Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Relaxation

Been feeling pretty moody/edgy lately, waiting for so many things to happen.  One of those things being the end of my last semester of college!  Which is dragging by slowly, in case you were wondering.  That's why I haven't been blogging this month.  Don't feel bad, you haven't missed much.  I've just been moping around the house in my yoga pants trying to avoid doing my homework by laying very still in my recliner with a blanket over my face.

BUT I put those yoga pants to good use today at the peak of my moodiness!  I decided to take a break from trying to start my homework (aka FBing, Craigslisting, and blog stalking), and take a bath, then some Yoga and Pilates for an hour.  It was so nice, and I highly recommend it if you are feeling out of sorts for any reason.  I feel so much better now, honest!  Plus, I saw our little neighborhood moose on the way home from work/school today; I'll be nice and share some pictures :)

 Pretty cute little moose, been with us since it was just a little(er) guy!

Monday, March 21, 2011

One More Good Thing to Blog About

I got a new duvet comforter (retail therapy works, I'm telling you) and I LOVE it. Now my recliner has some competition for a favorite reading spot...
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Food

"Good health makes a lot of sense, but it doesn't make a lot of dollars." -why drug companys and the medical world aren't doing more to help in the fight against obesity. Heard it on the movie, Food Matters.
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Blah


Nothing very special has been going on, I'm just sitting here doing more homework.  Maybe I'll post something after May 1, when I graduate.  Happy Monday.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Responsibility

A Woman's High Calling: 10 Essentials for Godly Living

I am doing a ladies Bible study right now, and everyday I am encouraged and convicted by what is written in the pages of this great book!  I highly recommend it to anyone out there looking to start a meaningful Bible study.  I started this one with a group of ladies from church, but due to my school schedule, I can't meet with the rest of my ladies anymore, so I am finishing the study on my own.  I try to read from this every morning before starting my day, and it really helps me to live each day with God's purpose for me in mind and a loving attitude in my heart.  The book is A Woman's High Calling:  10 Essentials for Godly Living, by Elizabeth George.

There is also a workbook that goes along with this book, and I highly recommend that too.  I wanted to share something from the book that I thought particularly meaningful.   I think it speaks to a problem that most women have today in our fast paced society.  I know it really stood out to me as something I need to think about every time a consider making a commitment to do something outside my home.

"I remember a lady in our church who was asked to serve on the women's committee in our Sunday school class.  She was thrilled!  What an opportunity!  However, she later withdrew her name.  Why?  Because her husband thought that she ought to have a meal ready for him when he came home from work each night.  He told her that once she was taking care of things at home he'd love to support her in a ministry at the church.  In other words, she needed to first be and do what the Bible said she needed to be and do before she needed to minister to those at the church.  I tell you, I admire both the husband and the wife in this case, who worked together as a team to tackle several of God's high callings for their marriage and home" (George, 112).

When I first read this, my eyebrows raised and I thought, "Whoa!"  most woman are probably not going to like this paragraph, and might, in fact, be offended by what could come across as male sexism towards women.  But really, we do have a responsibility to our home and family first and foremost.  I think we sometimes forget this, because we want so badly to be involved in extracurricular things that we enjoy and that make us feel like we are doing something special for people.  But if we ignore and neglect our family at home in order to do service for others, our good works fall flat in God's eyes (and those of our neglected family!).  Personally, I think that having a meal ready for her husband was just an example used to demonstrate that our home life needs to come first.  Once we have mastered personal discipline in our home,  we can reach out to our community and church family!

George went on to question, "Are there people at home you need to take care of?  Are you being and doing at home what God calls you to be and do at home?  A woman who desire to live a godly life spends her life immersed in godly things and doing good things - even fixing meals for your husband (two of God's 'good things' - love your husband and be a homemaker - Titus 2:4-5).  Doing the good things we're supposed to do and being what we're supposed to be is how we become 'teachers of good things' (verse 3).  And that, I repeat, is one of our high callings from God" (George, 113).

As a side note, the word "homemaker" does not refer to just stay at home wives and moms.  It simply means that we do have a God-given responsibility to our homes and families.  Many women can still work and maintain their responsibilities at home.  On the flip side, some stay at home wives/moms feel as though they cannot find time to maintain their homes!  One of my favorite things about Georges book is that she focuses on personal discipline as an essential for Godly living.  I know that I have a long way to go in cultivating Christ-like personal discipline, and that because of sin, it will never be perfect.  How many times a week do I sit here blogging or in my recliner reading a novel instead of washing the dishes that are sitting on the counter in my kitchen, or folding my laundry that is sitting in the dryer?  These might seem like small things, but I know that I always feel so much better when I am disciplined and just get my household responsibilities out of the way before indulging in leisure time!  I continue to pray for and meditate on having strong personal discipline, because I believe that it is the foundation for happily fulfilling the responsibilities we have as women after God's own heart.

