|
|
Homemade bread sticks
 I've been experimenting making homemade bread sticks recently. Yesterday, I made a recipe that is almost a keeper. I used my homemade pizza crust recipe and rolled it out into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle. Then, I sliced it in 1-inch strips lengthwise and one long cut in half widthwise and brush it with 2 Tbsp. melted butter. I baked these for 10 minutes at 450 degrees and brushed with another 2 Tbsp. butter as soon as these came out of the oven. They were delicious, soft, and went wonderfully with homemade pizza. Best of all, I just made a double-batch of the dough and used one for pizza crust and one for bread sticks. My only critique was that they tasted a little salty. Next time, I might try upping the sugar in the recipe to make it a little sweeter. Now, if only I could figure out a way to replicate Olive Garden's bread sticks, I'd be a really happy camper. Anyone out there have a winner bread stick recipe they'd like to share? Labels: Recipes
The myth of "having it all together"
I always find it rather amusing when someone will write me about how I have it "all together". Apparently you missed my living room this morning (I can't believe I'm posting this picture, but for the sake of keeping it real, here you go.):  My heart's desire is to glorify the Lord as a wife, mom, and homemaker. I want to bless my husband, wisely raise my children, and be a skilled homemaker. And I want to do all of those things well. However, I'm learning that I can't do it all well all of the time. None of us can, in fact. We all have struggles and difficult days. We all have days when we wish we could throw in the towel--if we could only find a clean one! I was so blessed to get to visit with a wise mother of many recently. She encouraged me so much by sharing how their life has changed as their children have gotten older and how much easier it is for her to do so many things that she never could have done when she only had young children. One thing which especially stuck with me was her comment, "If a mom in your season of life looks like she has it all together all the time, something is suffering drastically somewhere."Do you know what a blessing these words were to hear? I've struggled with many feelings of inadequacy since having my second child because I just can't do it all; I've had to cut back in so many areas, and let so many other things go. And I've struggled with guilt over this, thinking thoughts like: If I only tried harder, got up earlier, was more organized... then maybe I could "get my act together". While I should certainly strive for organization and definitely am not condoning laziness, I'm slowly learning in this season of my life there's no way our home can always look immaculate all the time. I might as well just cheerfully accept this fact, otherwise, I'll constantly be frustrated over the spilled juice, tracked-in mud, and stained laundry. What matters more in Eternity? That my home and life looked perfect and all my ducks were in a row, or that I overlooked some of the cookie crumbs, marks on the wall, and dirty dishes in order to love on my children, bless my husband, and have a vibrant relationship with the Lord? So, do I have it all together? Not by a long stretch. But I'm learning it's much better to let go of perfectionism and start resting in the perfect peace Christ can give me--even when my house looks like a stuff bomb exploded! I'd love to hear from the rest of you: How do you overcome feelings of perfectionism and inadequacies? What advice would you "older moms" have for us young moms in this area?Related: After I wrote this post, I found my friend FishMama had written something in a similar vein today here. Good stuff. Labels: Home Management and Organization
I'm back!
After almost three weeks of near-absence from the blogosphere, I'm so excited to be back! And what a wonderful, tiring, stretching, and interesting three weeks it's been! Here are just a few pictures to give you a tiny glimpse into a few things which transpired:  We were privileged to get to meet Monica, Carrie, and their children while they were visiting family in the Kansas City area.  Kathrynne enjoyed getting to spend time with other girls--most of our friends have boys, so getting to play with girls around her age is a special treat!  Kaitlynn enjoyed eating at Chick-fil-A. Though, poor thing, because of her stomach issues (she can't touch fried foods with a ten-foot pole or else she will be throwing up uncontrollably for a few hours!) she can't really eat much of anything there. But she still had a great time, regardless.  Deep in discussion...  We spent almost an entire week at Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas with my family. Despite the fact that I was miserably sick for four days of the trip, we had a great time. I didn't ski much, but my brother, sister and husband convinced me to jump off a 20-foot cliff into the lake. I wasn't so sure I could do it, but after I climbed to the top I realized that jumping off would be a lot easier than trying to climb back down. (And, truth be told, I also couldn't bear the peer pressure of knowing everyone else had done it but me!)  The whole clan--sun-burned, soggy, and refreshed!  And here's our little clan. I loved how this picture turned out with the fountains in the background!  And yet another family picture. Since we haven't had any taken in like two years, we decided we'd better make good on the opportunity!  Making a specially-pressed penny at the Visitor's Center. (A real great return on your investment (ahem): Pay $0.51 to get a penny back!)  Kathrynne was fascinated with it all, so it was every bit worth the $0.50!  Kaitlynn got antsy and decided to try and sneak out of the Visitor's Center by herself. Caught in the act!
