A word.

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions.  I have watched far too many times as friends have “failed” at their resolutions in the first few days of a new year and have given up completely, as though one bump in the journey signifies that all hope is lost.  I’m an all-or-nothing kind of girl, and I know that if I were to make a resolution, I’d likely fall into that same trap.

A few years ago, a friend of mine challenged me to come up with a word that I would apply to my year, and print it on my heart.  I did that for several years, faithfully thinking of an area in my life in which I felt I needed some work, and assigning that word to myself.  It was a fun way to start the year, and I remembered that word sometimes.  It was relatively successful.

Two or three years ago I realized, though, that the words I was coming up with and the struggles I was addressing were typically pretty self-serving.  I started praying about it, and realized that the only way this “word” thing was going to be a successful plan in my own life was if I asked God to speak a word to me.  I figure He knows me better than I am willing to allow myself to know me, so if anyone can see what word I will need for the year it’s probably him.  Those God-breathed words have been exactly what I have needed each year, even when I haven’t understood them from the beginning.

A week or so ago, I began praying for my word for 2018.  I have spent a lot of time in that week, praying about my word.  Every time, God has told me to wait.  I’m not good at waiting.  Every time, I have heard God say some variation of “not yet,” and I have tried to be patient.  

Yesterday was January 1, 2018, and I hadn’t heard anything.

I think I maybe gave up.  I mean, maybe this was God’s way of telling me this “routine” had become just that...a routine...that was no longer meaningful in my life.

So it was that on January 1, 2018, when I went to be around 10pm, I was frustrated and unsettled, because I had lived in a new year for 22 hours already, and had no idea where my focus would be.  I had no idea what I should work on.  I prayed that God would open my heart to what he had in store for me this year, even if I didn’t have some special “word” by which to live.

An hour later, my son woke up vomiting.  

We were in a hotel, which is never the best place to be sick.  In an effort to keep him from waking everyone in the family AND all the rooms around us, I took him into the bathroom where we sat, ice bucket at the ready just in case, his head resting on the toilet, me on the edge of the tub.  After an hour, he was sobbing and I was near tears as well.  I was praying silently to myself.

“God, I am not feeling very patient right now.  Please help me stay calm and give me patience.  This isn’t his fault.”

Hmmmm...maybe my word should be patience?  Maybe I’m not doing that part right.  Maybe I need to work on patience, and God is trying to teach me that.  Geez, God.  Please don’t make my kid sick just to teach ME a lesson!  If patience is my word, please tell me.

Nothing.

My poor kid was miserable.  I was miserable.  I cried out to God again.

“God, I am exhausted.  He is exhausted.  Please give us rest.”

Ooooh, rest.  That’s a good word.  God’s already been working on me on that one.  Maybe rest is my word.  God, is rest my word?  If it is, I’d really like to be doing that right now.

Nothing.

“God, I don’t think I can do this much longer.  I am seriously about to lose it.  My son is sick, I am so tired, he can’t stop crying.  He’s in pain.  He needs your touch.  I need your touch.  I am so worn down.  I am SO worn down.  I’m weary, God.  Help us.”

I will renew you.

I heard those words.  I don’t know if they were audible words from God or if they were in my own head, but I heard them clearly.  “I will renew you.”  

I was finally able to get my son back to bed, and I couldn’t sleep because I was too thinking.  Maybe, just maybe, the word God wanted me to hear was RENEW.  I convinced myself it was, and that he wanted me to focus on that this year...that even when I am worn down, He will renew my strength.  I was content, and though I wasn’t able to go to sleep for several more hours, I decided I was ready for the year.

And then it was morning.

I am a researcher by design, so I needed to know the dictionary definition of “renew.”  (I know what it means, of course, but I need to know what the true denotation of the word is.)  I googled the word renew, and decided the definition I would focus on for the year was:

Give fresh life or strength to

Because obviously, that’s what God was planning to do for me this year.

Obviously.

Sometimes I think I have God all figured out.  I am pretty sure he laughs at me sometimes.

