Saturday, May 1, 2010
If you knew...
If you knew who you are, who you are in your perfect self, your spiritual self, how would that change who you are here on earth in your imperfect state? If you could see all of the greatness that God created you to be, or even the person that you were before you came to earth or that you will be when you go/return to heaven, how would that change who you are here on earth? Who are you?
Resiliency
Today I am pondering what it is in people that makes them resilient. Why can some people pick up after major hurts and go on, while others are debilitated for life? What is the difference, and how can we instill those traits in our children?
I like to consider myself a fairly resilient person. I've been through a lot of stuff in my life and I still keep going and in the end try to use those things to make me stronger. I know faith plays a big part in this, but I also know that some of it seems to be personality, so is resiliency something I can teach my child, and if so, how do I do that?
I like to consider myself a fairly resilient person. I've been through a lot of stuff in my life and I still keep going and in the end try to use those things to make me stronger. I know faith plays a big part in this, but I also know that some of it seems to be personality, so is resiliency something I can teach my child, and if so, how do I do that?
Friday, April 30, 2010
Favorite Fridays
I love reading blogs when they have theme days. So I've decided to do some of my own. So, today is the first, I'm going to do Favorite Fridays, where I'll tell you about one of my favorite resources, books, etc.
Today's Favorite Friday is:
Favorite Saving Websites - These are the great sites that tell you who is having the best deals for the week. Here are my favorites:
The Krazy Coupon Lady - The Krazy Coupon Lady highlights lots of fantastic deals. She does the weekly coupon deals for the grocery stores, Target, Kmart, and more. She also highlights the really good deals at other stores. At the holiday times she has tons of resources for getting inexpensive toys for gifts!
Discount Queens - This one I found accidentally and a lot of stuff they feature is on The Krazy Coupon Lady, but every now and then they find some fantastic deals that I don't see elsewhere.
Pinching Your Pennies - They have a complete list for the local grocery stores of what's on sale, and what coupons to use. A little harder to use than The Krazy Coupon Lady (in my opinon), but a more comprehensive list. I definitely recommend subscribing to their newsletter, you'll find out about the best deals the fastest that way, especially really good Kohl's, Children's Place, and Staples sales. We've gotten clothes from Children's place with their deals that are the same as thrift store prices for good clothes too.
Today's Favorite Friday is:
Favorite Saving Websites - These are the great sites that tell you who is having the best deals for the week. Here are my favorites:
The Krazy Coupon Lady - The Krazy Coupon Lady highlights lots of fantastic deals. She does the weekly coupon deals for the grocery stores, Target, Kmart, and more. She also highlights the really good deals at other stores. At the holiday times she has tons of resources for getting inexpensive toys for gifts!
Discount Queens - This one I found accidentally and a lot of stuff they feature is on The Krazy Coupon Lady, but every now and then they find some fantastic deals that I don't see elsewhere.
Pinching Your Pennies - They have a complete list for the local grocery stores of what's on sale, and what coupons to use. A little harder to use than The Krazy Coupon Lady (in my opinon), but a more comprehensive list. I definitely recommend subscribing to their newsletter, you'll find out about the best deals the fastest that way, especially really good Kohl's, Children's Place, and Staples sales. We've gotten clothes from Children's place with their deals that are the same as thrift store prices for good clothes too.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Studying
I want to study. I want to study and learn and study some more. I need to study and learn. So, how do I fit that into my already excessively crazy life? I mean honestly I work 8-9 hours a day, homeschool, attempt (ok, it's a poor attempt, but I really do attempt) to keep my house clean, cook meals, love on my child, babysit (a huge blessing because Nick has someone to play with all day) and try not to pull my hair out. I'm already studying a few things, but I want to do more. I need my full 24 hour day without sleeping... do you think I can give up sleeping? Probably not... I get too grouchy. So how do I fit everything in my life in?
Confidence / Self-doubt
Today I had one of those monumental moments when something I have been struggling with really just clicks and I understand it not just in my mind but in my heart.
The last week I have been reading a book about being confident... something I always struggle with. The book has been wonderful, and she said something in it that really struck with me a few days ago, and I've just been thinking and thinking about it. I know it's true, but it wasn't until this morning that it really settled in me.
I don't need to be confident in myself. Sounds crazy, huh? It isn't though, because I can't do anything without God, and I can do all things through God. So the confidence that I need to have is not in myself but in God. I need to be confident in God and trust in Him to guide me and show me what to do and how to do it. God will take care of it, I just need to make myself available to Him and listen to Him. As long as I do my best, He'll do the rest.
What a relief!
I can totally do that, I have complete confidence that God is both able and willing to take care of it all. I've lacked the conifidence in my ability to do some things, but I do not need to have confidence in me, if I have confidence in Him, I just need to follow Him and I can be confident knowing that I am covered. Whew!
