Schedules, Deadlines, Sore Muscles and REST!

Schedules
Boy Howdee! Talk about a busy busy schedule! Going from full force summer to full force work schedule truly did send me into a tailspin of sorts! And my own children aren't even in school yet ... though this week is chocked full of different meetings to run to after work to get those final things taken care of. I by no means am complaining though yesterday I really felt like whining. I do have to say .... that today, the middle of my first week back to school I feel like the next few weeks are promising! Between football for the twins, drill team for the girl, working a full time schedule, keeping the house clean, all the things a busy mom does really is going to keep my schedule full. But can I let you in on a little secret? I love every minute of it! Yesterday I was in tears, but it was simply because I was overwhelmed and needed to take a deep breath.


Deadlines
I have given myself a deadline or two lately. I have ordered a few copies of You Are More to pass out to a few local women's ministries to introduce this message of YOU ARE MORE as step of faith to what I feel God is calling me to. I was almost grieving yesterday in my prayer time on the way to work because I LOVE teaching ... but in my heart I truly feel like God is leading me and calling me out of that comfort zone and telling me in his own way "You are More than a preschool teacher". He has given me my first "message" to share in a large group setting and I am believing that one day I will be sharing His goodness with millions of women world wide. But .. I must be prepared. So, the first deadline I must meet is this Friday. I must have that message ready as those books will be received then .Saturday I will put them in the mail to their prospective hands of the next step in this journey. The second deadline I gave myself is I want to have written and RELEASED the second book in the Ladies of Cotton Lake series "Moment by Moment" for the week of Thanksgiving!

Sore Muscles
With the return of a work week I decided it was a GREAT time to also allow my daily workouts to return! While I had a GREAT workout Monday, I woke up sore and pushed myself on Tuesday. When I got up in the middle of the night last night I could barely move!! So this morning was a rest day. It was the most logical and best choice that I could have made. I will be better prepared for a good workout tomorrow and again on Friday. Using my fitbit to monitor my activity level I probably almost double if not triple my activity on work days vs weekends.

REST
Which leads me to this topic. REST! A busy schedule MUST include rest! I used to feel guilty for sitting around a few hours on a day off. Uhm..... not anymore! I am moving from the time I get up until almost the time I go to bed if you remove the commute time to and from work. I didn't want to skip this mornings workout but listening to my aching body is a good idea. I can't risk the injury that could come from pushing myself beyond my body's capability. This school year I also get every other Friday off!! This will be a nice time to devote to writing, taking care of the family's errands, and maybe even just scheduling some lunch in with a friend or two! I also believe that God will use those Friday's to perhaps travel and share HIS word that He has given me to share!


As I transition into this new "normal" that is set ahead for me for the next nine months and three weeks I ask that you understand if there are days between blog posts. It isn't because I don't want to post, or I don't have anything to share ~ but my days are just really full!

Realigning priorities and Being the Blessing

It is that time of year where my blogging will slow down. It has to! I have got to get things lined out as our Summer Break is closing in on us and FAST! Really it may not be so much the blogging that slows down but all other internet stuff. Ya know, the "Fun" stuff. It has consumed me this summer and I have enjoyed it. But just as I have enjoyed it, I have missed keeping my priorities where they belong. I have already removed myself from the only message forum I was a part of, not that I was there very much lately anyway.

But I have to say something. I am so excited about that! I completely am!! Not only to be back in order, but to be the blessing to my family and to others that I long to be. A blessing of sorts that has yet to be seen through me. A blessing!!

So, my prioritites are that of any good Christian gal and should not take any of you by surprise!!

1. God ~ My lover, my Father, My everything!!!
2. My husband ~ Because he is my soul mate and best friend
3. Our children ~ What a precious gift they are in their own little way!
4. Our Home ~ Inside and out because I LOVE it all!
5. My Ministry ~ three part here (Teaching preschool, singing in the church choir, and yes blogging! For those of you who do not know, I surrender my blog to be used for ministry in whatever ways that God may use for that!)