So I pulled up my Bible app and searched for “renew,” with every intention of finding a verse for the year that would support my idea of what God was telling me.  There are a LOT of verses in the Bible that contain the word renew.  I was scanning through them, trying to decide which would be “my” verse, and God said, “No, go back to the very first one.  THAT is the one I want you to focus on this year.”

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” - Psalm 51:10

No, God, you said you will give me strength.  You said when I am worn down, you will pull me back up.  You said you were going to do this, and I needed to trust you to do it.  

Read it again.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” - Psalm 51:10

Okay, okay.  So clearly God has a different plan for the year than I do.  He sees me.  He knows me inside and out.  He knows I need renewal, and that renewal is a heart issue, not really a peace issue.  

A clean heart.

Something toward which I will need to strive.  Something for which I will have to work and pray.  Renewal isn’t something God is planning to do TO me, it’s something He wants to do IN me.  I get it now.

So I was set.  I was resolved.  Renew.  Right spirit.  Clean heart.  Got it, God.  Thanks.

And then this evening, I went to work out.  I attend a Revelation Wellness class, during which there is a devotion.  It’s an ongoing thread throughout the class, and throughout the class the instructors share words and verses as they feel led.  Halfway through class this evening, the instructor with the mic quoted Romans 12:2:

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”

I get it, God.  I get it.  

Renew.  

2018 will be a year of renewal in my life.  I can’t wait to see how God will work in me and through me...not TO me, as I had thought (hoped?), but IN me.  

Thank you, God, for being a God who works IN.  Thank you for being a God that helps us see our strengths and weaknesses and helps us grow.  Thank you for the work you continue to do in my life.

They are my people.

I teach English. High school English. In a high school. A public high school. A HUGE public high school.

Last year, I taught English, too. High school English. In a high school. A private high school. A tiny private high school.

When I made the change this year (involuntarily), I was afraid. I wasn't "good enough" to teach at a HUGE public high school. I needed to be in my tiny private high school, where it was quiet and comfortable and encouraging and family. I wasn't ready. I wasn't capable. I wasn't comfortable.

You've heard it before, though. "God doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies the called."

I stepped one foot in front of the other and pushed out of my tiny comfort zone into the HUGE unknown, and guess what found?

I found people...young people...who need someone.  I began to realize that at the HUGE public high school, there are lots and lots of people that feel tiny. Every day. People who don't know that they're loved. Ever. People who need to know they've got a chance. That they can be somebody. That they can BE.

I found a place that breaks my heart. Every day, EVERY day, my heart breaks for my students. THEY are broken.  They are hurting. They are what the world would consider "damaged goods."

They are BEAUTIFUL, amazing people. They are bright in so many different ways. They are kind and gentle and loving. They are loud and rowdy. They are timid and tearful. They are passionate and compassionate. They are talented. They are creative. They are funny. They are remarkable.

They are worth it.

They are my people.

They are my mission.

I was placed in this HUGE public high school, at this time and place in history, for a reason.

YOU were put where you are, right now, this minute, at this place and time in history, for a reason.

YOU are somebody to somebody. I promise. You've been given a mission. If you haven't yet found it, FIND it. Seek it out. Ask God to show you why He's put you here, where you are now. Ask Him to turn your eyes to where they need to look.  There's a mission field right in front of you.

When you find it, you'll know.  It may be the hardest job you'll ever do, looking into the face of heartbreak every single day, perhaps. But you'll find it. And you'll put one foot in front of the other. And you'll walk right out of comfort. And you'll know. You'll know.

They are worth it.

They are worth it.

They are worth it.

It's NaBloPoMo!

Hooray!!  I can't believe it's here already!  I've been waiting for this day for over 14...hours...now!  

That's right.  Last night I did some searching, trying to find a blogging calendar to get me "rebooted"...because I miss this SO very much and I just need to get back in the flow.  It's part of bringing HER back.