Last week found us busily preparing for the Christian Family Entrepreneurship seminar. Since we've never done a speaking engagement together before in our life, it was a little intimidating. Jesse ended up getting sick on Tuesday and was down and out for most of the week. We also had to buy a van and deal with the freezer debacle. So needless to say, we were both exhausted by the end of the week. Some delays kept us from getting into Wichita until past midnight and we had to up and to the seminar early the next morning. We both felt completely drained and spent almost the entire drive to the seminar praying together that God would fill us up with His strength, since we certainly didn't have any left of our own. You know what? God gave us more strength and grace than we could have expected, things went beautifully, and we both had a wonderful time. We loved the opportunity to meet a number of you all and to get to spend time giving other families ideas and encouragement in their entrepreneurial endeavors.  The audience listening to a presentation by Wade Meyers.  Photographic proof that I actually spoke. I was shaking like a leaf when we first began and very glued to my notes, but I ended up relaxing somewhat and almost even enjoying myself.  Our booths: One table we used to sell most of our leftover online bookstore inventory and the other table was for financial resources.  Our booth was buzzing almost the entire time, even during sessions, and we sold the majority of our stuff. We had to try to spread things out on the table to make it not look so bare by the end of the day. Thanks, everyone!  God was so good to carry us through so much the last few weeks--even when we were both feeling weary and worn out. It is amazing to feel His strength pulsing through you when you have no strength of your own. How I want to constantly live in reliance upon Him, not waiting until I am dried up and used up to beg for strength and mercy but ever walking held up by Him!
Labels: Pictures
Frugal Friday: Transitioning from two incomes to one
 My husband and I have been married for about a year and a half. We are due to have our first baby this coming February.
My husband and I have felt convicted since we were engaged that as soon as the Lord blessed us with children I would stay home. Since we have been married, I have worked full-time and have carried the most consistent income. My husband, just recently, with the Lord's leading, signed on with a commission based mortgage company. We have felt peaceful about this career and feel that this is where the Lord wants us. However, the term "commission-based" says it all. We are not ever sure of what the income will be or when it will come.
For now I continue to work, but come the middle of January I will no longer be working. We have lived by a pretty strict budget for the past 8 months, however have enjoyed some luxuries in our budget that are hard to try and get rid of like eating out. My husband and I both grew up in unbelieving homes and both became believers in college. Needless to say we have some bad spending and neither one has ever seen a truly "frugal" life.
