"He [Jesus] is going to clean house - make a clean sweep of your lives. He'll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he'll put out with the trash to be burned." ~ Luke 3:17
This summer I've been working on cleaning around the house - cleaning out the office/craft room and helping my son clean out his bedroom. Each room was a major undertaking. When I do projects like this, I like to empty the room first in order to reconnect with the space and look for ways to reclaim some of the space in new ways. Then, bit by bit, all the things we removed either get a new spot back in the room or they are sorted into trash, recycle or give away piles.
I have to be in the right mood for this project. If I'm not fired up to make the "hard" choices of what to get rid of, it becomes a shuffling of items rather than any actual purging. Sometimes I have started this project and gotten only so far and had to just put it all back because I just wasn't ready to really make the tough decisions.
My son's room was the harder of the two projects. My son is sentimental and he keeps everything - rocks, papers, paper airplanes, tags, cards, drawings, stories, office supplies, etc. He had NO interest in letting me clean out the room for him, afraid I would trash all of his little treasures. There were times I would just stand in the middle of the room feeling overwhelmed. Some spots were in such disarray I didn't even know where to start. So, it took a whole week to do this one room.
We were in the middle of the bedroom project when I read this verse from the Message. John the Baptist was talking about Jesus and the work he was coming to do. I imagined Jesus standing in the "room" of my life. Does he stand there sometimes, noticing all the places that are so out of hand it's hard to know where to start? What are the things that I cling to, that I don't want him to purge from my character?
May I learn to let go as Jesus cleans up my life.
Showing posts sorted by date for query Project life. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query Project life. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Saturday, June 1, 2013
52 Lists - List Things You Want to Make
This was a fun list to make!
1-There's a cross stitch designer in Britain I love - Gorjuss. Well, technically I guess it's an artist whose pictures have been turned into cross stitch. Anyway, there is a picture of a girl standing on a stack of books that I would love to stitch. First, I have to find the pattern and get it here somehow (I wish it was a digital one I could download, but so far I haven't found that option). But I want to make it some day.
2-There are several other cross stitch patters that I do have that I want to stitch - a series of dress forms, one of Rupert Grint, and others
3-Awhile back I bought a tray that I want to paint or decorate with paper and then put Lego minifigs on it for display in the library. That is one project I want to do this summer.
4-I also bought small Project Life scrapbooks for the three of us to each do this summer - for my husband and I to record things about ourselves and our childhood and for my son to record a snapshot of his life at this age.
1-There's a cross stitch designer in Britain I love - Gorjuss. Well, technically I guess it's an artist whose pictures have been turned into cross stitch. Anyway, there is a picture of a girl standing on a stack of books that I would love to stitch. First, I have to find the pattern and get it here somehow (I wish it was a digital one I could download, but so far I haven't found that option). But I want to make it some day.
2-There are several other cross stitch patters that I do have that I want to stitch - a series of dress forms, one of Rupert Grint, and others
3-Awhile back I bought a tray that I want to paint or decorate with paper and then put Lego minifigs on it for display in the library. That is one project I want to do this summer.
4-I also bought small Project Life scrapbooks for the three of us to each do this summer - for my husband and I to record things about ourselves and our childhood and for my son to record a snapshot of his life at this age.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
52 Lists - List ways you cleanse for spring
Several times a year - not just spring - we go through the house and purge things. Our house is small and we accumulate a lot of "stuff." So we clean out clothes and books and other items and pass them on to others. We re-order things that have started to pile up in various spots. This year I also did a large purge from my scrapbooking supplies. I have really enjoyed Becky Higgins' Project Life system and will likely be doing very little "traditional" scrapbooking in the future.
Have you done any spring cleaning?
Have you done any spring cleaning?
Saturday, March 16, 2013
52 Lists - List the Things You Should be Proud Of
Week three of the 52 Lists project is "List the things you should be proud of." Here are a few things off my list:
What are you proud of? I especially like this list because I think it is tempting too often to downplay the things we should be proud of because we don't want to be prideful. But it is also a danger to downplay the things we do with the gifts God gives - and then we can't be thankful for them and we can't use them to spur us on to more good and useful work in His name. Embrace your accomplishments - give thanks for them and look for ways to build on them for the good of others.
- My work with students - relationships built at school as well as previous work with students/youth
- The progress I have made in 18 months of a new job
- The number of new books in the library
- Connecting readers (all ages) to books they like
- How I took care of Dad at the end of his life
- Four years of book blogging - over 850 posts
- My family
- Our home
What are you proud of? I especially like this list because I think it is tempting too often to downplay the things we should be proud of because we don't want to be prideful. But it is also a danger to downplay the things we do with the gifts God gives - and then we can't be thankful for them and we can't use them to spur us on to more good and useful work in His name. Embrace your accomplishments - give thanks for them and look for ways to build on them for the good of others.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
52 Days
There's a lot of the number 52 floating around here lately. There's the 52 Lists project I'm doing and the 52 Days system I've been trying this year.
This is an update on the 52 Days deal. That's the one where the year is broken in to 7 sections of 52 days each. You set some goals for the first 52 days (January 2- February 22). If they don't work, or if your life changes too much for them to make sense any more, you change them up for the second round.