NaBloPoMo is a fun bloggy challenge, similar, I suppose, to NaNoWriMo (where writers or wannabe writers write a novel in November).  There's a calendar of writing prompts, one for each day Monday-Friday, and then bloggers are given the weekends to write about whatever they can dream up. 

Challenge?

Accepted!

Today, of course, is November 1, and thus it's also NaBloPoMo day 1.  I am SO excited to get going!  So, without further adieu....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you found one million dollars in the morning and had to spend it by nightfall, what would you do with the money?

Oh, the possibilities!  Good grief.  Where do I even begin??

Okay, so I have to spend it by nightfall, so that's limiting.  I mean...I don't have time to fund an adoption by nightfall, so that's out.  

I think I'd start by buying myself a new Ford Expedition, because I really do miss mine.  (Weird way to start, right?)  

($40K)

I'd buy a bigger house.  Nothing crazy, but you know, 4 bedrooms and 2 baths would be divine!

(Let's get all fancy and say this is $200K.)

I think I'd leave my furniture and buy all new.  We'll call that another $5K or so.

Because I'm a wonderful wife, I'd buy my husband the big truck he's always wanted ($40K) and the travel trailer we really want ($60K).

I'd book a Disney vacation for my family.  We'll do a nice resort, food, souvenirs ($5K).

AND I have around $650K left to spend.  Geez.  I'm not even good at this!

I can't keep it, so I'll probably blow another $25K on replacing ALL of our clothes, computers, material goods in general.  ($25K)

I'll give $50K to each set of parents and each sibling.  ($150K)

That leaves me with roughly $375K, if I'm doing the math correctly.

I'll split that 3 ways...$125K each to my kids' school, our church, and Show Hope.