So with that I have some questions for you: What do you or did you do for health insurance? We do have debt- mortgage payment, car loan, student loans. Thoughts on this? What did your budget look like when you were living on $1000 a month? Thanks for listening and I welcome any wisdom you have. -S Hi, S! I can't say I'm any expert on giving financial advice, but I'm happy to share my thoughts on your situation based upon what my husband and I have learned the last few years. First off and most importantly, you mentioned upfront that the Lord has convicted you all that you would stay home after having children. Remember that God never calls anyone to something which He will not in turn equip them for. This should serve as a tremendous comfort to you. No, it doesn't mean you will be living in luxury, but it does mean God will provide your daily bread. Obedience to His commands in our life always brings His blessing. So, keep that ever in mind and constantly look to the faithfulness of the Lord to take care of you. He will never leave you or forsake you. As far as practical recommendations go, my first piece of advice is to completely cut off every form of debt in your life (i.e. do not allow yourself to use your credit card for anything else and do not take out any new loans on anything). Rip up your credit cards and switch over to a cash only/envelope system. Write down your basic living costs (tithe and basic living essentials) and take out enough money per pay period to pay each of these (stick the cash in individual envelopes and only pay for things out of the envelopes). Get a copy of Dave Ramsey's book, The Total Money Makeover today and read through it in the next two weeks with your husband. While you are still working, use all of the excess money you have leftover after you pay your necessities and basic expenses to pay off every bit of debt you possibly can. I have no idea how much debt you have, but I do know that the sooner you get your debts paid off, the easier your life will be in terms of finances. My husband and I purposed to stay out of debt through law school when we got married and it was the best financial decision we ever made. It isn't always easy, believe me, when you are living in a small place, have one old vehicle that seems to be on its last leg, and all your friends are buying homes and nicer cars. When he was finished with law school and passed the bar, we were so tempted to move into a nicer place since we are pretty much bursting at the seams where we are. We very much considered taking out a loan to buy a home, especially since he had a good job and it seemed like we could easily afford the monthly payments of a decent home. However, we didn't feel a peace about it and with the unexpected things that have happened in our lives in the last two years, we now know why. Seeing how easily life circumstances can change has really caused us to further resolve we will not go into debt unless our life depends upon it--even to buy a first home. I share our personal experience for the young people reading this who maybe have not thought too much about debt before. Avoid it, if you can at all possibly avoid it. Second, start working to cut every expenditure you can. Write down all of your expenditures and start eliminating those which you can live without (cable, internet, cell phones, any monthly subscriptions, eating out, convenience foods, movie rentals, etc.). You might be surprised at how much you can cut just by evaluating every expenditure in light of, "Is this a basic necessity?"After you've pared down to the basics, then start evaluating those basic necessities in light of, "Is there some way I could reduce this cost?" How about moving to a smaller home, learning to grocery shop frugally, getting rid of one car, bartering for hair cuts, making gifts instead of buying them, shopping at thrift stores and garage sales instead of buying things new, and so on. Start thinking outside the box. Instead of thinking, "This will never work." Ask yourself, "How can we make this work?" You might be amazed at what some creative thinking can cook up! Third, after cutting expenditures, make a budget based upon the least possible amount you can live on and try to squeeze this out of your husband's commission check (once again, use the cash only system here). Pray that God would bless your husband's efforts and multiply them and give you creativity in making the most of his hard-earned income. Live on the least you can and if you have leftovers, put those towards savings (for a particularly lean time) and towards extra payment on your mortgage. (My husband recommends that, like Dave Ramsey says, you set up a $1000 emergency fund first and then put all of the extra towards paying off your debts.) Fourth, (if your husband is supportive of this) start thinking of things you can do from home to help bring in extra income. Since you are having a baby soon, please don't go overboard with this, but just keep it in mind and start praying for direction in this. Look around your home and find some items you are no longer using and sell them on eBay. Consider what skills you have which you could put to use to earn money during your baby's naptime. (Though for the first three months at least, I say to nap when your baby naps. You'll be needing all the extra sleep you can get!) In answer to your other questions, you can read detailed specifics of our law school budget here. Obviously, what worked for us, won't necessarily work for you, but it can hopefully be a help to you in thinking through expenditures. As far as health insurance, we did lots of research on this and for the first part of our marriage, we were on student health insurance. We are currently privately insured through Zander Insurance and were very pleased the rates we got. Check into that and other options in your area. You might also consider health insurance alternatives (such as Medi-Share or Samaritan Ministries), if you do not have any major medical concerns. I've heard of many who have very much benefited from these and it was something we looked into, but it wasn't going to save us money compared to our inexpensive student insurance, so we have never gone with it. Most of all, never take your eyes off the Lord. Claim His promises and step out in faith. Don't try to do anything in your own strength. Continually ask Him for guidance and direction and constantly be praying and discussing this with your husband. And see God do great and mighty things on your behalf! I'd love to hear from others of you who may have been in a similar situation as this couple and your thoughts and input for them.Related Links: If you're not already, be sure to check out my other blog, MoneySavingMom.com which is dedicated to helping women become better home economists. I also highly recommend Dave Ramsey's books, advice, website, and radio show. Originally published November 2006.
