Yesterday was the day it kind of sunk in, hard. Time is flying by. I have known that for years but it is gaining momentum quickly.
My daughter's boyfriend bought his first truck. He is a wonderful, responsible young man and has been working really hard to get to this point. He came over last night with his mom and dad and we all had dinner together. When they were leaving, as he was driving off, I was shocked at the reality of it all. He is the same age that my husband was when we started dating. There are so many similarities between the two of them ( my daughter and her boyfriend) and me and my husband. It is eerie.
I have to say that I wasn't planning on them dating, we planned on doing the whole "homeschool courting" thing, but such as life, it didn't happen that way. But from the beginning I have had a peace about it. I could not ask for any young man to treat our daughter better or to love her more. I hope and pray that they have as much fun and love each other as much as me and my husband love each other. The fun isn't always there when you get older and life hits you, but with a true love, it makes it much better that if you were alone.
As the time flies by , I will try to soak it all in and love them all deeply!
We had a wonderful day today. We went and bought a ton of flagstone rocks to make a sitting area out back, got two big bags of gravel and then worked in the yard a few hours. I am so excited to be getting things fixed up around here . I feel much more at ease, like I can rest a little, when things are taken care of first.
We then headed out with the kids, that usually always means my daughter's boyfriend too, and went to Oktoberfest . We had some fun there but honestly, it was too crowded and hectic for me . I did enjoy us all being together though. Anytime we can be together it doesn't matter where we go or what we do, I count it as a blessing. We ran into a high school friend who is a really neat guy but seems to be lost at this time of his life. It was so sad to see him like that after being raised in the church and so dedicated to his faith during his younger years. We plan on hanging out with him more and getting to know him again. It's been way too long since we've seen him.
I have still been making Christmas gifts. Today I made shampoo. It calls for 2 tsp. almond oil, 2 cups Dr. Bronner soap, and 2 cups coconut milk. It's pretty good but I forgot to use apple cider vinegar as a rinse to balance out the ph, so my hair feels like bad doll hair. But at least I'm learning on me before I give it as a gift to someone else.
These are our furry family members. I wanted to introduce them so you know why we will have very little extra cash for spending this month. It will cost $600 dollars for their heartworm tests and their medications. But they are totally worth it. Anyway, there they are. Onto the real post!
I am continuing on in my Kingdom Woman online book study and it has been great. I need to be filled with His word and in His word so that when I am at home dealing things and then especially when I leave my house I am better equipped and ready to deal with life. It is usually good but sometimes I need to call on scripture to fight off my fleshly ways. This usually looks like asking myself if I am acting in accordance with the Fruits of the Spirit. The book study and all the women that are taking it are helping me on this journey.
Today Chyrstal was asking what areas we push ourselves too hard and what areas could we improve and maybe try harder. I have a fairly easy time answering this one because I just came out of a season, a few years that is, of learning to let go. It didn't happen easily, and I can't say it was a ton of fun, but I do know for sure that God knows exactly what I need and He has been busy with me.
I have tried to learn to let the house get messy, let the baseboards stay in need of touching up, let the kids have cereal sometimes, let the dogs stink and need a bath, let the garage be a mess, let the laundry sit at the end of my bed and actually go to sleep without doing it, and to try to chill out in many other areas I wanted to control before. This is just a small list of the hundreds of things I am trying to relax about.
I know my husband and my kids would rather have a pleasant , happy person to be around than a grouchy person with a clean house. The time is going to fast , I want to enjoy it and not miss it because I am scrubbing and complaining .
I have let go of so much pressure and negative self-talk, trying to take my thoughts captive and really making time to be in the Word . Not just being a check-the-box and follow-these-rules person, but really taking time to pray and listen. Then listen and pray. It has really grown me and helped me learn a lot more about what areas I need to work on.
I haven't got it all figured out, I'm far from knowing very much, but I do know who is in control, and it sure isn't me.That has been the message LOUD and clear. I am grateful that He loves me enough to teach me the things He wants me to learn.