Someone figured up the following days to start each round of 52: January 2, February 23, April 16, June 7, July 29, September 19, and November 10.
So, I'm now in the second round. Here's where my goals stand:
Spiritual - I am keeping my goal of daily devotions. That's gone well and I like the three apps I decided to use.
Financial - that one went okay. I was working to only buy books with gift cards rather than the credit card. Now I want to keep that and expand it, working to make our credit card bill only have automatic charges on it, rather than a variety of online shopping, etc. We've gotten lax with our charging and I want to reign that back in.
Physical - I have been waffling on my weekly commitment to Weight Watchers. Some weeks are good and some feel like a lost cause two days in. I want to re-commit to that process and I have set a specific goal and time frame for myself.
Social - This one was pretty vague last time. I'm trying to tighten that up with a more explicit plan to reach out socially every week in some way.
Mental - This was the other goal that was vague last time. This time I want to read one non-fiction book each month (I read Quitter in February) as well as reading one e-book (this was my goal last time - in February I read Buried in Buttercream on my Nook) and one Advance Reader Copy (ARC) that I have received for my blog (In February I read Killer Honeymoon).
Career - I want to keep the goal of adding 10 new books to the library every week. I haven't done this for a couple weeks, but I haven't felt too badly about that considering I was doing more than that for all of January. I want to get back to that and get caught up on the batch that is almost ready to go before I do another book fair at the end of the month.
Family - This was another vague one last time. This time I want to keep up our reading routine which we re-established at the start of the year. Then I want to add a movie or game night every week where we do that together, really focused on being together rather than just being in the same room but all doing our own thing.
So, those are my new goals for this next block of 52 days.
How are your New Year's goals holding up now that March is here?
This is an update on the 52 Days deal. That's the one where the year is broken in to 7 sections of 52 days each. You set some goals for the first 52 days (January 2- February 22). If they don't work, or if your life changes too much for them to make sense any more, you change them up for the second round.
Someone figured up the following days to start each round of 52: January 2, February 23, April 16, June 7, July 29, September 19, and November 10.
So, I'm now in the second round. Here's where my goals stand:
Spiritual - I am keeping my goal of daily devotions. That's gone well and I like the three apps I decided to use.
Financial - that one went okay. I was working to only buy books with gift cards rather than the credit card. Now I want to keep that and expand it, working to make our credit card bill only have automatic charges on it, rather than a variety of online shopping, etc. We've gotten lax with our charging and I want to reign that back in.
Physical - I have been waffling on my weekly commitment to Weight Watchers. Some weeks are good and some feel like a lost cause two days in. I want to re-commit to that process and I have set a specific goal and time frame for myself.
Social - This one was pretty vague last time. I'm trying to tighten that up with a more explicit plan to reach out socially every week in some way.
Mental - This was the other goal that was vague last time. This time I want to read one non-fiction book each month (I read Quitter in February) as well as reading one e-book (this was my goal last time - in February I read Buried in Buttercream on my Nook) and one Advance Reader Copy (ARC) that I have received for my blog (In February I read Killer Honeymoon).
Career - I want to keep the goal of adding 10 new books to the library every week. I haven't done this for a couple weeks, but I haven't felt too badly about that considering I was doing more than that for all of January. I want to get back to that and get caught up on the batch that is almost ready to go before I do another book fair at the end of the month.
Family - This was another vague one last time. This time I want to keep up our reading routine which we re-established at the start of the year. Then I want to add a movie or game night every week where we do that together, really focused on being together rather than just being in the same room but all doing our own thing.
So, those are my new goals for this next block of 52 days.
How are your New Year's goals holding up now that March is here?
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Confidence Has Its Limits
One of the devotional pieces I have added to my life this year is an app based on The Confident Woman by Joyce Meyer. In the devotional for February 9th, she wrote this:
"Trial and error is the road to success, and you can't drive that road as long as your car is parked. So get moving, and God will direct you. When people are confident, they try things, and they keep trying until they find a way to be successful in what God has called them to do."
I guess that means I am usually confident. I am always trying (and failing) things. Something doesn't work in my lesson plan? I try something new. I re-order the rooms in our house several times a year hoping a new system will make things work better. I've had several different schedule/planner systems that have worked, but I'm always up for trying something new.
Every once in a while, though, I hit a wall. I feel so overwhelmed by something that I shut down almost completely. I can't make decisions and have a hard time motivating myself to do anything. This happened last weekend. We had a snow day from school, my son had a friend over and my husband was working from home. This seemed like the perfect time to dive into my latest cleaning project, the office/craft room. This is the catch all room in our house for things that don't have a home. It tends to get over cluttered very quickly.
In my head I had already decided that I was going to get rid of a good amount of craft supplies that I'm not using and turn them into craft baskets for our school's auction in April. I easily have a four inch stack of beautiful papers as well as embellishments and fabric and other things that are in great shape but need a new home.
But there's just so much - my intentions and ideas are bigger than my schedule or my space. I see something and think, "I can make something with that!" and I buy it and then it sits.