I realize that this may be a somewhat controversial post, so feel free to disagree, just please don't attack my belief's here on my blog.  You can choose to leave this page, so please do so if you are offended by what I have written.  Thanks and have a great Monday everyone!

Monday, March 7, 2011

You need to read this..."Kids Just Aren't Worth it"

I ran across this article and was shocked, so I thought I'd share it here to get your feedback on it...can you believe the author calls children "economically worthless"?!  Taken from

Kids just aren’t worth it 
CAROLYN ROBERTSON
MOMS ON THE EDGE
posted: 03/07/2011, 10:01 am
I hate to be the bearer of bad news here, folks, but it turns out that kids aren’t worth it after all. According to a new study published in the Journal of Psychological Science, our little cherubs aren’t so much a joy as they are a big old financial burden.

Gone are the days when kids used to work on the farm and such, benefiting the family finances. Instead, parents shell out big bucks to raise a child – $190,000 over 18 years, according to one recent estimate – and get little reward in return. Researchers at the University of Waterloo have found that, faced with the overwhelming expense of parenting, we tend to overstate the joys of having children in order to make ourselves feel better about the decision.

The result? “The economically worthless but emotionally priceless child,” to borrow a phrase from Princeton sociologist Viviana Zelizer.

“Many people believe that to be truly fulfilled in life, it is necessary to experience the joys of parenthood. Children are considered an essential source of happiness, satisfaction, and pride,” write professors Richard Eibach and Steven Mock. “However, the idea that parenthood involves substantial emotional rewards appears to be something of a myth.”

“The costs of raising children motivate parents to idealize parenthood,” they continue. “The perceived joys of parenthood may thus be a rationalization of the high costs of having children.”

I can’t argue with the fact that kids can cost a bunch. From diapers to child care to food and shelter, the expenses do add up. But it’s easy to tally the $2 for the loaf of bread and $200 for the soccer team. What’s harder is to put a price tag on the joys – and yes, there are joys. Not only the cuddles and kisses, the first steps and first day of school, but the inexplicable reward of watching your child grow into a person all her own.

6016 146063812673 548797673 3876273 6841177 n1 300x199 Kids just arent worth itI spent yesterday afternoon blowing bubbles in the front yard with my “economically worthless” children. The baby curled cozily against me in the sling, I watched as my 4-year-old twirled dizzy circles in the grass with her wand outstretched, lost in a swirl of bubbles. She’d spin until she fell down, an exaggerated, laughing collapse, and then run over to squeal at her baby sister, who happily squealed right back; their own little language.

I wasn’t thinking about the cost of the bubbles or the new shoes I’d have to soon buy her, the preschool fees that are due this morning or the college fees down the road. I wasn’t thinking about much at all. But I was happy, purely. I don’t imagine that kind of joy can be quantified.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Week in Review

It's Sunday again, hope everyone had a good first week of March!

Scariest moment of my week:  being blown sideways across the icy sidewalk towards traffic while riding my bike home from work Friday.   Good news?  I didn't get blown into traffic by the huge gust of wind.  Bad news?  I had to purposefully fall to keep from sliding across the sidewalk into oncoming traffic, and tore a few holes in my favorite swix pants.  But still, at least I'm not dead :)

Thursday, March 3, 2011

The smell of dirt

It is so beautiful and sunny today, but I haven't really had a chance to get outside!  Well, actually, I spent about 45 minutes outside this morning unloading the truck at work, but it was dark :(.  So instead I decided to transplant some cuttings that were ready as a well as a new plant I picked up that was already root bound.  As soon as I cut open the bag of potting soil, I breathed in the earthy smell of the soil.  So wonderful!  I wish I could capture that and share it with you here on my blog!

 Here's my new plant, new pot, and soil

 adding my new plant

getting the soil everywhere it needs to be 

 new home in our room :)

new cuttings, growing some roots 

 newly transplanted cuttings, ready to grow!

Other than that my day's been pretty boring, how about yours?

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Wordless Wednesday

I've been doing homework since 5:30am (eek!) and still have more to do (OK, yes, I threw about two hours of cleaning and organizing in there), so I thought today would be a good day for a wordless post.  And guess what?  Then I realized it was Wednesday!  Perfect!

I'll give you some hints about the pictures...My husband the lineman, Ski 4 Kids, Fur Rondy!