My mother-in-law invited us over for a big family supper today. It was so nice of her to do all that hard work. My sister-in-law and her husband did the grilling and my father-in-law contributed to the fun as well. :)
I have been very busy working on Christmas gifts. Right now I am making felted wool dryer balls . They are so easy and fun to make. Good news is, they use essential oils instead of chemicals, cut way down on costs, and speed up drying time. I will post a picture when I have them ready.
Today is our second, or third, Friday to pray for each other. It is such a wonderful thing to read all of the requests and to see all the other women pray.
I had a great day today buying baby clothes for my great niece. One of our favorite resale stores has a $5 bag sale and I woke up an hour before I had intended and got there super early. Then I got to come home and look at all those cute clothes. What a blessing.
Our discussion today was about hope, value and excellence. Chrystal explained how the gymnasts that we see at the Olympics probably dedicate 8-10 hours a day to their sport. This lends itself to excellence in that area. I know we can't spend that much time a day in prayer, but it is an example to earnestly seek the things that draw us and others to God. I think it boils down to priorities. I have a motto that I learned few years back. Many people knew it long before me. "When you say yes to one thing you are saying no to something else." That's not bad, but if you hold it up against your standards and goals does what you're doing with your time measure up.
Here is my list of priorities.
1. God. This includes quiet time, Bible study, serving and anything else that keeps our eyes on God.
2. My husband and my kids. If I am given money for household needs ( groceries, clothes, decor, whatever our home needs to run) I am to be diligent in how I manage our house while my husband is away at work. My children are also an area I am commanded to be dedicated in disciplining and guiding. This is no easy chore but one that I am thankful to have and I take it seriously. I love my kiddos a bunch! My duty to love and honor my husband is not one that I take lightly. I try very hard to be available and positive for him.
3. Family and friends. This includes extended family and friends. Cultivating and keeping the relationships that I cherish.
4. Health and wellness. This is the trouble area. Taking time to take care of me. I fail at this one daily.
So , if I get an offer to do an activity, a class, to hang out with friends or family, whatever the thing is that takes me away from the home, I measure it against this list. If it enhances any of these, great! If not, I try to see if it is best or necessary for me and/or the family. Lots of things will come up and lots of things might be fun, but do they get in the way of us fulfilling our goals. Then I have my answer.
When I am gone, I want to leave a legacy. Even if you're not conscious of it, you'll leave one. Will it be the legacy you WANT to leave? It takes some planning and I have to be intentional about our choices.
Everyone that knows me knows that I'm VEEEEEEERY far from perfect, far from getting it right, but God knows I try!
As we all journey together on this road to being a Kingdom Woman, the question was asked about our ability to surrender and what it has meant to us? As usual, there were many excellent responses and stories of God's amazing grace. There were stories of transplants God arranged , moms trying to let go of expectations and fear, so many great stories from women being real.
My story is a pretty easy one to tell. I was a worrier, health nut, fear-based-liver, on the road to trusting completely!
You see, God knew my weak spot. When people asked how I was doing, my response was always the same. "We are all healthy so life is good." I really said that all the time. Counting my blessings that we were all healthy. But God knew that was a weakness, a fear. What if I wasn't well? Could I still say life is good? Yes! After Lyme Disease and some years of practice. I can say it is still good even if I have to surrender it all to Him. I know He loves me and wants what is best for me and this is part of my training for what He needs me to do later, for His glory. I don't know what it is but He does and that's all that matters!
I have a quote that I found today.
Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be.
I am always amazed at myself. Not in a good way but in a surprised way.
Looking at this blog you can see how inconsistent and scattered I can be. Not with school, home or relationships, just with some things. Now let me explain why I am even here again.
I am thinking that this time might be different. Maybe I have arrived at a place and time in my life where I can follow through with a hobby, a goal. We will see.
I have started a new book study with a wonderful group of women. All online, mostly all strangers to each other, until now. We are praying for each other, learning and growing. It is wonderful to see the power of women praying for each other and exciting to see what God has planned. The book is Kingdom Woman by Chrystal Evans Hurst and her dad, Tony Evans. I have really enjoyed the book but my biggest enjoyment is honestly seeing these women pray for each other, it is so encouraging.
