Well, as you can see I got almost nothing done yesterday. My daughter and I spend hours trying to get rid of an infection on her computer. And we still didn't get it done. We may have to have it looked at. I can't believe how stubborn these malware can be! Her husband is doing college classes online so they really need this fixed. That's why it got priority.
I may put this list (and add to it) in my sidebar. It makes me want to get it done when it's out there for all to see!
I'd really like to post daily here. At least during the week. But today is not the day to start it. My to-do list is pretty huge. And I'm pretty determined. So we'll see.
This is my two week plan. Of course there will be normal activities of daily living thrown in there. But I'm starting first with a printable calendar and plugging this stuff into various days. I'll try to update on my progress.
-Fix Jessica's computer (malware infection)
-Quick grocery trip
-Spend 1 hour with daughter on project
-Oversee all major schoolwork
-Lesson plan for history
-Spend 2 hours cleaning at least 2 days a week
-Make a two week meal plan
-Bills
-Place a book order
-Wax
-Get all Fall vegetable in deck planters
-Start on Christmas list
-Change and wash sheets
-Spend 1 hour daily on getting the girls rooms in shape (including buying paint and supplies, painting and getting every nook and cranny cleaned out and organized)
-Take big quilts to laundry mat
-Finish sewing projects
-Spend 1 hour a week organizing computer/school room
No. Not my house. Which is what needs to be done. But I'm going to spiff up a few things around the old blog today. I've got some computer work to do anyway (fliers for church activities) so I'll try to multitask. Since it's still too wet to do much laundry. My poor septic tank doesn't take kindly to all the flooding.
As I'm sure I've mentioned before, I get the most lovely comments and emails most times. People asking questions or helping me to clarify things that I've written that may not be as clear as I'd thought they were.
Of course I sometimes get the odd comments as well. I don't publish them because they seem to be computer generated or just so off the wall that I have a hard time following them.
But then sometimes I get a comment that I feel like deserves more of an answer than what I can give in the reply section underneath it.
On January 2 of this year I got this anonymous comment in regards to My Homemaking Philosophy Post:
"I agree with ou on some parts but why must everything have something to do with God ? Not everyone believes in God .I am one of them I believe in myself.AgainI do think along the lines as you do that home is work but I believe in myself and not God."
I didn't respond to it at the time because the blog wasn't active, but I didn't want to put it through either and not respond to it. I wish the person had left an email address so that I could write them personally, but they did not.
While I don't feel obligated to answer every question I get, something about this one sorta got to me. And I've thought on it off and on since I received it.
Why must everything have something to do with God?
I went back and reread the post and while I do mention God and prayer, it certainly didn't feel like the theme of what I had written.
But I am so honored that someone read it that way.
My diligent, constant prayer is that someone may see God's light shine through me or my family.
I want God in every thought. In every action. In every inaction. In every word that escapes my lips and the ones that I'm able to hold back.
I want God in every breath I take.
I see God in the clouds and in the wind and rain. I see Him in the stunning blue sky and the rays of sunshine streaming though the leaves. I see Him in the dew on the grass and in the new spring buds on the trees. I see Him in the splendor of the leaves blowing off the trees in late fall.
I hear Him in the rushing of a river and the crash of the ocean waves. I hear Him in the singing of the birds and the giggles of little children. I hear Him in the quiet of the seasons first snowfall.
I feel God in the quiet of the morning and the quiet of the night. I feel Him as we gather at church or with friends. I feel Him so strongly when I watch my husband be the father to our daughters that I'd always hoped. I feel Him when things are going perfectly. And I feel Him when things feel like they're falling apart. I feel Him when I'm on my knees praying and sometimes even when I'm writing a blog post.
So why must everything have something to do with God? Because everything does have something to do with God.
I hope that anonymous somehow finds their way back here and can feel the prayers for them. Knowing God is unlike anything you'll ever be able to find on your own.
May the peace of God surround you this and every day.
It seems you can't open a mom blog anywhere that doesn't mention time. And more than likely, lack of time. There are whole websites dedicated to organization and time management. And obviously different things work for different people.
This is an area with which I still struggle. Truth is, I tend to be awfully stubborn and when something "works" I never want to let it go. So I can have a beautiful schedule down with most things in my life sailing along and then a big change happens and I struggle to squish the old schedule into the new plan. How does that work? Usually not so well.
Take for instance last fall. Things were going along quite nicely. I had a (typewritten) schedule for the younger girls and I. And then on October 10th, my oldest daughter came home with a ring on her finger. She had gotten engaged. I plan to write some about planning a (quite large) wedding on a budget, but for the topic of this post lets just say that it threw our schedule off just a wee bit.
And while the wedding was beautiful and moving and more than any of us had hoped it would be, it is over. Truth be told, it was over on May 23rd. And we've still not gotten back into a good groove. Now granted, there was packing and moving and bedroom shifts and painting (still to be done) and furniture to buy and emotions to try to handle. But it was May 23rd. So while there is still more than "normal" to do around here, it's time to get a grip. And the only way I know to do that is to prioritize.
Of course, God is first in my life. Then my family. But I'm not specifically talking about that kind of prioritization. I'm talking about *after* that.
And since we almost never eat out, I'm going to try to start back with a menu plan. It creates such stress trying to figure out dinner at the last minute. Why I allow myself to get out of the habit of menu planning is beyond me.
So that's step one.
Wish me luck.
Our sermon at Church yesterday was on prayer. The various ways we pray and the things for which we ask. It was moving and powerful. Our Pastor also talked about how he feels that God nudges him from time to time. And maybe more often than that and he simply doesn't notice it. But that many times when he feels that nudge and answers whatever small seeming call, he is enormously blessed and grateful. And how important it is to be mindful of the nudges of God.
It's happened to me a few times that I've gotten "close" to a blogger and then they've closed up shop. Sometimes saying why, sometimes not. I may have never left a comment on their writings but I've felt ridiculously close with them. Maybe prayed for them in various situations. Certainly laughed with them and rooted them on in areas of their lives that they've been willing to share. And when they were gone it was almost like I mourned. I missed them.
To all that have written me saying that you missed me, prayed for me, and hoped I'd come back....thank you. I hope I responded to all of you via email. I certainly tried to do so. I can't understand why anyone would be interested in the things that I write. But I suppose that all is not for us to understand.
I don't feel worthy to be looked at as an older woman with any kind of wisdom. The truth is that I'm 43 and have a daughter that is grown and married, along with a teenage daughter and a preteen daughter. So I suppose that while I feel youthful and ignorant in many ways of life, I might have something to share. Even if it's nothing but what NOT to do as learned by me the hard way.
I've felt a nudge for a while. To come back here. To write a little as I feel called to do so. And I won't ignore the nudge anymore.
Thank you all for the beautiful emails you've written me. I've missed you too.