So, I am about to dig into finishing "Facinating Womanhood", and "creative counterpart" both hopefully by the end of the month. I have a new book and biblestudy that I want to get into come September. Also, my health comes in there somewhere. I think a bit of piece of each of me (healthwise) that goes with each of the listed priorities. ~Smile ~

Today we are celebrating our daughters 10 year birthday! What an exciting time. I will not be online at all on this day (that is why I preposted this ahead of time) in order to honor her as much as this momma can! :) Until next time, be blessed and do what you can to be a blessing!

Blessed beyond measure!!

We live in a tiny but quaint little home. I love our little home, though as a normal person I often dream of a lavish home on large sprawling grounds full of beautiful foliage. But, I am confident that this is where we are intended to be. This house has history. My wonderful Mil and Fil purchased this home way back when, and my husband has lived in this home his entire life! He knows no other place. I have learned it is not what the outside looks like, the neighborhood it is in that matters. It is how the inside is filled, and the love that overflows onto the streets that matter. It has been my prayer from as far as I can remember, that the love from our home be so bountifull that it does just that, overflow and catches the attention from onlookers. NOT because of how "beautiful" our home looks, but by the love that our family abides in.

We were gifted a lovely (and very hard & complicated to put together) bunkbed set for the kids. Yes all my kids share a room at the moment. We are going to add on in the next year to give Princess her own room, but I have to be the first to admit, they LOVE being together. Their room is a very large room, one big enough to hold three twin beds, an entertainment center, a double bookcase, amoungs half the toys @ ToysRus. It felt so freeing to remove those beds, and to put in this one simple arrangement! We removed the entertianment center ( as it was nothing but a clutter catcher), and today's mission is to get in there and organize everything! I am excited! This has moved me into motion to begin painting and redecorating the rest of the house. I love our home! And I love the history WE are making in it! The kids know that we were working on a surprise for them, and that is why they went to grandma's for a few days, but they are anxious to come home and see what's been happening. ~ Smile~

I am sore. Every muscle in my body aches, including my feet. Yesterday I had two boards (heavy at that) sandwhich my head in a very NON gentle way, I stepped on a tack and it went almost all the way in, I bent, stooped, scooped, stretched, lugged, and finally collapsed last night. Today, all that is left is the organization. I am determined to finish that BEFORE noon, so that I can take care of some other regular things around here. I will pick up the children tomorrow morning, and then in the later afternoon we will swim for the rest of the day. ~ Smile~

I am just feeling so blessed! Having friends who will come over in the drop of a hat to solve a maze (*wink*), work on putting an obsticle course( that is what it felt like) together and work on it until midnight without yelling at one another, and working into the next day to complete phase one of "Suprise the heck out of the kids" is another reason I feel as blessed as I do.

Answered prayer. When I was discouraged, HE brought me answers and strength. When I was ready to give up, knowing I couldn't HE was there to push me further, and to ease the situation. I am so thankful today! God is good!

Have a blessed weekend everyone!

A breakthrough like no other

Though I cant' share all the details of my breakthrough as I would like to at this point, but I would like for you to reference a date. July 21, 22, and 23. I have gotten used to blogging daily, and some of you have said you have gotten used to that as well. Those three days I will be out of town enjoying some amazing fellowship with my co teachers at a yearly teaching convention we attend out of the area. I will NOT have access to blogger, face book, or much else unless I use my phone. I don't like blogging from my phone, so I have planned to share my latest challenge with you that I am currently dealing in. So on those days note that there will be some blog posts ( all written ahead of time) that will explain part of my breakthrough.

BUT... it is only part. I am now in a clear mind of thinking that I literally haven't had for months on end. Like since the end of December 2008. Yep six months of cloudy thinking, moody emotions, and so much more I would not like to even disclose! But today ~ BREAKTHROUGH!! I am so excited and literally walking on a cloud, beyond the number 9!