I pulled all the craft materials out and spread them on our bed. Soon I had to move some piles to the living room because the bed was full and I was afraid it would collapse under the weight. I made some decisions about things I wanted to keep and how I wanted to order things. I emptied file cabinets and moved things around so I could get to the things we need more often. Then I hit the wall, figuratively speaking. I couldn't will myself out of the chair. I had to ask my husband what to do with this pile or that because I just couldn't make another decision. The only thing that eventually got me back to work was the idea that I would have to sleep on the floor because our bed was unavailable and the boys wouldn't share the new couch.
By Saturday, I was calling the office The Pit of Dispair. All my good intentions and motivation for making the office usable again was gone.
Honestly, it does look better. There's less clutter on the floor, there's a drawer and a half empty in a file cabinet. Pictures are consolidated rather than scattered. But another day or two of work is still necessary. But that will not happen any time soon. I need a break. I made the office tolerable and moved things off the bed and couch so we can move around freely, but that's as far as I'm willing to go for now.
Hopefully my confidence will replenish after a few days' rest.
"Trial and error is the road to success, and you can't drive that road as long as your car is parked. So get moving, and God will direct you. When people are confident, they try things, and they keep trying until they find a way to be successful in what God has called them to do."
I guess that means I am usually confident. I am always trying (and failing) things. Something doesn't work in my lesson plan? I try something new. I re-order the rooms in our house several times a year hoping a new system will make things work better. I've had several different schedule/planner systems that have worked, but I'm always up for trying something new.
Every once in a while, though, I hit a wall. I feel so overwhelmed by something that I shut down almost completely. I can't make decisions and have a hard time motivating myself to do anything. This happened last weekend. We had a snow day from school, my son had a friend over and my husband was working from home. This seemed like the perfect time to dive into my latest cleaning project, the office/craft room. This is the catch all room in our house for things that don't have a home. It tends to get over cluttered very quickly.
In my head I had already decided that I was going to get rid of a good amount of craft supplies that I'm not using and turn them into craft baskets for our school's auction in April. I easily have a four inch stack of beautiful papers as well as embellishments and fabric and other things that are in great shape but need a new home.
But there's just so much - my intentions and ideas are bigger than my schedule or my space. I see something and think, "I can make something with that!" and I buy it and then it sits.
I pulled all the craft materials out and spread them on our bed. Soon I had to move some piles to the living room because the bed was full and I was afraid it would collapse under the weight. I made some decisions about things I wanted to keep and how I wanted to order things. I emptied file cabinets and moved things around so I could get to the things we need more often. Then I hit the wall, figuratively speaking. I couldn't will myself out of the chair. I had to ask my husband what to do with this pile or that because I just couldn't make another decision. The only thing that eventually got me back to work was the idea that I would have to sleep on the floor because our bed was unavailable and the boys wouldn't share the new couch.
By Saturday, I was calling the office The Pit of Dispair. All my good intentions and motivation for making the office usable again was gone.
Honestly, it does look better. There's less clutter on the floor, there's a drawer and a half empty in a file cabinet. Pictures are consolidated rather than scattered. But another day or two of work is still necessary. But that will not happen any time soon. I need a break. I made the office tolerable and moved things off the bed and couch so we can move around freely, but that's as far as I'm willing to go for now.
Hopefully my confidence will replenish after a few days' rest.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
52 Day Goal Update
A couple weeks ago I blogged about a new goal format for the year - setting goals in 52 day chunks throughout the year. The smaller time period would allow me to change goals that aren't working rather than scrapping them all together. The idea came from Jon Acuff.
Here's an update of how my goals are working so far in this first 52 day section of the year:
Spiritual (daily devotions) - I love the three apps I am using. As of this past Sunday (I check in on my goals each week on Sunday to keep them in my head and to refocus where I have gotten off track), I have only missed one day. I would like to keep up with this goal for the year and I feel like I've set a good foundation so far.
Financial (use gift cards, not credit cards to buy books) - as I was pulling together financial records for our tax preparation, I was embarrassed by how many books I bought for the school. A few is a nice gesture. This was ridiculous. This was manic. I want to exercise more self-control this year. Hopefully the plan to only buy books with gift cards will help with that.
Physical (Weight Watchers) - I have signed up for Weight Watchers and am slowly getting back into the swing of that. So far, we have been eating like we usually do and figuring out what points values go with our usual meals. The next step is to find some alternatives that don't burn through the points so quickly. I get about half the points each day that my husband gets (which is annoying), so I have to be much more careful in my planning.
Social (be more social) - I've discovered that I have an inertia problem. (Inertia is a body at rest wants to stay at rest). Once I get home on Friday afternoon, I don't feel like doing anything on the weekend. I just want to rest, dig into home activities, etc. I have to make the commitment to being social and force myself to follow through. I always have a great time once I go, but getting myself there is what requires the work.
Mental - my goal for this (reading on an e-device) was kind of lame, but I have done that. I have finished 4 books on my Nook this month.