----------------------
Have a frugal tip to share? Post about it on your blog and then come back here and leave your link below so we can all be motivated and inspired. Remember to keep it family-friendly and to post directly to your blog post, not to your blog homepage. If you don't have a blog, you are welcome to leave your tips in the comments section. Thanks so much for participating! Labels: Frugal Friday
A small update so you know I didn't fall off the planet
Thanks to everyone for your patience with my near-absence from the blogosphere the past few weeks. There is much going on here and it would take me five posts or more to even scratch the surface of it all! Needless to say, blogging has been one of the last priorities this week. We did get the re-design of MoneySavingMom.com almost finished today, but that's about my one accomplishment in regards to blogging this week. I miss you all and hope to be back to more regular blogging very soon--next week, Lord-willing. In the mean time, if God puts us on your hearts, we'd covet your prayers for clear direction and strength in the midst of weariness. Truth be told, life has been moving along at a dizzying pace and I'm just plain worn-out right now. (Have you noticed my lack of posts for the Worn-Out Woman series? I really hope to get back to that series soon, but I, uh, need to get my act somewhat-together here first before I can talk about it!) In other news, we're looking forward to seeing some of you at the Christian Family Entrepreneurship Seminar on Saturday. I'm hoping for two nights of restful sleep between now and then so that I'm not sleep-walking up to the podium or dozing off during our presentation! :) Frugal Friday is scheduled to go up in a bit. Enjoy and hopefully I'll be able to write more next week! Have a great weekend!
Training toddlers: Incorporating learning with life
This post was originally published near the beginning of 2007, when I was pregnant with Kaitlynn and Kathrynne was only two years old. I've received many questions recently on homeschooling/training toddlers that I thought it might be helpful to re-post this again.
I was just wondering if you would consider bringing up the topic of homeschooling/Christian Education on your blog. Christian education and homeschooling is now almost unheard of in the United Kingdom. However, there is a small group of Christians in my local area looking to set up a Christian school in Glasgow, Scotland by seeking God's help and leading. We are just in the preliminary stages at present and would like to ask for your prayers that children in our city would have a school in which children would be taught in the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I would be glad to hear if you had any particular views on curriculum yourself, or if any of your other readers did. On a practical note, I was wondering if any readers had attended a Christian school, and would be able to share their experiences? Or anyone who homeschools, how they structure their day, and if they use a particular curriculum?