I have realized how BLESSED my dh and I are. We have three amazing kids that have hearts that are HUNGRY for God! I couldn't want anything else for them. I don't care about their grades, though they do matter. I don't care about their friends, but they do matter. What I care most about, is their heart. A heart geared towards God above all else, is something that not only will get them to live their life full of passion and purpose, but blessings will be poured out onto them forever! I realized how honored I am to be a wife to such an amazingly hard working man who only wants to love and take care of his family. THAT is truly his only motive! God has given me so many abilities to share his goodness, his love, his mercy, and his favor onto people who may never even think of giving God a second glance.

Breakthrough in relationships! I have let a few go, and by doing so, I am amazed at the friendships that He has given birth to once again! People in my life who LOVE me for all my quirks not just what they can benefit from! Friends who have been with me in High school ~ during that awkward and tough time. Friends who have I have known as long as my husband, who have watched me grow from a very selfish and flippant young lady to the woman God has created me to be today. :) I am still working on a few family relationships that really need tons of nurturing in ways that only God can do. I can't, they can't. Only Him.

Breakthrough in my health! I have had a Major breakthrough on my mental state. For six months, as I spoke of I basically walked in a tunnel, barely treading above water just to stay alive. Not one but many helped to pull me down until the suction from that painful negativity so much so I just about lost all I was, all I had worked for, all that God has given me. Why? Because of trying to please everyone and being afraid to stand up for what is right. No longer can I do that. No longer will I.

Breakthrough in my dreams and goals. I am excited. I am definitely putting it out there and telling all who are reading this, I WILL have my first manuscript for a novel written BEFORE December 31st of this year. IF you think of me during your day, please pray for clear direction, and creative genius to get across all that God wants me to! I have so many story lines I really need clarity right now. Also, please, ask me! Ask how it is going! I need someone to hold me accountable!

I am blessed, and tonight, when bedtime comes, and after I said my prayers, I will lay my head on the pillow and be forever grateful for my life.

Friendships, the good ships!

Ya singin yet? Here let me help you... 'On the good ship, lolipop.." LOL!

Today, actually this summer already has been a good time for me to rekindle some friendships with my friends. Not just any friends, but my real friends. The ones who love you for you who are, and don't try to change you, don't look down on you because your not like them, and are excited to see you, even on a bad hair day!

One of my dearest friends, was in town today, and so Charles and I headed off to meet Mindy for lunch. We had such a great time just talking, sharing, and letting one another be who we are. The older I get I realize how important it is to keep those friendships alive, and tended to. I am getting that chance time after time so far this summer, and I can't wait for what God has in store for me. For so long, I have prayed for friendships that were fruitful, and not hurtful. It seems I am a magnet for needy people, but the problem is when you dont' have what they need anymore they drop ya till they need ya again.Whatever that need may be whether it is someone to gossip with, financial need, what have you. I am done giving "fertilization" to those kinds of relationships, and on to rekindling and rebuilding the ones that are worth the effort. Lunch today was a good effort towards that. It was a good time. Mindy is someone I can share every single secret with and pretty  much have. Lol! She has seen me when I first wake up, and when it is way past my bedtime! She has seen me have a fun frolic through the Dollar Tree during Christmas fully loaded on Starbucks! *giggle*

Do you have frienships that could use some rekindling? I urge to wait not one day to do that.

Signs your frienship is worth giving the effort into:
1. You/your friend gives equal attention. This is simply meant as one is not the one always making the effort to build and stabalize it. (You both call each other, make plans to see one another, remember one another's birthday)
2. They build you up, and not tear you down. (When your down and out do you/does your friend build one another up, reminding one another that this is just a moment in time, and not a lifetime?)
3. They accept you for who you are ~ not what you can be, nor a project that they can turn you in to.

I love my friends. I know some friends are meant to be in my life for eternity, others for a brief moment. I embrace each one for what they are, and don't try to make something happen that isn't natural. Does it hurt to let a friend go? Absolutely. But sometimes it is best for the both of you. And then there are those friendships that are lifetime, and they are often easy! They don't take effort because they just naturally happen. I have even made some friends that I have not met face to face! They encourage me in ways even some of my so called friends in real life couldn't even compare to.

One thing for sure, tonight when I go to bed, I wll be praying for each of my friends. Those from the past, the present, and the future. I will also give thanks for each one!