Career (put 10 new books in the library every week) - In the three weeks of the school year, I have placed 83 new books in the school library. I found myself pretty sick of new books by the end of last week, though, so I started on a new project. We'll see if I keep up with 10 new ones this week or if I take a break.
Family (reclaim bedtime routine of reading) - we have gotten back into the routine of reading a book at bedtime during the school week. We finished the first book in the Wings of Fire series (The Dragonet Prophecy) and have started book two.
So far, I am pretty happy with my progress. I feel like I am taking manageable steps to form a life I want for myself and my family. Here's to the next half of the first 52 days!
Here's an update of how my goals are working so far in this first 52 day section of the year:
Spiritual (daily devotions) - I love the three apps I am using. As of this past Sunday (I check in on my goals each week on Sunday to keep them in my head and to refocus where I have gotten off track), I have only missed one day. I would like to keep up with this goal for the year and I feel like I've set a good foundation so far.
Financial (use gift cards, not credit cards to buy books) - as I was pulling together financial records for our tax preparation, I was embarrassed by how many books I bought for the school. A few is a nice gesture. This was ridiculous. This was manic. I want to exercise more self-control this year. Hopefully the plan to only buy books with gift cards will help with that.
Physical (Weight Watchers) - I have signed up for Weight Watchers and am slowly getting back into the swing of that. So far, we have been eating like we usually do and figuring out what points values go with our usual meals. The next step is to find some alternatives that don't burn through the points so quickly. I get about half the points each day that my husband gets (which is annoying), so I have to be much more careful in my planning.
Social (be more social) - I've discovered that I have an inertia problem. (Inertia is a body at rest wants to stay at rest). Once I get home on Friday afternoon, I don't feel like doing anything on the weekend. I just want to rest, dig into home activities, etc. I have to make the commitment to being social and force myself to follow through. I always have a great time once I go, but getting myself there is what requires the work.
Mental - my goal for this (reading on an e-device) was kind of lame, but I have done that. I have finished 4 books on my Nook this month.
Career (put 10 new books in the library every week) - In the three weeks of the school year, I have placed 83 new books in the school library. I found myself pretty sick of new books by the end of last week, though, so I started on a new project. We'll see if I keep up with 10 new ones this week or if I take a break.
Family (reclaim bedtime routine of reading) - we have gotten back into the routine of reading a book at bedtime during the school week. We finished the first book in the Wings of Fire series (The Dragonet Prophecy) and have started book two.
So far, I am pretty happy with my progress. I feel like I am taking manageable steps to form a life I want for myself and my family. Here's to the next half of the first 52 days!
Saturday, December 1, 2012
SAVOR - an update
I haven't forgotten about my word for the year - SAVOR - although I haven't posted about it in awhile. Once school started, I think I allowed the busy-ness to sweep me along from day to day and week to week and before I knew it, it was December!
I really don't want to wish my life away like that. To look back and wonder where the time went and if I did anything of consequence with the time that I had.
A friend was telling me recently that people in America often plan vacations and they know what they are going to do for every minute they are gone. When they get back, they are miserable. This thing that consumed them in the planning stage for months was over in a blink of an eye.
This I know from experience - it's like planning a wedding. A year of decisions and dreams over in 30 minutes. POOF!
But the thing that caught my attention as I listened to this friend was that even while we are ON the vacation, we wish ourselves into the next step of the trip rather than enjoy the moment we are in.
Ouch!
It's so true. I was so sure my Thanksgiving break would be spent reading and stitching and just "being." But once it was done, I couldn't really tell you what I did with my time. I did not have a stack of books to review for my blog, because I didn't read that much. I did finish a stitching project and I got some Christmas shopping done. But I was often distracted by what was coming, the coming week of school or something else.
I think my best moment of the 5 days I had off from school (5 days! They zoomed by!) was laying on the floor, playing cards with my son. We played only one game, but it was in a moment where I wasn't trying to get something else done or distracted about whatever was coming next. We just played. It was one of the highlights of the long weekend for me. I hope I can build more moments in like that one in the future.
I really don't want to wish my life away like that. To look back and wonder where the time went and if I did anything of consequence with the time that I had.
A friend was telling me recently that people in America often plan vacations and they know what they are going to do for every minute they are gone. When they get back, they are miserable. This thing that consumed them in the planning stage for months was over in a blink of an eye.
This I know from experience - it's like planning a wedding. A year of decisions and dreams over in 30 minutes. POOF!
But the thing that caught my attention as I listened to this friend was that even while we are ON the vacation, we wish ourselves into the next step of the trip rather than enjoy the moment we are in.
Ouch!
It's so true. I was so sure my Thanksgiving break would be spent reading and stitching and just "being." But once it was done, I couldn't really tell you what I did with my time. I did not have a stack of books to review for my blog, because I didn't read that much. I did finish a stitching project and I got some Christmas shopping done. But I was often distracted by what was coming, the coming week of school or something else.
I think my best moment of the 5 days I had off from school (5 days! They zoomed by!) was laying on the floor, playing cards with my son. We played only one game, but it was in a moment where I wasn't trying to get something else done or distracted about whatever was coming next. We just played. It was one of the highlights of the long weekend for me. I hope I can build more moments in like that one in the future.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Project Life
I've blogged before about Becky Higgins' Project Life materials.
