Returning

Well, let's just say the last few years have gone by in a blink.  But on the other hand they've also felt like an eternity.  It's interesting how time works like that isn't it?

Now that I've finally updated a few things on here, I will be trying to post more regularly.  I'm not going to make any promises because I know that time is like sand and slips through our fingers before we know it.   And no matter how hard we try to grasp it or slow it down, the clock just keeps ticking along.  

How is 'time' moving for you today?  Fast or slow?  Find just a moment to breathe and enjoy your Creator!

Blessings,

BONUS:  Here's a song for you from our gal Tricia Brock of Superchick!

Without You

I really like the whole album, so go get it HERE!

Not Forgotten

So, yes, now it's been almost THREE months since I've been on here.  I so miss having the time to write (or taking the time to write) - but for now, writing is a hobby for me.  And I guess with everything else going on, I've had to put this hobby on hold.  I AM taking time for another hobby these days though....and, it will actually be the last time I do this hobby for a looong time.  I'm making my last counted cross-stitch birth announcement for this baby #4.  My time is running out so I have been trying to work on that as much as I can.  Once that is done and we get over the whole 'new baby' hump, I'm assuming I will have some time for writing again.  Yay!

Some topics I've been thinking about writing on:

Addicted to Stress
Boundaries for Working Women
Conflict: To Say or Not To Say, That is the Question
Your 'Calling'


I've also got a playlist a mile long I'd like to share with you...so maybe I'll try to reinstate "4 Worship Fridays" at the very least. 

Blessings!

Oops...

I guess with being sick so much lately I forgot that I had some work to do still in the Submissive Wife post #4.  haha  I hope you got a kick out of my 'INSERT SCRIPTURE HERE' notes for myself!! 

If you'd like to read the post WITH the Scripture references filled in...instead of my writing notes, please click here. 

And thanks for being patient with me!  I'm still getting this blogging thing figured out....that is, how it fits in with what I'm already trying to accomplish in life!

Blessings,
Amy

Disclosure Statement

Saw this on another blog and thought what the hey!  I better have one too...cuz I'm so important you know.  Not.

This policy is valid from 20 September 2010


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Social Media Revolution

Think blogging is insignificant? Think Tweeting is a joke?  Aren't sure what Bebo, StumbleUpon, Furl, Digg, or or Mixx are? 

I saw this over at Seven Clown Circus, a blog I follow. Very intereting indeed.  I'll keep my words to a minimum and let the video do the talking. 

Who Moved My Cheese?

So I'm blogging along, trying to get some posts done.  Updating this and that.

I need to copy something from here and paste it to there.  Except my 'here' doesn't look quite right.  Actually it's downright boring.

What happened?

My 'Cutest Blog on the Block' wasn't so cute anymore.  Apparently they declutter every now and then, getting rid of templates that aren't being used very much.  Or something. 

Needless to say, I have an updated look now.  Hope you like it!  :)


Speaking of decluttering, we did some decluttering in my daughter's room this weekend.  If you would like to 'declutter', my good friend Flylady has some wonderful tips on that here called 'How to Declutter'.  She also says to remember that your house didn't get this dirty overnight, so it's not going to get decluttered and clean overnight either.

But, wouldn't that be oh, so dreamy if it did?  Nitey nite, piles of papers and dust bunnies hiding in the corners.  I WON'T see you in the morning!  haha


BTW, if you'd like to read the book with the same title as this post, check it out here at Amazon.

A Day of Rest

The weekend is here!  I'm not going to be making a habit of posting on Saturdays, but today is different.  My DH is gone and it's a certain time of the month, so I'm not going to work as hard as I normally would on a Saturday.  And I'm not even going to feel the least bit guilty about it (okay, maybe an eentsie weentsie bit) because today is H - O - T and I'm low on iron/energy AND I have worship team tomorrow morning where I'll get to wake up EARLY and drag 3 kids to church by myself because the sleepover at Grandma's has been cancelled due to Grandma being sick. 

So today is a day of rest.  Well, kind of.

I am catching up on some computer work that has patiently been waiting for me to attend to. 

I am constantly giving thanks that our air-conditioning is working, and working well I might add.  It's a hot 94 here with plenty of humidity for SD.

I have already gotten a wonderful nap while my little guy was taking his snooze. 

I am looking forward to the fun the 'big kids' and I have planned for the evening.  And, I'm planning on having everything in order for an early night to bed in preparation for our busy morning tomorrow. 

Exodus 31:15 NIV

For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD.

God has commanded us to take a day of rest.  A day to remember all that He has done for us.  A day to rest from the work we've just completed during the past week.  A day to rejuvenate our bodies in preparation for what is to come in the week ahead. 

It's hard to sit still when you've been TOLD to, isn't it?  I have a child who, even at 8, has trouble sitting still most of the time.  She'll probably use that energy to get alot accomplished as she grows up.  She's like her dad in that way.  Then of course there's the 20 month-old in our house.  Every kid that age has trouble sitting still!  haha
 
But God has commanded we take time to rest.  He even provided an example for us very early in His Holy "How To" Manual...

Genesis 2:2-3 NIV
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.  And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

So even though we're used to going, going, going....trying to be multitasking maniacs who try to tackle the world with our to-do lists, we're supposed to stop.  Take a breath.   A long breath.

And rest.