Whew!  I'm tired from all this spending!  What a trip!  (Also, if you're feeling like throwing a quick mil my way, I'm SO up for it...and now I even have a spending plan!  Volunteers??)

~~~~~~~~~~

Well that was fun!  Can't wait to write tomorrow!

I miss her.

She's 15.

She's young.

She's vibrant.

She's playful.

She's delightful.

She's intelligent.

She's innocent.

She's care-free.

She's active.

She's healthy.

She's captivating.

She's amazing.

I miss her.

Not in a "I really wish I could go visit her" kind of way.  Not in a "I wish we could sit and chat for a while" kind of way.  Not in a "boy were those ever fun times" kind of way.  I do, however, think all of those things from time to time.

Nope.

I miss her in the "I wish I could walk around in her skin" kind of way.

I miss her vibrant, playful attitude.

I miss her care-free (okay, as "care-free" as a Type-A can get) outlook.

I miss her healthy, active body.

I miss the way she delighted in life.

I miss waking up in her skin every morning.

I miss her.

I miss me.

Life's taken a bit of a toll on that sweet 15 year old version of me.  Life's been unkind...and also kind.  Life's knocked that lovely young lady down a bit...and picked her up a time or two.  Life's been so...lifey.  SO lifey.  And that girl?  

That

young

vibrant

playful

delightful

intelligent

innocent

care-free

active

healthy

captivating

amazing

girl?

She's sacrificed so much of herself in an effort to keep moving forward that she's forgotten, in so many ways, who she was made to be.  She's put on a brave face...often too brave...in order to look like she is still who she's always been.  

She's in there.  I'm sure she is.    She's still playful.  She's still vibrant.  (She's not as young anymore.)  She's care-free.  She's captivating.  She's still amazing.

I miss her.

I think I'll invite her to come back.

God, please be You so I can just be me!

From One Mom to Another- Best Wishes for a Great School Year!

I'm a member of the Children's Claritin Mom Crew, and I LOVE it!  This time of year, Children's Claritin is one of the most important things I stock in my medicine cabinet!  Do your kids have allergies?  You should give it a shot!!

In addition to using Claritin regularly, we do our best to follow a lot of these simple allergy tips:

1. Be sure to have Children’s Claritin, the #1 pediatrician-recommended non-drowsy allergy brand, on hand!

2. Multi-vitamins are building blocks to having a strong immune system. Make taking a multi-vitamin part of your

child’s daily routine.

3. Let there be light! Mold doesn't like sunlight, so try to keep your curtains open during the day. Should be easy

during the summer months!

4. Did you know that most pillows trap allergens, dust mites, and bacteria? Monitor the cleanliness of the pillow

your child with allergies sleeps on and replace if necessary.

5. Back to school season means lots of laundry for many moms. Be sure to remove laundry from the washing

machine promptly. Allowing wet clothes to sit in the washer means mold can quickly grow there.

6. Monitor pollen counts and adjust outdoor before and after school activities accordingly. Dry, windy days

can be particularly high in pollen.

7. Showering or bathing at the end of the day as opposed to the morning can be helpful in removing allergens

from body surfaces and hair.

8. Stay hydrated! Always send your child to school with a bottle of water. Drinking lots of clear fluids through the

day can help get rid of toxins and flush out body.

9. Peak pollen production typically occurs in early morning, so try to plan outside activities at other times of the

day.

What are your best tips for avoiding the nastiness of allergy season?  Share them so we can ALL give them a try!

As a member of the Children’s Claritin Mom Crew, I receive product samples and promotional items to share and use as I see fit. No monetary compensation has taken place and any opinions expressed by me are honest and reflect my actual experience.

It doesn't make sense, but...

It was just over a week ago that we came home from Moore, Oklahoma, having spent an amazing 5 days working with ARC Disaster Relief Team.  We spent hours sifting through bits and pieces of peoples’ lives, by hand.  It was heartbreaking and heartwarming to dig through and pull out their precious mementoes, memories with which they’d be reunited because of our efforts. 

I noticed, during our 5 days of relief, that a lot of people show up in disaster zones to help fix homes.  A lot of people.  I was struck, though, and saddened, by the lack of people that show up to help fix hearts.

We picked up our kids, after a 10-day “vacation” from one another, and settled into a cozy booth at one of our favorite local Mexican restaurants.  We were debriefing about out adventures, ours in Oklahoma and theirs at “the lake” with Aunt Jennifer, when Little Lou popped out this doozy: “Hey guys, I decided I want to be a missionary when I grow up.”

A missionary.

We talked about what that means.  She gets it.  We talked about countries to which she might travel.  She told us she didn’t want to travel to other countries.  She wanted to travel to the people in the United States of America, to be a missionary there.  She said people here need to hear about Jesus.

The United States.