A couple weeks ago I got to spend a few hours working on my scrapbooks. I had already put pictures into slots - I just needed to record stories and finalize the picture placement. Once the pieces were in place, and the journalling done, I was so happy with how each layout looked.
I fell in love with the system all over again.
Many people use the system to record a picture each day. That doesn't work for me. I needed something simpler. So I do a page or two per month. If I need more, I can use more. If I need less, so be it. If I want to use one page to talk about one event or one memory, I can do that. If I want to use 6 pages to talk about our vacation, I can.
This probably means I can unload most of the scrapbook supplies I still have. I think I'll be using Project Life for most of my memory keeping from now on.
A couple weeks ago I got to spend a few hours working on my scrapbooks. I had already put pictures into slots - I just needed to record stories and finalize the picture placement. Once the pieces were in place, and the journalling done, I was so happy with how each layout looked.
I fell in love with the system all over again.
Many people use the system to record a picture each day. That doesn't work for me. I needed something simpler. So I do a page or two per month. If I need more, I can use more. If I need less, so be it. If I want to use one page to talk about one event or one memory, I can do that. If I want to use 6 pages to talk about our vacation, I can.
This probably means I can unload most of the scrapbook supplies I still have. I think I'll be using Project Life for most of my memory keeping from now on.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Top 10 Sources of Inspiration
Inspiration is a big deal to me - I crave it. These are some of the things that inspire me.
10. Music - give me a Bach Brandenburg Concerto (#3 is my favorite) or an a capella performance (especially a men's quartet), and I am a happy woman.
9. Photographers - I love to look at photography blogs and the photographs of my friends. One of my favorite parts of our West Wing tour of the White House was staring at the photographs on the walls.
8. Stacy Julian - her philosophy of memory keeping, her class at Big Picture Classes, her crafting space
7. Becky Higgins - her philosophy of memory keeping, her Project Life system, her crafting space (I recently watched a video she did on managing the papers her kids have from school - I was inspired to bring order to my memory keeping chaos)
6. Ali Edwards - her photography, her transparency/openness about her journey, her love of her family
5. Fabric Stores/Quilting Stores/Cross Stitch stores - I love the potential represented by these places. The fabrics, the patterns, the finished samples. I just want to soak them in - just like I wanted to do with the photographs at the White House.
4. The zoo - Seeing different animals makes me appreciate God's limitless creativity. I am especially inspired by birds. I don't know why, but I am drawn to them.
3. Book stores - talk about potential! Words, ideas, pictures in endless configurations!
2. Magazines - just like book stores, magazines give you access to ideas and places and products you never knew existed.
1. Pinterest - every time I tell myself I'm just going to hop on to look for a minute, it turns into an hour or more. Infinite creativity of other people.
What inspires you?
10. Music - give me a Bach Brandenburg Concerto (#3 is my favorite) or an a capella performance (especially a men's quartet), and I am a happy woman.
9. Photographers - I love to look at photography blogs and the photographs of my friends. One of my favorite parts of our West Wing tour of the White House was staring at the photographs on the walls.
8. Stacy Julian - her philosophy of memory keeping, her class at Big Picture Classes, her crafting space
7. Becky Higgins - her philosophy of memory keeping, her Project Life system, her crafting space (I recently watched a video she did on managing the papers her kids have from school - I was inspired to bring order to my memory keeping chaos)
6. Ali Edwards - her photography, her transparency/openness about her journey, her love of her family
5. Fabric Stores/Quilting Stores/Cross Stitch stores - I love the potential represented by these places. The fabrics, the patterns, the finished samples. I just want to soak them in - just like I wanted to do with the photographs at the White House.
4. The zoo - Seeing different animals makes me appreciate God's limitless creativity. I am especially inspired by birds. I don't know why, but I am drawn to them.
3. Book stores - talk about potential! Words, ideas, pictures in endless configurations!
2. Magazines - just like book stores, magazines give you access to ideas and places and products you never knew existed.
1. Pinterest - every time I tell myself I'm just going to hop on to look for a minute, it turns into an hour or more. Infinite creativity of other people.
What inspires you?
Thursday, July 26, 2012
The Grass Is Always Greener
Last week was the beginning of a two week break from school (that still included at least one business stop for about an hour) that my son and I desperately needed.
Just because we weren't AT school didn't mean I wasn't working. I had 5 philosophy books to read and I had to write a 6 page paper. (And this week I have another project that has to be done before school starts - mostly because once students are there, there won't be time to get it done!) So I did that last week along with some cleaning, a trip to the pool, a trip to the bowling alley, and a couple of "play days" for my son. It was a good week.
But it reminded me of summers past and I missed them. Four years ago, we were home together and I wasn't working. Our days were filled with sleeping late, book store dates, tv, games, books, movies, snuggling and just hanging out. In retrospect, it sounds glorious. A twinge of regret and resentment started to settle in my heart.
I want a summer like that again. I want low key, slow-paced.