I know that you have written on the topic of educating from birth yourself. Do you use any set pattern or curriculum yet and how do you put it into practice? I could use some ideas with my own 2-year-old daughter! - Karen
Hi, Karen! I would be glad to share what we are doing with Kathrynne, though it isn't anything earth-shattering! I'm all for simplicity. You mentioned educating from birth and you are exactly right that that is something I believe in. However, I believe that every child is educated from birth--that is, every child is educated in something. Whether or not it is good education is the question! With that in mind, we've tried to make our home a forum for learning good things, without it taking enormous effort on our part. Most of this just involves having a routine (We believe chaos is not a healthy environment to be raised in, though we're not certainly perfectly organized by any means!), giving your children good choices in things to play with (We prefer creative play as opposed to sitting your child down in front of a entertainment machine--whether that be the TV, computer, etc.), and instilling in them a love for learning through real-life. Real-life is one of the greatest ways to learn most things and I'd rather have my child learn something from practical, hands-on experience, than just read about it in a textbook. That doesn't mean there isn't a time and a place for textbooks, I just think they need to be balanced with learning from life. Since Kathrynne is so young, we don't have any set "curriculum" we do with her, but she spends much of her day learning things. Here's an idea of our usual routine and how learning from everyday life works for us: We usually read a simple, short chapter in the Bible in the morning at breakfast. I explain to her what it means in the best way I can at her level. We also pray together, with her praying a simple prayer (Usually, "Dear God, help mama and baby, amen."). We talk about why we pray, why we read the Bible, how important it is to love the Lord, and how we want her to grow up to love the Lord with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength. After breakfast, she spends a few hours every morning by my side--helping me with cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. As I go about doing these simple tasks, I try to explain to her what I am doing and why. We incorporate much learning as we go, without it ever feeling like "school." When we're cooking, we talk about measurements, we count the number of cups of flour we need to put in, we talk about fractions, we do simple addition and subtraction. Now obviously, at two years old, not all of this is making complete sense to Kathrynne, but I'm amazed at how much of it is. And she is seeing how it is practically used. When we do laundry, we'll talk about matching things, about colors, about whose clothes are whose, where things are put away, and so on. Not only is she learning academics through practical life, but she is also learning the basics of running a home. At the same time, she's having fun and spending quality time with Mama. What could be better? After lunch and before her nap, we usually cuddle on our bed and read her Bible verse book, talk about a few of the verses and Bible stories, review her verses she is learning, and then read a book--often one from the library on some subject she's interested in. We just spent the last few weeks talking about painting and art and we read parts of a book on Monet everyday. Now we're going to move onto trains, another subject she is fascinated with. Without even realizing it, she is learning so much through this and we're having so much fun at the same time! When she gets up from her nap, she often will help me, play with her Legos, sit at her desk and draw, read books, or we'll sit on the couch (if Mama's not feeling too well!) and sing together. Sometimes we'll just run around and have fun together--dancing, playing hide-and-seek--laughing and giggling the whole time. I'm all for enjoying my children and some of my best memories growing up were when my parents just got down on our level and had fun with us. In whatever we are doing, I'm constantly talking to her, explaining things to her, asking her questions, and seeking to make all of life a learning experience. If she's drawing, I'll ask her what she is drawing, ask her to draw something specific, ask her what color she is using, show her how to draw a shape or letter. If she is playing with Legos, I'll ask her what she is building or ask her to build a tower. If we're listening to Classical music while we're working, we'll talk about what instruments are playing. I'll ask her to pick out the violin or tell me when she hears a piano. I've never sat down and done any "formal school" with her, but just through teaching her as she is by my side, she has learned to count to ten (we're still working on counting objects correctly), she is learning her colors, she is learning her ABC's, she knows a few Bible verses, she can hold her pencil correctly (I decided instead of having to break a bad habit when she is four or five, let's just learn the right way from the beginning!), she can draw circles, and is working on drawing letters. No, it's not anything astounding, but she is learning and she's loving it at the same time. I know some people would read all of this and say, "Well, that's easy, you only have one child." You're right, I do only have one child not in utero. I'm sure it's much different with two or three or five. However, I don't think that means that learning from life has to stop just because there are more littles around. Nor does that mean that learning has to stop being enjoyable. When my children are grown and gone, if they love the Lord with all their hearts, love to learn, and have happy memories of their childhood, I will be fulfilled. I'd rather enjoy them and teach them to love Jesus, than have brilliant children with all kinds of academic honors. Wisdom in man's eyes can never compare to the Wisdom from Above. Please note: I'm not any expert on homeschooling or curriculum. Ask me in another 20 years and I'll probably have a lot more to say. :) Originally published February 2007.Labels: Homeschooling
Lucky?
