So, I'm starting something new this week. Something that I've always wanted to do, but quite frankly, I've been lazy about doing it. I've created me a Home Management Organizer to help me be a better steward of my time and household. The inspiration that go me started was moneysavingmom.com's articles on creating goals. Crystal Paine, the creator of the website, has a goal creating document that starts by indentifying priorities. Then from your priorities you have focus areas and then break those focus areas down into smaller goals. This has helped me tremendously.
I have to admit. Prior to this I was not one to make and live by goals. Sure, I would occasionally write down a to-do list for the day, but beyond that I thought I could be productive without written down goals. Boy was I wrong. Creating these goals has been very inspiring to me. It's kind of like teaching again. I've created Long Range Plans and every week my Short Range Plans are based on my goals. (My NGU professors would be so proud.) I'll share more about my goals in other posts.
Part of keeping myself organized, I've created a weekly management sheet. On it I have Daily To-dos, Weekly To-dos that I've assigned a day of the week, and a meal plan for the week. So far, this has been really helpful. I haven't perfected living by it yet. It would have helped if I would have gotten up early this morning. I chose to sleep in a little because Ellis was up crying every hour until about 2 in the morning, so I was a little tired. [Side note: what causes a child who usually sleeps from about 8-7 to one night wake up and cry like crazy? My best guess was she was cold because after I added a layer of clothing and rocked her a little I didn't hear anything from her until 8:15 am.]
I say all this to hopefully inspire you to set some goals of your own. You might be amazed at what you can accomplish.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
This is what you get...
when you are potty training and you need to wash a load of laundry.
I laughed so hard when I put the shoes on Parker so he could go take off the trash with Paul. I laughed for about 10 minutes. Is it bad to laugh at your child like that?
Speaking of potty training, things are progressing. We are having few accidents. He did really well on Sunday although I thought he wouldn't since he was wearing a pull-up. I think he was excited to have a new audience to tell that he went "pee pee" in the potty. We are still having trouble with him pooping in the potty. He goes and gets a diaper when he feels like he needs to poop, and most of the time he poops when he's in his diaper during nap time or before bed. Well, it's a process.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Doing vs. Being
"We focus on what God wants us to do and forget the kind of people He wants us to be." I read that line in Forgotten God by Francis Chan, and I just had to stop and think on it for a while. Oh, how that is so true! Without realizing it, we have changed our relationship with God to a works-based religion instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us into who God wants us to be, a reflection of Jesus Christ. In fact, in most churches we teach a works-based religion although we "preach" salvation by grace through faith. We don't do it intentionally. It's just a focus change. Maybe it's one of Satan's schemes to tweak something that seems good into something that is really bad.
Think about it. There's a different focal point for each senario. When we focus on what God wants us to do, i.e. read the Bible, pray, go to church, keep yourself pure, don't gossip, etc, the focus becomes about us. We are the ones trying to carry out what should be the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we succeed at living what seems to be a good life, we feel good about ourselves and we may even receive praise from others.
When we are focused on who God wants us to be, then that leads to the kind of transformation that can ONLY be done by the Holy Spirit. It takes us out of the picture. We can no longer fake living the "good Christian life." We are so depraved that we cannot manifest what we need in order to live like Christ, so if we are being transformed into the image of Christ, then it has to be the work of the Holy Spirit. We would have to live according to Romans 12:1 as "a living and holy sacrifice" where we are dead to our own desires but living by the power of God. Our lives become an act of worship that points to the glory of Christ.
On the surface the differences seem so subtle, but with a deeper look, doing and being are world's apart. I want to be like Christ. I want to exude His presence. I want my life to be an act of worship. I don't want to just settle for a check list of actions that if I do or don't do, then I'm good to go. I pray that the church, the bride of Christ, realizes the difference. I would imagine that if we all focused more on being like Christ, then we would make a huge impact on this lost and desperate world.
Think about it. There's a different focal point for each senario. When we focus on what God wants us to do, i.e. read the Bible, pray, go to church, keep yourself pure, don't gossip, etc, the focus becomes about us. We are the ones trying to carry out what should be the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we succeed at living what seems to be a good life, we feel good about ourselves and we may even receive praise from others.
When we are focused on who God wants us to be, then that leads to the kind of transformation that can ONLY be done by the Holy Spirit. It takes us out of the picture. We can no longer fake living the "good Christian life." We are so depraved that we cannot manifest what we need in order to live like Christ, so if we are being transformed into the image of Christ, then it has to be the work of the Holy Spirit. We would have to live according to Romans 12:1 as "a living and holy sacrifice" where we are dead to our own desires but living by the power of God. Our lives become an act of worship that points to the glory of Christ.
On the surface the differences seem so subtle, but with a deeper look, doing and being are world's apart. I want to be like Christ. I want to exude His presence. I want my life to be an act of worship. I don't want to just settle for a check list of actions that if I do or don't do, then I'm good to go. I pray that the church, the bride of Christ, realizes the difference. I would imagine that if we all focused more on being like Christ, then we would make a huge impact on this lost and desperate world.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
I really want one of these!