But a conversation with a friend reminded me of the down side of those days. I was rarely relaxed then. My activities might have given that impression, but on the inside, I was churning. I felt like I wasn't doing enough or doing anything of consequence. I wondered if my life would ever have purpose beyond the walls of my home.
Yeesh! I seriously need some contentment in my life, huh? It all comes back to that SAVOR theme for the year. In fact, I may need to work that theme again next year at the rate I am going! Rather than enjoy the slow pace of summers past, I wished them away, feeling aimless. Rather than enjoying the anticipation of starting a new school year in a job I adore, I am lamenting the work that will facilitate that work.
I still have so much to learn.
Just because we weren't AT school didn't mean I wasn't working. I had 5 philosophy books to read and I had to write a 6 page paper. (And this week I have another project that has to be done before school starts - mostly because once students are there, there won't be time to get it done!) So I did that last week along with some cleaning, a trip to the pool, a trip to the bowling alley, and a couple of "play days" for my son. It was a good week.
But it reminded me of summers past and I missed them. Four years ago, we were home together and I wasn't working. Our days were filled with sleeping late, book store dates, tv, games, books, movies, snuggling and just hanging out. In retrospect, it sounds glorious. A twinge of regret and resentment started to settle in my heart.
I want a summer like that again. I want low key, slow-paced.
But a conversation with a friend reminded me of the down side of those days. I was rarely relaxed then. My activities might have given that impression, but on the inside, I was churning. I felt like I wasn't doing enough or doing anything of consequence. I wondered if my life would ever have purpose beyond the walls of my home.
Yeesh! I seriously need some contentment in my life, huh? It all comes back to that SAVOR theme for the year. In fact, I may need to work that theme again next year at the rate I am going! Rather than enjoy the slow pace of summers past, I wished them away, feeling aimless. Rather than enjoying the anticipation of starting a new school year in a job I adore, I am lamenting the work that will facilitate that work.
I still have so much to learn.
Posted with BlogsyTuesday, May 29, 2012
Wait and Pray
This past Sunday, I woke up far earlier than necessary - something that has happened on the weekends much too often lately. As I lay there, willing myself to go back to sleep, I started praying about various things. Then my mind wandered to all the things I had to do this week at school before the kids finished up for the year and all the things I wanted to get done this summer. In that moment I realized I hadn't once prayed about my priorities for the summer. I knew I had more tasks than time, even if I worked every day of summer break. I also knew I didn't want to work every day of summer break. But it hadn't occurred to me to pray about those tasks.
This past Sunday was also the celebration of Pentecost - the day in the early Church when the Holy Spirit was poured out and many were converted. Some time before this, when the risen Christ was still with them, Jesus told his disciples not to run off after he was gone, moving in their own power to fulfill their calling. Instead, he told them to wait and pray because God was going to send them help - power - for the tasks ahead.
Specifically, Jesus said, "Wait and pray."
Hmmmm. Wait. And pray. Same message, twice in one day - in the span of just a few hours. When that happens, I try to pay attention.
So fair, in my waiting and praying, I have determined that there is one project I was going to start this week that will move forward. Nothing else is scheduled for sure. I started a list of all the things I know I need to do, all the ideas I wanted to do, and the things I would like to get done.
It's a ridiculously long list. I felt the panic building as I wrote it all down in one place and really started looking at it. I started to feel like this was my life:
I really will need at least 4 of me to get everything on that list done this summer. I am so glad this revelation came now and not at the first of August when I am completely exhausted and it's time to get ready for the new year to start.
I don't know how it's all going to come out in the end. There really isn't anything "frivolous" on the list. But I feel better knowing that I don't have to figure it all out on my own.
This past Sunday was also the celebration of Pentecost - the day in the early Church when the Holy Spirit was poured out and many were converted. Some time before this, when the risen Christ was still with them, Jesus told his disciples not to run off after he was gone, moving in their own power to fulfill their calling. Instead, he told them to wait and pray because God was going to send them help - power - for the tasks ahead.
Specifically, Jesus said, "Wait and pray."
Hmmmm. Wait. And pray. Same message, twice in one day - in the span of just a few hours. When that happens, I try to pay attention.
So fair, in my waiting and praying, I have determined that there is one project I was going to start this week that will move forward. Nothing else is scheduled for sure. I started a list of all the things I know I need to do, all the ideas I wanted to do, and the things I would like to get done.
It's a ridiculously long list. I felt the panic building as I wrote it all down in one place and really started looking at it. I started to feel like this was my life:
I don't know how it's all going to come out in the end. There really isn't anything "frivolous" on the list. But I feel better knowing that I don't have to figure it all out on my own.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Project Life - My Way
The "system" includes a binder, divided page protectors and color coordinated cards like the ones shown in the picture above (purchased separately). They come in a box like this (one box per pattern, so you only get one box at a time):
Most people use the system to document a week per set of pages. That didn't appeal to me. To start using the system, I decided to do a month per layout. I went through my 2011 pictures and set them in pages just to block out the sections. Some months there are hardly any pictures so those only have a single page. Some months had more vacation-y type pictures that could be a page or two on their own which nicely balanced the smaller months.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Project Life
This is Project Life - a memory keeping system developed by Becky Higgins.