We looked at each other over the table, my husband and I, and gave each other one of those “We need to talk” looks.  You know the look.  When you’ve been married 10 years and a couple for more than 14, you have a whole system of looks. 

We put the kids to bed that night, later than usual, having spent some time re-acquainting, and sat down on the couch for our first real conversation in a week.  He looked at me and said, “I’ve been thinking.  If we can sell the house and the cars, we could buy a travel trailer and a truck and we could travel to disasters as missionaries.”

Missionaries.

To the United States.

And I looked right back and him and said, “I was thinking that if we could just get someone to give us $100,000, we could pay off the house and buy a truck and trailer and…”

And we just looked at each other for a minute.  And then we started dreaming.  Because, somewhere along the way, somehow, God’s been working on both of us (for a long time, really), building a passion and desire into our hearts for people who are hurting.  And somehow, at the same time, while we were experiencing the same week through our own eyes, God showed us the same vision. 

The same vision.

Missionaries.

To the United States.

So here we sit, a week later, a million miles from where we were a week ago, prayerfully building our plan, our vision, our ministry. 

We’re ready to go.  Our kids?  They are on board.  They are EXCITED!  They want to tell people about Jesus and love on those people.  They’re willing to sell most of their toys so they can buy tablets from which they’ll be able to read books (yes, they are concerned about reading books) and Skype Mamaw and Nana.  Little Lou, in fact, would be perfectly content if the only apps that worked on hers were the Bible app and Skype.  She’s that awesome.

And so I implore you to pray. 

Pray for our hearts and those of our kids as we prepare for this journey.

Pray that, somehow, we find a buyer for our house.

Pray that we are able to sell our cars.Pray that we find a truck and trailer that will fit our needs (and our budget…or better yet God’s).

Pray that we clearly see God’s vision despite having human eyes.

Pray that we find the right organizations with which to connect so we can most effectively live out the mission to which we’ve been called.

Pray that we raise enough funds to keep us going…even if it’s through monthly sponsors.

Pray about whether you would be willing to help sponsor us through prayer, finances, or even a truck and trailer (I’m dreaming big, okay?) as we begin lives as missionaries to disaster areas.

I am in the process of setting up a website for our ministry.  (It’ll be in place as soon as we decide on a name!)  I’ll be sure to post that link as soon as it’s active.

Thank you for your time reading our hearts’ visions…and for your prayers!

Sister Fitness

Two years ago (next week, but who's counting), I looked at myself in the mirror and I saw this lady:

I started eating a healthy diet...a very strictly healthy diet...a lifestyle change type of diet, not a "diet" diet.  I started exercising.  Every day.  I busted my buns.  For a full year I changed everything about the way I thought about healthy living.  (Actually, for a lifetime I changed the way I think...but for a year I changed the way I lived.)  

A year in, a year ago (next week, as it turns out), I'd somehow managed to melt off almost 60 pounds...and well over 25 inches!  (I think I was pushing 30 inches, but I can't remember for sure.)    A year ago (next week), I looked in the mirror and I saw this lady:

Wow.

What a change!  I felt good.  I mean...I looked a LOT different, but physically I FELT a lot different as well.  I had SO much more energy.  I wasn't as fatigued.  I was...well, a lot more me.  I was a lot more of a me that I had been missing for a really long time.

One of the "tools" in my healthy "toolbox" was Zumba.  I discovered that I LOVED exercising.  I loved the way it felt to have that workout rush...and the post-workout rush...and sometimes even the post-workout headache.  (I get those a lot, the headaches.)  I discovered exercise can be FUN!  I fell in love, once again, with exercise, and it was really all because of Sister Fitness!

Sister Fitness is a 2-woman Zumba team.  (They probably can do other stuff too, but they're so amazing at Zumba, why would they?)  Sisters Hillary and Natalie (who are amazing, Godly women with even more amazing stories and super cute kids) decided it was important for them to exercise regularly...and for others to exercise too.  They took a Zumba instructor course and decided to teach a class...and it has grown and thrived immensely over the last few years!  

So, I got sucked in to the Zumba "fad."  And I exercised and ate right and lost a ton of pounds...and then I got so busy working that I gave up my daily exercise.  I started eating a lot more convenience foods (and convenience store foods).  I "forgot" about my fruits and veggies and very low starches.  I "forgot" how good it feels to push through a workout and sweat like there's not tomorrow.  I "forgot" what it feels like to be fit.

I forgot.

Until last week, when I looked in the mirror and saw this lady:

This lady is tired.  All the time.  This lady is not as vibrant.  This lady is not the lady I worked so hard to "regain" (physically or mentally).  This lady is not the lady God made me to be!  

