Mary Wanna-be.

“But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:41-42, NLT

Wow, what a month! We have had so many computer/technical issues in our home I have lost count. It’s taken me a while to get back to trusting them again! And I am spending lots of my time backing things up (and yes, we used to back up, but we even lost the back-ups this time).

I have crossed plenty of things of my to-do list recently, including making our first Jesse Tree, designing and mailing invites for Isaac’s 1st birthday, and completing our Christmas gift shopping.

But, this week, I’ve been reminded that I want to be focused on the one thing that Jesus speaks to Martha about in this scripture. I want to be focused on Jesus. If nothing else this Christmas season, I want my life to be one that would point others towards the Saviour, even in some small way.

It’s meant that this week I’ve not written a list (okay, excepting groceries!), I’ve taken Isaac to the park, I’ve played with him more, read him more books and been more focused on each of us enjoying each day. To my surprise, the household tasks fit quite nicely amidst this toned-down routine, and I’m a much happier Mum.

To state it simply, the point of Christmas must be that Jesus came down to earth, so that He could later die to save us. Yet it’s so difficult to keep that – miraculous – truth in the forefront of my mind all month long.

I’ve devised a plan to combat this mind-wandering that happens during December, when I am constantly pulled towards the shops and the baking and the socialising, and away from my Lord and His Word. I’ll be posting a simple, short thought each day in December leading up to Christmas Day, in the hopes that I can keep my heart and mind devoted to Him!

[Photo by kevindooley]

 

Shared with a friend.

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Philippians 4:6-7 (The Message Bible)

 

September Round-up.

This month has found me coming to grips with the fact it is only three months till Christmas/the end of the year/my son’s 1st birthday/2009. Wow.

So to make the most of my time, I made a list of major projects I hope to complete each month. Let’s just say I had to really get going on my September list last week to make sure I got there! Looking ahead, I have actually started a number of my October projects already so that gives me hope for this month.

October 2008 will be the first year I spring clean in Spring! I’m planning on purchasing and using SimpleMom’s guide as I need all the help I can get!

THE BEST STUFF I READ ONLINE THIS MONTH…

Tammy’s thoughts on practicing moderation.

I’m going to make this strawberry jam! Can’t wait!

Loved these thoughts on intimacy.

Inspiring ideas for beginner learners.

Great tips on simplifying in busy seasons.

Making exercise fun!

Learning to be more feminine and wifely.

I FINISHED READING…

Humility: True Greatness by CJ Mahaney.

This book is profound and I know it is one I will return to within a couple years to re-read. It has helped me grow, and I look forward to applying the daily practices CJ recommends in the book.

How did you go this month? Did you achieve what you set out to do?

[Photo by annia316.]

 

Four minutes.

“I don’t have time to exercise.”

“I don’t have time to read.”

“I don’t have time to study the Word.”

“I don’t have time to play with my son.”

“I don’t have any time at all.“

It’s not often that I actually verbalise these thoughts, however they do run through my mind quite regularly! (Actually typing them out makes me cringe!)

We use a baby bottle steriliser that takes four minutes to complete it’s cycle. Four minutes. A little while ago I started to see how many things I could get done in that time. It’s quite amazing. I can exercise, read or play in that time. I can do a small wash-up at the sink and wipe down the kitchen benches. I can hang out some washing on our verandah. I can make a phone call I’ve been putting off. I can play on the floor. I can start a load of laundry, or fold the last load I brought in from the line.

Really, with the amount of time I spend putting things off and procrastinating, I’m quite astounded at what I have managed to achieve in the four minutes the bottles are being sterilised!

What’s your biggest time-saver? What task do have to do without interruption or multi-tasking?

Photo from wan fauzan.

 

A chapter a day.

My parents instilled in me a strong love for reading. I read all the time as a child; there isn’t really a memory of mine that didn’t involve a book being close by!

Unfortunately as the years have passed since I left school and then university, my reading habit has slowly disappeared to the point where a couple months ago I was worried it would be gone forever.

I had somehow gotten into the habit of reading an entire book in a day or a couple of days. This sounds okay but it only happened once every few months or more. I seemed completely unable to incorporate reading into my daily life.

I was so encouraged by a quote from John Piper, and it came to mind again a little while ago.

Piper said:

“Suppose you discipline yourself to read a certain author or topic twenty minutes a day, six days a week, for a year. That would be 312 times 12.5 pages for a total of 3,900 pages. Assume that an average book is 250 pages long. This means you could read fifteen books like that in one year.”

So I inaugurated my own little chapter-a-day club. I’m the only member, and I don’t even follow my own rules to a tee! You see, to counteract my perfectionist ideals, I’ve decided that anything is better than nothing. A chapter is great, a few pages ideal, a couple paragraphs is something.

I’m becoming the queen of remembering where I’m up to, and I just love the feeling that I’m actually reading again!

What about you – do you have any tips or tricks for fitting reading into your day?

 

Adorned.

Hooks, studs, strings and wires. All twisted and contorted; pieces misplaced and missing. All of them crammed inside a white box with a golden lock.