There are four colors - cobalt (seen here), amber (below), clementine (a bright orange) and turquoise. The binder holds the page protectors (which came in the large white box).
The little white box is what I think is fantastic. The page protectors I bought have four 4x6 spots - two at the top and two at the bottom - with four smaller spots in the middle. The pieces in this little white box fit in those spaces.
This very easily can be memory keeping for those who don't scrapbook while also being a starting point for those who love it.
Yes, the little white box is quite a financial investment (Thankfully, I had some Amazon gift cards to use), but if this system will get my pictures in a book and out of little paper envelopes, it's worth it!
The little white box is what I think is fantastic. The page protectors I bought have four 4x6 spots - two at the top and two at the bottom - with four smaller spots in the middle. The pieces in this little white box fit in those spaces.
This very easily can be memory keeping for those who don't scrapbook while also being a starting point for those who love it.
Yes, the little white box is quite a financial investment (Thankfully, I had some Amazon gift cards to use), but if this system will get my pictures in a book and out of little paper envelopes, it's worth it!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Personal Mission Statement
I have posted before about my quest for a personal mission statement. It started when I said yes to something I didn't completely understand and found myself trapped by a commitment I shouldn't have made.
I have read Michael Hyatt's blog entry about a Life Plan. I have read Laurie Beth Jones' book called The Path: Creating Your Mission Statement for Work and for Life
and used some of the tools on her website. I was still struggling with a mission statement that worked. I knew it had to reflect who I am today, but also leave room for the future. It had to work in general terms where the specifics could flow with the different seasons of life. I was set on verbs like "create," "inspire," and "nurture" but I couldn't get anything else to work. So I set it aside.
This winter I started thinking about what I wanted to do with my writing students this spring. My project idea for last fall did not go over well with my students and I was feeling like I did when I was trapped in the commitment I mentioned above - floundering with the best of intentions but poor execution.
So I took a few days and crafted a mission statement for Writing Club: The purpose of Creative Writing Club at [School] is to encourage self-expression and foster a love of stories and story-telling. I'm not running an English class - they have regular teachers for that. I want a place where students can write what is in their hearts and minds, regardless of form. It also works with the books I try to share with students as examples (and to introduce them to new material they might like).
Wow. It felt great! I felt like I could use that as the core for my future planning and promotion - as well a starting point for myself.
And now I have a personal mission statement - well, at least a draft. I'm about 85% sure this is a good reflection of who God has created me to be. Here it is:
I am called and equipped to
I'd love to know what you think, or hear about your own efforts toward building a personal mission statement!
I have read Michael Hyatt's blog entry about a Life Plan. I have read Laurie Beth Jones' book called The Path: Creating Your Mission Statement for Work and for Life
and used some of the tools on her website. I was still struggling with a mission statement that worked. I knew it had to reflect who I am today, but also leave room for the future. It had to work in general terms where the specifics could flow with the different seasons of life. I was set on verbs like "create," "inspire," and "nurture" but I couldn't get anything else to work. So I set it aside.This winter I started thinking about what I wanted to do with my writing students this spring. My project idea for last fall did not go over well with my students and I was feeling like I did when I was trapped in the commitment I mentioned above - floundering with the best of intentions but poor execution.
So I took a few days and crafted a mission statement for Writing Club: The purpose of Creative Writing Club at [School] is to encourage self-expression and foster a love of stories and story-telling. I'm not running an English class - they have regular teachers for that. I want a place where students can write what is in their hearts and minds, regardless of form. It also works with the books I try to share with students as examples (and to introduce them to new material they might like).
Wow. It felt great! I felt like I could use that as the core for my future planning and promotion - as well a starting point for myself.
And now I have a personal mission statement - well, at least a draft. I'm about 85% sure this is a good reflection of who God has created me to be. Here it is:
I am called and equipped to
- inspire others to self-discovery
- encourage in others self-expression
- foster in others a love of stories and story-telling.
I'd love to know what you think, or hear about your own efforts toward building a personal mission statement!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Project Life 2011
Crafty blogs have been buzzing for weeks about Project Life 2011. You can see a video about it here. This sort of thing appeals to my organizational nature and also to the type of scrapbooker I have become.
When my son was born, I scrapbooked everything. If I took a picture of it, it got glued to a piece of paper and put in a book. It was fun, it was creative, and it was exhausting. I couldn't keep it up. So I stopped.
Then I took some classes at Big Picture Classes and I realized that I could record stories and feelings as they occurred or as I was inspired. I could also leave pictures out or not even print them. It was liberating.
When I saw Becky Higgins explain this kit in the video I posted above, I thought this was a perfect method of scrapbooking for those who don't have time or the inclination to scrapbook but who want their pictures - and maybe their stories - in a book where they could be enjoyed.
Simple. Coordinated. Lovely.
Amazon is sold out of the kits right now - I don't even know what they cost. But they are supposed to be back in stock "soon" - maybe by the end of the month. Check them out if you are looking for something like this in your life!