The last week I have been reading a book about being confident... something I always struggle with. The book has been wonderful, and she said something in it that really struck with me a few days ago, and I've just been thinking and thinking about it. I know it's true, but it wasn't until this morning that it really settled in me.
I don't need to be confident in myself. Sounds crazy, huh? It isn't though, because I can't do anything without God, and I can do all things through God. So the confidence that I need to have is not in myself but in God. I need to be confident in God and trust in Him to guide me and show me what to do and how to do it. God will take care of it, I just need to make myself available to Him and listen to Him. As long as I do my best, He'll do the rest.
What a relief!
I can totally do that, I have complete confidence that God is both able and willing to take care of it all. I've lacked the conifidence in my ability to do some things, but I do not need to have confidence in me, if I have confidence in Him, I just need to follow Him and I can be confident knowing that I am covered. Whew!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Infertility... cont.
Today the infertility wound is raw and gaping. Infertility is an issue I deal with everyday. Not a day passes that I don't think about the baby we want to have who has not yet joined us. Everday it burns, but somedays, the wound is worse than others. Somedays it is at the back, today it is in the forefront.
I want a baby so badly. Erik would like one, but I don't believe it is the same for him as it is for me. It eats me up inside. I am sad for myself, and I am sad for my son who grows older every day without the pleasure of having a sibling to grow with.
I know that somehow, I must figure out a way to let go of it, to give it to God and trust that we will have all of the children we are supposed to have, one way or another, but I can not do that. I want to but I just can't get there. Somehow, it is much easier for me to believe that if we could just do those infertility treatments, it would happen, but right now, there is just no way that we can manage to pay for even one infertility cycle, and of course there is no guarantee that we can get pregnant after just one. In general, they say to expect it to take several. We did one a year and a bit ago, and it was heartbreaking when it did not work, especially since the doctor made a mistake that may very well have been responsible for it not working.
It just frustrates me to know end that what so many people have to work not to have happen, we have to work and pay money to have happen. For us, having a baby becomes a major expense because not only do we have to spend the money for the infertility treatments, but then we are faced with the normal bills that people have bringing a baby into the world... hospital or midwife, either way means expenses.
We'd happily adopt, but for what it would cost to adopt, we could get pregnant AND have a baby, we could do about 3 infertility cycles and a pregnancy for what it'd cost us to do a private adoption.
Somehow I'm going to have to come to peace with it all... I just don't know how.
I want a baby so badly. Erik would like one, but I don't believe it is the same for him as it is for me. It eats me up inside. I am sad for myself, and I am sad for my son who grows older every day without the pleasure of having a sibling to grow with.
I know that somehow, I must figure out a way to let go of it, to give it to God and trust that we will have all of the children we are supposed to have, one way or another, but I can not do that. I want to but I just can't get there. Somehow, it is much easier for me to believe that if we could just do those infertility treatments, it would happen, but right now, there is just no way that we can manage to pay for even one infertility cycle, and of course there is no guarantee that we can get pregnant after just one. In general, they say to expect it to take several. We did one a year and a bit ago, and it was heartbreaking when it did not work, especially since the doctor made a mistake that may very well have been responsible for it not working.
It just frustrates me to know end that what so many people have to work not to have happen, we have to work and pay money to have happen. For us, having a baby becomes a major expense because not only do we have to spend the money for the infertility treatments, but then we are faced with the normal bills that people have bringing a baby into the world... hospital or midwife, either way means expenses.
We'd happily adopt, but for what it would cost to adopt, we could get pregnant AND have a baby, we could do about 3 infertility cycles and a pregnancy for what it'd cost us to do a private adoption.
Somehow I'm going to have to come to peace with it all... I just don't know how.
Prayer
An interesting, and very true quote from Soren Kierkegaard:
"The immediate person thinks and imagines that when he prays, the important thing, the thing he must concentrate upon, is that God should hear what he is praying for. And yet, in the true, eternal sense, it is just the reverse: the true relation in prayer is not when God hears what is prayed for, but when the person praying continues to pray until he is the one who hears, who hears what God wills. The immediate person, therefore, uses many words and, therefore, makes demands in his prayer; the true man of prayer only attends."
Time spent listening in prayer is always as productive or more productive than time spent talking.
"The immediate person thinks and imagines that when he prays, the important thing, the thing he must concentrate upon, is that God should hear what he is praying for. And yet, in the true, eternal sense, it is just the reverse: the true relation in prayer is not when God hears what is prayed for, but when the person praying continues to pray until he is the one who hears, who hears what God wills. The immediate person, therefore, uses many words and, therefore, makes demands in his prayer; the true man of prayer only attends."
Time spent listening in prayer is always as productive or more productive than time spent talking.
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