Confession: I haven’t opened my jewellery box in, oh, maybe two six months? Okay, so maybe I opened it, but probably only to add something more to the chaos held within.

This week I’ve been reading about “wife-dressing”, self-care, and planning to be more feminine with little accessories, and I couldn’t take it any longer. The jewellery box issue had to be addressed!

Surprise, surprise, when I sat down this morning to sort through the items within, it was a really simple process: two piles. One for the broken, half-missing, old, hasn’t-been-worn-in-ages jewellery, and one for the keepers (and yes, a couple half-pairs of earrings I’m hoping to find the other half of!). Twenty minutes later I was done. Another simplifying project to cross of my list!

I used to remember to change my earrings each day to somewhat match my outfit, but since the boy arrived I’ve largely given up on jewellery so it doesn’t get pulled at. But jewellery is definitely something that makes me feel more feminine, more attractive to my husband, and ticks the box as an easy way to care for myself, so I’m figuring it’s worth the extra effort to keep it organised and then actually wear it!

What makes you feel more feminine? How long has it been since you went through the jewellery box at your place?

 

A time to relax.

We are back from our little spring holiday! It was a wonderful time of refreshment; four nights away felt like fourteen, and we feel very blessed! Our little one spent his first few afternoons at the beach, and loves playing in the sand.

I went away praying that God would clear my mind and refresh my spirit, as I felt I’d been hitting lots of brick walls in my attempts to get things done, both for our family and for my business. I’m glad to say that I’ve returned with much clarity, and a peace that tells me I don’t need to “do” everything in the first five minutes of the day, or the first day of each week (I know, I should have realised that before, huh?!). Anyway, there are many areas of my life which require productivity, but that productivity doesn’t have to occur on record speed-breaking time. Which means I can relax.

You know, the biggest thing to come out of this little holiday, is that I actually watched my nine-month-old relax and get into holiday-mode. Now, I have an extremely easy-going, happy little man – and still, there is an obvious difference in him today from last week. To me, this is extraordinary. I did not have any idea the extent to which my unrest affected my family.

We’ve decided to “bring the holiday home” with us, and I really hope to create not just relaxed moments, but a relaxed atmosphere in our home from now on. It’s all part of the simplifying process.

 

Holidays.

I’m in the middle of packing for a short break, gifted to us by dear friends. So looking forward to the relaxed and clear perspective that being away fom home gives. It’s much needed, as my “to-do” lists seem to be getting lengthier, while my completion rate is rather low!

I’ll be back next Monday!

 

Go workout.

We are only days away from celebrating our little boy’s nine-month “birthday”. There won’t be a party or a cake, but we will probably spend time marvelling at how fast the time has flown, how much he has grown and changed, and getting excited about how close we are to celebrating the real birthday in December.

But with all the excitement that comes with having a rapidly growing and developing little boy, it’s mixed for me with a tinge of worry. The often made comment “Nine months on, nine months off” rings in my head loudly these days. With regards to the weight that was gained and the fitness lost during my pregnancy (and to be honest, before the pregnancy too), nothing much has changed in the past nine months. I am nearing the nine-month mark with trepidation, and a hard-to-shake feeling of defeat in my heart as I look at my list of unreached goals.

Instead of whining and sitting in my self-focused pity party, I’m spending today getting refocused and realigned with some realistic goals. I got up early, and read another chapter of my current book, where CJ Mahaney spoke about the daily practice of humility starting with thankfulness:

It’s as if God is placing sticky-notes in our lives as daily reminders of His presence and provision. They’re everywhere. How alert and perceptive of them are you? Are you a thankful observer of the countless indicationsof His provision, His presence, His kindness and His grace?

Frankly, no. Most of the time I am not aware of those things. So that’s where I’m starting. A (probably long) journey to fitness and health that will start with thankfulness for God’s provision, presence, kindness and grace.

Now I’m going to close up the laptop and go workout!

 

Not for my comfort.

In the midst of day-to-day happenings in our home – laughing with my eight-month-old, making the time to share with my husband, cleaning, cooking, running a small business, and countless other minutia – I have recognised an unhelpful tendency in my heart.

You see, I want to accomplish all these things in my way, in my timing. Anything less can leave me feeling overwhelmed, upset, and unwilling to really get anything done at all. What I’m really saying is that I want comfortable, I want easy, I want ….. you get the picture!

I’ve been reminded that this is not the point. So now I’m really focussing on making the two boys in my life my main priority in everything I do. This has meant much more time spent on the ground playing, more time making meaningful connections with my husband, less time on my laptop, less time procrastinating, and more time just getting things done straight away.

Over the past couple of months I have been working through some of GirlTalk’s helpful planning resources, and this has been the inspiration for changing my priorities. Carolyn writes:

“For wives and mothers: does our investment of time reflect that our husband and children are our greatest priority?”

I’ve started using SimpleMom’s daily docket to plan my day, but also track my time and see where it’s all going! I will write again in a week’s time with my downfalls, and my plans for change.