When my son was born, I scrapbooked everything. If I took a picture of it, it got glued to a piece of paper and put in a book. It was fun, it was creative, and it was exhausting. I couldn't keep it up. So I stopped.
Then I took some classes at Big Picture Classes and I realized that I could record stories and feelings as they occurred or as I was inspired. I could also leave pictures out or not even print them. It was liberating.
When I saw Becky Higgins explain this kit in the video I posted above, I thought this was a perfect method of scrapbooking for those who don't have time or the inclination to scrapbook but who want their pictures - and maybe their stories - in a book where they could be enjoyed.
Simple. Coordinated. Lovely.
Amazon is sold out of the kits right now - I don't even know what they cost. But they are supposed to be back in stock "soon" - maybe by the end of the month. Check them out if you are looking for something like this in your life!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
One Word
A couple weeks ago I posted about my "word of the year." The idea comes from Ali Edwards - you can go to her blog here and read about her word for 2011 and words from some of her readers. Here you can see the list of words people have submitted for 2011. My post for 2010 is here.
My word for this year - 2011 - is "choice" or "choose." It came to me in early December.
I was really struggling in a lot of ways with God and where to find God in difficult life circumstances. We had been singing in church that Sunday "God is able," and the only thing I could think was, "But is he willing?" How many people have prayed for solutions to life's difficulties and not seen them go they way they hoped?
I knew (and know) in my head that God is there through those struggles and in the alternate routes that life takes, but I was still stuck with that question and how to relate to God in that mindset.
I spent one afternoon in the pick up line at my son's school flipping through a small book of affirmations I made in April of 2009 - just looking for something. It is full of scriptures, altered to be statements of faith and, well, affirmation. This one - the last in the book - hung with me in the midst of my struggle: "I am surrounded and supported by a great cloud of witnesses so I can throw off everything that hinders me and the sin that entangles me. I choose to run with perseverance the race marked out for me. I fix my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith." [Hebrews 11: 1&2]
Did you catch it? "I choose to run..." That one word changed everything for me in that moment. I can choose to be stuck or I can choose to keep walking forward, even with all of my questions. I get to choose my attitude.
Not sure what my "project" will be to cement this word in my day to day life for 2011, but stay tuned. There will be something when inspiration strikes.
[Side note - here is a blog entry from someone else doing a word for the new year. And here is another entry at Ali's site where she posts a recording of someone reading the words - great! And another favorite blogger talks about her word here.]
My word for this year - 2011 - is "choice" or "choose." It came to me in early December.
I was really struggling in a lot of ways with God and where to find God in difficult life circumstances. We had been singing in church that Sunday "God is able," and the only thing I could think was, "But is he willing?" How many people have prayed for solutions to life's difficulties and not seen them go they way they hoped?
I knew (and know) in my head that God is there through those struggles and in the alternate routes that life takes, but I was still stuck with that question and how to relate to God in that mindset.
I spent one afternoon in the pick up line at my son's school flipping through a small book of affirmations I made in April of 2009 - just looking for something. It is full of scriptures, altered to be statements of faith and, well, affirmation. This one - the last in the book - hung with me in the midst of my struggle: "I am surrounded and supported by a great cloud of witnesses so I can throw off everything that hinders me and the sin that entangles me. I choose to run with perseverance the race marked out for me. I fix my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith." [Hebrews 11: 1&2]
Did you catch it? "I choose to run..." That one word changed everything for me in that moment. I can choose to be stuck or I can choose to keep walking forward, even with all of my questions. I get to choose my attitude.
Not sure what my "project" will be to cement this word in my day to day life for 2011, but stay tuned. There will be something when inspiration strikes.
[Side note - here is a blog entry from someone else doing a word for the new year. And here is another entry at Ali's site where she posts a recording of someone reading the words - great! And another favorite blogger talks about her word here.]
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Just for the boys
Found some things online recently at my favorite websites that might appeal to the boys in your life. I am always looking for things for my favorite little boy!
Boys Tool Belt
This is a tool belt you can make, if you are so inclined. I think it is pretty cute. Younger boys would definitely love it (6 and under), and so might older boys who want to work with Dad on a project or who like to imagine being a builder.
Argyle Tee
Cute little do-it-yourself idea for adding argyle to a plain tee or onesie. Very cute. Could be fun to do for kids in a family to have matching shirts for portraits.
Boys Rule Boys Read!
I may post this link again when I talk about favorite book sites, but since this one is targeted especially to boys, I thought I would post it here, too. Great book recommendations for the boys in your life! Another site about books for boys is here.
Boys Tool Belt
This is a tool belt you can make, if you are so inclined. I think it is pretty cute. Younger boys would definitely love it (6 and under), and so might older boys who want to work with Dad on a project or who like to imagine being a builder.
Argyle Tee
Cute little do-it-yourself idea for adding argyle to a plain tee or onesie. Very cute. Could be fun to do for kids in a family to have matching shirts for portraits.
Boys Rule Boys Read!
I may post this link again when I talk about favorite book sites, but since this one is targeted especially to boys, I thought I would post it here, too. Great book recommendations for the boys in your life! Another site about books for boys is here.
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