That's the Electric Wondermill Whisper Mill. Yes, I know I'm weird. But the idea of milling fresh whole wheat flour then making a super yummy loaf of bread and eating it fresh out of the oven with a little bit of butter that melts into every fluffy nook and cranny (Is your mouth watering now?) sounds so exciting and yummy. Not only would it taste better than any loaf of bread ever, but it would be even more nutritional than any whole wheat bread I could buy or make with store bought flour. I could also mill fresh cornmeal....yummy cornbread. I could also make the freshest of fresh whole wheat pasta, pancakes, muffins, waffles, etc. Yes, I really am crazy. Since it cost $259.95, it will remain a dream. Plus I would have to find wheat to grind. Maybe I'll win a Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes. Then, I'll buy me one of these along with a wheat farm. Then, I could be in carbohydrate heaven.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Day 2, 3, and 4
So I have to admit things aren't going as well as I hoped. Ellis is quite the stubborn little thing. She cries and cries before she will finally fall asleep and still only sleep for maybe 30 minutes. Of course, I haven't helped. The past 2 days I have gone over to my sister's for supper, so therefore she has taken her evening naps in my arms. I know that consistency is the key, and that doesn't help with the consistency.
As far as Parker goes, yesterday and today he's been in diapers. He wanted to wear diapers so I let him. You maybe thinking, "You're the parent. It's not about what he wants." Yes, that's true, but I also know that toddlers love to do what you don't want them to do and hate to do what you want them to do. So, I'm playing it cool on the potty training thing, like it doesn't matter to me if he wears diapers or underware. We'll try again in a few days, and see what happens.
As far as Parker goes, yesterday and today he's been in diapers. He wanted to wear diapers so I let him. You maybe thinking, "You're the parent. It's not about what he wants." Yes, that's true, but I also know that toddlers love to do what you don't want them to do and hate to do what you want them to do. So, I'm playing it cool on the potty training thing, like it doesn't matter to me if he wears diapers or underware. We'll try again in a few days, and see what happens.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Day One of the Kid's Resoutions
So I made some resolutions for my children this year. I made some for myself as well. Well, I made goals. I like to say goals rather than resolutions. Anyway...
If you've read my previous posts on Ellis, you know that she is not a good napper. She wants to be rocked to sleep and then she doesn't sleep very long. I know that she has the ability to fall asleep on her own because she does it at night and sleeps all night long. So, my goal for her is to get her to fall asleep on her own for naps. I can't really control how long she sleeps, but that will get probably get better on it's own since she is starting falling into a more regular nap schedule.
My goal for Parker is for him to be potty trained. I haven't really worked hard at potty training him yet. He has some underware that he has worn occasionally, and when he is interested, he uses the potty. But I'm ready to cut down on buying diapers, so we are cutting out diapers except for when he's sleeping or we are out and about.
Day one results:
For Ellis, she cried for a little over an hour for her morning nap, then only slept for about 20 minutes. For her afternoon nap, she cried for less than 15 minutes and then slept for an hour and a half! I was so amazed. I guess she was so tired from her morning nap protest. She cried or I should say screamed for 30 minutes for the evening nap and then I got her up because at that point it was pointless for her to take an evening nap. I just put her to bed early. All in all, not bad for day one.
For Parker, I'm currently washing almost all of the underware we have for him. He wet every pair that he put on except for the last pair that he had on before bedtime. But that said, he did well. He would start to go and then realize it and he would come and get me and finish in the potty. The first couple of times were the only ones where he went enough for it to get on the floor. So, he made progress throughout the day.
If you've read my previous posts on Ellis, you know that she is not a good napper. She wants to be rocked to sleep and then she doesn't sleep very long. I know that she has the ability to fall asleep on her own because she does it at night and sleeps all night long. So, my goal for her is to get her to fall asleep on her own for naps. I can't really control how long she sleeps, but that will get probably get better on it's own since she is starting falling into a more regular nap schedule.
My goal for Parker is for him to be potty trained. I haven't really worked hard at potty training him yet. He has some underware that he has worn occasionally, and when he is interested, he uses the potty. But I'm ready to cut down on buying diapers, so we are cutting out diapers except for when he's sleeping or we are out and about.
Day one results:
For Ellis, she cried for a little over an hour for her morning nap, then only slept for about 20 minutes. For her afternoon nap, she cried for less than 15 minutes and then slept for an hour and a half! I was so amazed. I guess she was so tired from her morning nap protest. She cried or I should say screamed for 30 minutes for the evening nap and then I got her up because at that point it was pointless for her to take an evening nap. I just put her to bed early. All in all, not bad for day one.
For Parker, I'm currently washing almost all of the underware we have for him. He wet every pair that he put on except for the last pair that he had on before bedtime. But that said, he did well. He would start to go and then realize it and he would come and get me and finish in the potty. The first couple of times were the only ones where he went enough for it to get on the floor. So, he made progress throughout the day.
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