 Last night, as we were signing the papers to pick up our new-to-us van, the saleslady asked me out-of-the-blue if I were a stay-at-home mom. After replying unashamedly that I was, she remarked emphatically, "You are so lucky."I find that this is typically the response I get when asked the question and I never know what I should say in return. Just nod and smile? Mention that it's not luck, it's the blessing of God and lots of sacrifice? Express gratefulness to my husband? I guess it bothers me that people think the only moms who get to stay home are those who are lucky, those whose husbands earn enough so that they can live comfortably on one income. No one ever seems to mention the sacrifices that most families make in order to keep mom home--living frugally, not keeping up with the Jones family, creative entrepreneurialism, lots of trust in God. I don't stay home with my girls because I'm lucky; I stay home because it's what God has called me to. God has entrusted me with two precious daughters to mother, nurture, train, and raise. There are plenty of other jobs out there--many with better hours and better pay. But no one else can take my place of being Kathrynne and Kaitlynn's mommy. And my husband and I are committed to make whatever sacrifices it takes to keep me home. It's not always easy but the sacrifices are very worth it. "In the end, though, what my children and husband need most from me is not a perfect home or perfect training or a perfectly spiritual role model or a wife without faults - but a mother and wife who is committed to doing whatever it takes to love them and make a home for them."-Sally Clarkson, The Mission of Motherhood Labels: Homemaking, Mothering
Disciplines of a Beautiful Woman
 I recently listened to this interview on Revive Our Hearts Radio. If you are struggling with discipline in your life, you'll definitely want to hear the wise words of Anne Ortlund. Labels: Self discipline
Help for the overwhelmed
 I am having trouble with time management. Specifically, organizing all of the great ideas I have, managing projects, completing daily tasks, and the like. My house is organized physically (this is my strength), but I get overwhelmed with daily living. Any direction you can point me in would be great. -Elizabeth First off, Elizabeth, I don't think there is any woman among us who never goes through seasons where she feels overwhelmed with life. I've had plenty of those myself. I know that when I start feeling overwhelmed, it is usually because of a combination of three reasons: 1) I am trying to do things in my own strength instead of resting in the Lord.
2) I am doing more than God wants me to do.
3) I am mismanaging the time God has given me.The solution?
1) Stop trying to do things in my own strength.We have a saying at our home which we often quote, "Stress is an indication you are not resting in the Lord." When I am feeling completely at my wit's end, Jesse will often remind me of this and it helps put everything in perspective. God didn't call me to a life of stress and anxiety. Yes, there will be many hard things, many things which can overwhelm me if I let them, and many things which will stretch me beyond what I thought possible. But He has promised to never leave me or forsake me, to give me wisdom when I ask for it, to bear my burdens, and to give me grace sufficient for the need at hand. I was listening to A Mighty Fortress is Our God a few days ago while overseeing Kathrynne playing nearby, carrying Kaitlynn in the sling, and putting the clean dishes away. I was meditating on the words to this song and all of a sudden, this phrase jumped out like never before: "Did we in our own strength confide? Our striving would be losing..."Having two little children has forced me, like never before, to realize how weak and needy I am in and of myself. I can't live this life God has called me to in my own strength, but I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Without His grace, I will fail. So, first off, when feeling overwhelmed, I encourage you to go to the Lord and cast your burdens and cares upon Him. Ask Him to carry them for you and to give you the grace to live one day at a time. He is faithful and will answer us and help us, if we but only will ask! 2) Stop doing more than God wants me to do.Often, I'm overwhelmed not just because I am trusting in myself, but also because I am taking upon myself more than God wants me to. It took me a number of years to learn and I'm sure it's a lesson I'll have to continue re-learning, but when I finally realized I can't do it all and there's no point in trying, it really simplified my life. There are many good things to spend one's life on--many needs, many worthwhile causes, and many wonderful people. However, I am only one person and there is no way I can fulfill all the needs, support all the causes, or have close friendships with hundreds of people. But, I can choose wisely from the good things for what things are the best things for me to invest my life in. So how do I discern what God wants me to be doing? For me, it starts with making sure I have my priorities in order. My desire is that my