Spending time reflecting on our holy God and what He has done for us in the past week.  Spending time talking to our Abba Father who cares for us and loves us completely and crazily. 

What do you do on your day of rest?  How do you spend some extra time with God? 

I've read stories of people who spend most of the day in prayer and study. 

I know many people who gather together in time of worship and encourage each other in their struggles, trials, and temptations of daily walking with Him.

I know of men who commit to getting the lawn mowed on one of the other 6 days of the week. 

I know of women who commit to not shopping AT ALL on the Lord's day - no matter how good of a sale it is.

I know of businesses who close their doors because the thought of bringing in an income on the Sabbath revolts them.



What do you do on your day of rest?

How do you spend some extra time with your God?

who AM i? Part 2

My getting more organized lately has been part of an 'identity' crisis - I have been pondering my purpose/mission/goals/etc lately and have not gotten far. See, I used to be the kind of gal who would get lots of things done, who was on this committee and that committee, organizing events left and right. You know the type...seemingly, almost annoyingly, on top of things to a T.

Well, I am definitely NOT on top of things anymore. For awhile I thought it was because of an incident that occured back in the spring of 2007. But now that's been 3 years, so I can't blame that anymore. Then I was thinking it was because of the new little guy in our clan. But he's 20 months old now, so I can't blame it on him anymore either. I've run out of things to put the blame on and am left only with myself. That is never good - or fun, for that matter. Because then the questions start....

So am I just getting older and wiser and know how to better discern what I should be doing? Or am I getting lazy and that's why I don't do as much as I used to?

Have I turned into this shy, scared person or am I just leary of opening up to people because of past hurts done to me?

Who am I becoming? Who do I WANT to become?

Why do I feel so off-kilter still?

How can I get back to how I was....or should I even be trying to do that? I certainly don't want to be like the star quarterback from high school still trying to live out the glory days 20 years later. haha

How can I BEST use my gifts/talents for the Lord? How can I BEST serve in my home, church and community? I only have so much time...

What do you do when the questions attack you? Do you talk it out with someone close to you or to lots of different people? Do you retaliate with the promises of God? Do you just ignore them and plug ahead, losing yourself in the busyness of each day?

who AM i? Part 1

FINALLY...I am getting on here to write a post! In my lackadaisical writing, I have at least noticed a pattern - I think of something to write about, talk it out in my head, and then never take the time to sit down and write it out. If I'd posted all the things I'd thought of in the last two weeks, I would definitely have more than '2' posts for June at this point. Needless to say, I have developed quite a respect for those who blog regularly. :) I wonder if they make Metamucil for blogging? Then maybe I'd be more regular.... haha

I have been trying to get more organized lately. Yes, me getting more organized. Those who know me well might say I am a 'BO', or Born-Organized as the Flylady calls it, and that I don't need to get "more" organized. Well, let's just say being married to a not-naturally-organized man for 15 years has had an effect on me. He's rubbed off on me a bit and I'm not nearly as organized as I used to be. AND, in all honesty, I am only 'mostly organized'...there are things I'm great at organizing and then there are things I have trouble getting/staying organized with. For example I've always struggled with paper things...where to put this, where to put that, and golly, if it's really important I better leave it in this pile here so I don't forget about it. If I put it away in a folder it could become a victim of "Out of sight, out of mind" and not get paid on time, dealt with on time, filed in the right place. I've also become more of a 'I'll put it here for now and deal with it later' kind of person....and that's thanks to Rick-o. Happy Anniversary honey!! haha

Anyway, I've been reading "Secrets to Getting More Done in Less Time" by Donna Otto and found the most interesting concept in there. She had me write down my priorities...things only I, Amy, could do. Here they are:

- I alone am responsible for my relationship with God.
- I alone am responsible for who I am. I have to provide myself with the intellectual and spiritula stimulation to become all that I can be.
- I alone can be Rick's wife. Other people will be his friends, his colleagues, his teachers but I am the only one who can love and care for him as his wife.
- I alone can be A, B, and S's mother. Other people will influence their lives, but only I can give them a mother's love and care and thereby fulfill my responsiblity to them.
- I alone can manage my household. I might have a housekeeper or a husband who helps around the house. Nevertheless, I am ultimately responsible for managing my household.
- I alone can be Joan's daughter, Kris' sister, and other relationships to family members.
- I alone can take care of the books for the clinic. No one else can do my job for me - it is my responsibility to see that the clinic isn't losing money because of late bills, employees, etc.

I found this very helpful...to refocus on what only I can do. It is so easy to get distracted with or pulled away by the many other things that need doing - do you struggle with this as well? But there are things OTHER people can do; things that I don't absolutely need to do. In the past, when I found myself having to decide on adding something new to my 'plate' of responsibilities, I would remember my saying 'yes' to the something else was saying 'no' to another thing (and that usually ended up being our family or my responsibilities at home - is it that way for you too?). So now I can think of saying 'no' to new opportunities that may come my way as me in actuality saying 'yes' to my list of priorities.

I challenge you to make a list of priorities...things only YOU can do. And then, to remember that list the next time you're tempted to seek out recognition through your accomplishments, seek fulfillment through a social life, or seek to prove you're 'Super-Woman' by adding one more responsibility to your already overloaded plate.

To Be Continued... (hopefully sooner than later)