some new skirts I found several and they were on sale.  I was able to purchase 5 skirts, 2 shirts and 1 cardigan for $13 and some change.  It was as if everything fell right into place.  Plus I received a gift card from my dad for Christmas and when my parents switch over to a different satellite provider they will receive a $200.00 gift card and I will get half of it since I gave them the coupon.  How awesome is that. 

Change

I have been reading another blog and have been considering some changes.  I'm not sure if I can follow through with those changes or if God even wants me to follow through with the changes.  My fellow blogger was talking about how she doesn't cut her hair, always wears modest clothes, and doesn't wear makeup.  I wonder what my spiritual life would be like if I followed that same path.  If I quit worrying about my appearance so much and started wearing more modest clothing.  It's not that I wear skimpy clothes but I d wear short skirts and dress and pants.  I also have shirts that I have to pay attention to because of revealing too much when I bend over.  I may just follow through with this change for a season.  If I do I must do it with the right heart.  I must do it as a way to honor God.  I will pray about what I should do.

New Years Resolution Update-Reading the Bible

I so wanted to read through the Bible in a year. I had my reading plan all printed out and was ready to check off each day as I completed the reading. Then I read another blog. It was about a seven year old who decided to read through the Bible. There was no plan, no check marks on her printed sheet of days, no open declaration on Facebook or a blog. She just started at the beginning and read. Not on some pre-made schedule created by someone else but she just read. Isn't it so like adults to make something more difficult than it has to be. I remember a story that a professor told back in law school. It was about a class in which a parent had been forced to bring a child because of some issue. Well the class was a contracts class and the professor discussed a dispute and asked the class what they would do. Well all you could hear was crickets, nothing, no profound answers until a little hand went up in the back. Having no other hands the professor figured why no so he called on the child. And the child said "I'd say I'm sorry." So simple and yet likely never thought of by any person in that room including the professor...we make things much harder than the need to be. So I will read through the Bible in a year but I will do it like a child would. I will do it with passion, with focus, with plan that God puts on my heart after prayer, and I will be faithful in my reading.

I pray

I pray that tomorrow will be a better day with my child. I can feel myself getting frustrated with my son more than I should. He is such a smart kid that sometimes I forget that he is only five years old. For example, today he was down stairs while I worked out and he wanted to play in my spot but I wouldn't let him. So he decided he was going to move his basketball goal to the other side of the room but couldn't do it so I had to stop and do it for him. Then I told him that I was going to start working out and that he was going to have to stay upstairs with his dad. So he said he was going upstairs alone. I felt horrible and hugged on him a little but he still went upstairs. Lord, help me to treat others as you have treated me. Help me especially to treat the ones I love the way you have treated me. I don't get what I deserve from you. I do get correction but it is done with gentleness help me to learn how to speak with gentleness especially in my moments of frustration. In Jesus precious name I pray.

Practice what I preach? Not yet.

Ever since I heard Cynthia Tobias talk about strong willed children on Focus on the Family last week my heart has really be focusing on my speech with my son. He is a strong willed child and I believe it will serve him well. I think it will make him a leader and not a follower. I believe he won't just follow what others do without questioning it. He is a questioner and that is wonderful...except when you are trying to parent him. However, I believe that God is speaking to my heart and wanting me to soften my speech with him. This was confirmed again to day when I read about the gentleness challenge. I have decided to participate in this challenge. I will keep you updated. I would ask for your prayers as I work toward being a more gentle mother and hopefully it will help me to me a more gentle person in general.

New Year's Resolutions

There are so many things that I could resolve to do this year. However, I'm going to focus on a few things that are really important and not worry about the things that are unimportant. So here is my list:
1. Read the Bible chronologically during the year.
2. Lead a healthy lifestyle so that I can set an example for my son. I'm going to eat healthy, exercise, read more, and spend less time on the internet and Facebook.
3. Reduce the stuff that I have.
4. I'm going to be a Christian is the truest sense of the meaning- a little Christ.
5. I am going to love more and be angry, frustrated, upset less. In particular I'm going to love my husband, son, mother, father, and brother more.
6. I'm going to work more efficiently. I'm going to get my work done in a timely and efficient manner.
7. I'm going to pray daily.
8. I'm going to get my day started earlier.