primary focus is: God, Jesse, Kathrynne and Kaitlynn, and keeping my home--and in that order. It's easy to think we have those things as our priority when maybe we really do not. Here is a sort of checklist I use for personal examination to help me determine whether I am truly having my priorities in order:First: God--If my relationship with God is not right, nothing else will be right in my life. So I try to examine often whether He is in first place in my life. Is He my All-in-All? Am I evidencing this by my daily life? Am I spending time reading His Word and praying everyday? Am I fellowshipping with Him on a daily basis? Is my life bearing fruit? Second: Jesse--Are his needs being met? Is his love tank full? Have I shown him in practical ways today how much I love him, admire him, and appreciate him? Does he feel like he is the most important priority in life next to the Lord? (These are questions I try to ask myself and my husband very frequently.) Third: Kathrynne and Kaitlynn--Am I being a loving mother? Am I putting the needs of my children before other less important things or are they having to wait on me to finish "my things" first? Do my children feel that I am often too busy for them? Am I spending quality time investing in my children's lives--teaching and training them up in the ways of the Lord and setting a Godly example before them? Fourth: Home--Is my home a welcoming haven for all those enter into it? Does my family have nutritious meals to eat and clean clothes to wear? Is there order in our home or does chaos and clutter abound? Now please know that I am no perfect homemaker, wife, and mother. Nor do I fulfill all of the above things perfectly all the time. However, my desire is that I don't just say my relationship with the Lord and my husband, home, and family are my priorities, I want to truly live it. If I am neglecting any of these areas, I need to cut out any and all other "extra things" (volunteering, ministering to others, hobbies, etc.) from my life until I can once again have my priorities in order. Next, I go to the Lord and my husband for wisdom concerning what they would have me to be doing. If I am feeling overwhelmed with life, Jesse and I will go over what I am currently doing and see what things we can eliminate or downsize. It is so freeing to have Jesse helping me make these decisions and give his input! I've found that if it weren't for his guidance, I would often be over-committing myself, so I am very thankful that God leads through him! Hard as it is for me, I've learned that it really and truly is okay to say "no." In fact, it's a good thing to say "no" to those things which would detract us from the best things. You only have one life to live. Choose wisely, choose well, and continuously be examining those choices in light of what is the best investment of your time for the glory of God. 3) Start managing the time God has given me more wisely.*
Not only is it vital that I rely upon the Lord for grace, and also important to eliminate things from my life which are not the best things for me to be investing my time in, it is also imperative that I seek to manage the time God has given me in the wisest possible way.
There have been many books and resources written on the subject of time management and I've read and gleaned from many of them. The thing that I have learned is that there is no one perfect system which will work for everyone in every season of their life. So don't try to pattern your home organization and family schedule as a replica of some else's. Determine what works best for your individual family. I am a person with lots of ideas always rolling around in my head--new skills I want to learn, books I want to read, books I want to write, entrepreneurial ideas I want to pursue, home improvements I want to work on, events I want to plan, subjects I want to study in-depth, and on and on it goes. And then there is the never-ending list of things I want to teach and do with the girls. There is no way I can do everything but by using my time wisely, I can slowly chip away at this never-ending list. At this season of my life, I have found that having a simple routine works best. I need structure and the girls need structure for our life to run in a somewhat orderly fashion, but with having little children, you can't be completely rigid just because there's lots of unpredictable things which come up in the course of the day! Life is never boring, that's for sure! Our simple routine which includes all of the basic things we need to do in a day and/or week to survive--nursing Kaitlynn, showers/baths, meals, laundry, basic cleaning--and then it includes some things which Jesse and I feel are important that we include in the day--such as reading God's Word together, reading biographies and other good books to the girls, and teaching and training them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We don't always get to everything on the routine in a day, nor do we always follow it completely in order, but we use it as a guideline to keep order, structure, and stability in our lives. Without a guideline, chaos ensues. In addition to