Up-Cycled Planter: Reused, Replanted
This is Friday, my favorite weekday next to Monday!! (Well, it WAS Friday when I started this post, lol)
Wouldn't you love to drop by and sit on my deck with some homemade cookies and Sweet Tea?? Today I happened to be drinking some Arizona Pomegranite Green Tea but usually I have brewed some old-fashioned Sweet Tea. I'd love to have you at least 'virtually' drop by if you can't make it in person today.
Today, I am going to just get chatty as it would sure be nice to talk with another woman. Did you know we are better company for our husbands when we have spent time with another women?! Many men don't like to talk about sewing, cooking, herbs, flowers, and so forth. I can sure drive my husband to distraction when I get rambling on and on. And he loves to talk (but about cars and airplanes, science, and airplanes...did I tell you he likes to talk about airplanes??)!!
If you are relatively knew to blogging like I am, you probably have noticed that most posts arrive in your inbox (or feeder) early in the morning. Blogs are calling your name faster than you have time to exercise, shower, have your Quiet Time, and get your house and children set for the day!! Don't be pulled in!!
Before blogs existed, I ran a homeschool support group, wrote a monthly newsletter (as I held my baby in one hand and nursed while typing one-handed with the other), ran two websites (one for homeschooling and the other for pedigree rabbits), ten years ago I also moderated an internet chat board for a well-known curriculum company. This was through those years when my children were little.
Sounds really busy?? Sounds familiar??
The important thing to remember is that your husband and children come first. Husband FIRST. Activities in or out of the home can tax your stress level and leave you with limited time for your family.
When I had babies, I resigned my position as support group leader for a few years. When I wrote the newsletter and compiled it, I did it after they went to bed at night, even though I was sometimes up past midnight and back up at five or six. One of the websites were done with my daughters. Then, when I saw the moderating job was starting to interfere with my children as the board got busier and busier and took more time, I resigned.
How come I was oblivious of blogging until last August????
Until last May I was so busy with homeschooling that I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. Suddenly, just when it seemed so dark...the light burst in and daylight blinded my eyes!!
Have you ever gone through a tunnel on a train?? I know they are practically a thing of the past, so maybe you haven't. I have. They are a blast!! Literally!!
My homeschooling, child-raising years was like a tunnel. Time zipping past like the train through the tunnel. Like the tunnel, there were dark times. You feel like diapers, correcting papers, and correcting children will never end. Suddenly it is over!! Ended!!
Be careful with blogging!! It is a blessing to others and to yourself as you learn more from what you write than your readers ever will because YOU wrote it!! BUT if you loose your testimony with your children; what good is blogging?!
Some of you ladies are leaving the most sweetest comments, and I humbly thank you for them. You say nice things to me without even knowing me personally. Just so you know, I write out of experience not out of holiness or righteousness. I have learned because God gave me the blessing of having children. I learned how unholy and unrighteous I was!!!! I saw my sin like never before and God began to work.
I read all those wonderful books on homeschooling and child-rearing. I did everything suggested in the books and failed. I failed just like I failed at school, playing the violin, and baking a cake. My abilities and giftings come from God, not from me. So, do I have regrets?? Yes, I do!! Yet, God covered all my failures and sin with His precious blood through Jesus Christ. I have no regrets because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I gave my time, learned from my children what God wanted me to learn. Just don't think I have it all together because the only thing I have together is that I know I don't have it together!!
God has given me the time to blog away now that my children are older (my two youngest are 17 and 19.) If you are younger, take heed to the pitfalls of filling your time with worthy activities in the name of encouraging other moms. You don't have to post every day. You don't have to post six times a week. I don't post on Sunday. I probably won't post on Saturdays unless it is a poem or hymn that I had already typed. I probably won't post on a holiday. Be careful young mothers!!
In case you couldn't tell, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE making chocolate chip cookies!!
Favorite Friday
- Here is a wonderful post on 'being good' to our husbands. This post is so well written and deserves being read through a couple times and even printed and posted on our fridge. That way we will be reminded to live it out without simply breezing through it quickly and clicking onto another blog. This post is from Good Morning Girls:
- Here is another blog post from Wendy, who lives in beautiful Scotland. She blogs over at Each Card Tells a Story and posted an excellent post of the tongue this past week. I hope you will take the time to read and apply it to your life. Afterall, without interacting with the content of a blog by doing it there is little sense in using our limited time to read it.
I just popped over to say that I have left a wee something on my blog for you to say thank you for the wonderful teaching and encouragement I find visiting your blog.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised to see you have mentioned me in this post!
Thank you for being such an excellent support and encouragement.
Wendy @ ECTaS
Thank you so much for including me in the blogs you have enjoyed. I just popped on over and took a quick look but I want to spend more time tomorrow :-) I intended on sending you a quick note but it got too late last night and time ran out on me!!
ReplyDeleteI have just so appreciated the friendship and warmth you offer on your blog.
What a precious heart you have! And what a precious sisterhood we share in Christ.
ReplyDeleteAnd wow, were you busy! I did not discover blogging until four years ago, I believe. So during my early homeschool years I'd never heard of it. I went months without going on a computer and I really did miss some great resources, I think. But I didn't have to struggle with limiting my time on the computer, lol!
I will surely pop do that. How fun! Too bad you don't live in WA state or we'd have that cup of tea you mentioned (except mine will have to be diet pepsi as I don't drink tea, haha).
Washington state...ahhh!! I always wanted to drive up through Oregon and Washington but lost my chance!! I lived in foggy San Francisco during college and turned down a ride to a wedding to study!! Can't imagine why studying was so important all these years later!! You live in a beautiful state!!
DeleteIt is precious to me to have the fellowship at this point in my life as my home is emptying out. Thanks Nan.
You make me chuckle. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd you make me smile :-)
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