the simple routine which I have typed up and posted in a prominent place and refer to often throughout the day, I also have a daily to-do list for myself which I write out each evening before going to bed, or in the morning as soon as I wake up. These are sometimes things which must be done (bills which need to be paid, phone calls which need to be made, and so forth) and also things which I would like to get to if I have time. Most of the things on the list are things which I do "in the cracks"--using little snippets of time here and there which present themselves during the day. I rarely check off everything on my list in any given day, but I usually numerate the list so that the most important things get done first. If I get to nonessentials, wonderful. If not, that's completely okay, too. Nonessentials can always wait until tomorrow. I've found that what works best for me is to use daily planning pages (I purchased mine through Franklin Covey) and put a month of them in my planner at a time. This way, if I think of something I need to accomplish later on in the week, or in two weeks, I can jot it down to be reminded on that day. And since these planning pages give you a two-page spread for each day, there is plenty of space to jot down all sorts of things. Right now, I am using them to plan everything--from jotting down complete breakfast, lunch, and dinner plans for the day, to blog post ideas which hit me while I'm washing dishes, to reminders to send someone a birthday card. Above all, rest in the Lord, put first things first, keep it simple, don't over-commit yourself, seek to wisely invest your time, and enjoy living the wonderful life God has given to you! Two books I read recently on the subject of time management which I would highly recommend are How To Have A 48-Hour Day by Don Aslett and Shopping for Time. *A quick word here on time management: I think some times we can get so wrapped up into trying to "accomplish things," be productive, use every minute, and check things off of our to-do list, that we miss out on the simple joys of life. I try to evaluate all of my activities in light of, "Will this matter in ten years from now?" or "Will this matter in eternity?" Never be too busy "accomplishing things" that you overlook or neglect the most important things - the things which really matter in this life. Don't live life at such a breakneck speed because you are trying to get a lot done, that you can't enjoy life and the people God has placed around you in the process. I say this because I have definitely been guilty of it many times in the past. For us Type A, driven overachievers, slowing down and stopping to smell the proverbial roses can be a really healthy thing! Graphic from Art.com
Originally published July 2007.
Labels: Finding Time, Home Management and Organization
We're home--spoiled meat, fruit flies, and all!
Home at last, safe and sound! It was a good trip, but it's even better to be home. Well, except for the over $6oo worth of meat that spoiled while we were gone. Read more about this adventure here, if you care to! Life is never dull. In other good news, we were able to replace our wrecked car with a new-to-us minivan this weekend. God provided us with a good payout from the insurance company and a great deal on a van. Hopefully, this will cut down on all the car problems we've been experiencing! Who would have thought that a wreck would be the solutions to lots of prayers and months of car issues. God works in mysterious ways, doesn't He? I still have some unpacking to do and loads and loads of laundry, but I already have some great re-posts scheduled for this week along with some new posts, so while I'm busy getting things back into shape in our home, there should be plenty of new stuff to read here. By the way, does anyone have great ideas for ridding your home of fruit flies? We left the house clean, but the trash can in the garage bred a whole new family of fruit flies while we were gone. None of our attempts to rid our home of these pesky flies is working. Any great advice or ideas?
Recipe: Layered nacho dip
 Here's a very simple and yummy layered nacho dip recipe that our family has been making for as long as I can remember. It always gets rave reviews. Layered Nacho Dip16 oz. can refried beans (or use homemade) 1/2 (1.25 oz) package taco seasoning mix (or make your own) 8 oz. sour cream (or use plain yogurt) 4 oz can chopped green chilies (if you don't like spicy things, you might cut back on this or omit) 2 large tomatoes, diced 6 oz carton avocado dip (or use fresh ripe pureed avocado)* 4 1/2 oz. chopped diced black olives* 1 small onion, chopped* 1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese Combine beans and taco seasoning mix. Spread bean mixture in a glass 9x13" dish. Layer remaining ingredients in order listed. Serve with Nacho chips. Serves 8-10. *Depending upon who I am making this for, I will often omit the onion, olives, and avocado. This is a very versatile recipe and one you can't mess up!
Labels: Recipes
|
I've been experimenting making homemade bread sticks recently. Yesterday, I made a recipe that is almost a keeper.