So this lady has started eating a little healthier.  This lady has re-committed to health.  This lady has re-committed to HERSELF.  This lady is going to live a long, healthy, MOBILE life.

This lady's going to do that with the help of Sister Fitness!  

You see, I don't have the time to get to a Zumba class right now.  That's been a huge struggle.  And I don't always have the patience to lug my 3 (already tired) kids to Zumba class and home, getting them in bed well past bedtime.  I honestly get too hot at class.  (That sounds silly, but a side effect of my MS is that when I get overheated, I can't see as well and I have some other issues.)  It is really difficult for me to enjoy Zumba in a class setting right now!

But Sister Fitness is trying something new.  They're working on a monthly "subscription" of sorts, where you can do Zumba right from your own living room!  You can do Zumba while your 3 year old runs laps around you and your 7 year old tries to untie your shoes!  You can do Zumba in a place you don't have to worry you'll mess up.  You can do Zumba in a place where you can stand right under a fan and open the back door and garage door and wrap a wet towel around your neck to stay cool (not that I would do anything like that...)  You can do Zumba on YOUR terms!

I know, I know, there are other dvds you can buy.  There are other workouts you can do.  In fact, I purchased one of the "real" Zumba dvd sets a year ago, and I've used it exactly twice.  (If you're interested, I might be willing to sell it to you.)  But you are NOT going to find another video as fun or encouraging as the one you'll find from Sister Fitness.

I don't know how to post a vimeo video here, so you'll just have to click the link...but CLICK HERE to try out the very first "episode" of Sister Fitness at Home!  It's 54 minutes of sweaty fun!  

Enjoy!  (And be watching...I'm going to keep you updated, again, on my journey!)

You call it lazy. I call it...

The Day The Hamper Was Empty for Five Hours In A Row!

Yep.  6pm.  After dinner.  The only one of my children that is dressed (somewhat) is the one that insisted on dressing himself...twice...because he found his favorite outfit and then his favoriter outfit.

I am pretty sure that the only time the older 2 children have spent away from this couch today has been for meals (and the occasional time out).  I'm pretty sure that I'm okay with that.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to be up late tonight prepping for school tomorrow since I didn't do it over the weekend.

I'm pretty sure I feel more rested after this 3-day weekend than I did at the end of a 2-week Christmas break.

The weekend, though?  We had an actual weekend.  The kind where everyone is home and you sleep in (hey, 7:00 IS sleeping in), and you laze around for the morning, then mobilize the troops and do fun stuff together.  The kind of weekend where Mamaw comes and brings a little bit of Mamaw-land with her, and you throw away responsibility for a little while and keep the kids up way past bedtime so they can look at the stars.  

The Planetarium at Ball State University

The kind of weekend where you get up and make pancakes and eggs for your family while they sleep and watch movies, and everyone is full of food and family and fun.  

That kind of weekend.

I'm going to miss this weekend.

I love this weekend!

The Hubby has 3 1/2 months of school left.  That's all.  That's all?  That's all!  And then?  And then.  Weekends, if we're lucky.  We're praying for weekends.  We're hoping for weekends.  We're longing for weekends.

Would you pray for our family?  It's been a LONG 3 years, but it's almost over.  As we journey through the home stretch, please pray for God's direction in finding a job for The Hubby.  Please pray for patience for all of us.  (We're all feeling the length of the ride right now.)  Please pray for us as we, once again, figure out what it's like to all live in the house at the same time and not just when we're passing each other on the way out the door.

However you can, please pray for our transitions these next few months!

~~~

We LOVE weekends! 

How do you spend your weekends?

That was then...

On February 1st of last year I post this picture of myself:

Wow!

Was that really only a year ago?  It feels like a lifetime ago.  It WAS a lifetime ago.  

After this picture was taken I lost 5 more pounds.  Five more!  That put me solidly at a 55 pound loss.  SO hard to believe!  I was ecstatic!  Overjoyed!  Determined to never EVER gain even an OUNCE of that weight back.

A lot's happened in a year.

I am a full-time working mom now.  I'm an English teacher and I love it.  But.

A year ago I was going to Zumba 3x/week.  I was riding my exercise bike at home.  I was riding bikes with the kids.  I was taking long walks with a kid on my back and one in the stroller...or one on my back and one holding my hand...or...  I was eating great.  I was!

I got busy, friends.  I got tired.  I got overwhelmed.

Dare I say I got lazy??

Um, yeah...that one's a little painful to admit.

My medication causes weight gain.  Ice cream causes weight gain.  Lack of exercise causes weight gain.  Lack of motivation?  Weight gain.

I am frustrated with me.  I am tired of feeling the lousy way I feel every day.  I am tired of being tired.  I am tired of the yuck.

Today I have decided that I am ready to put myself back in front.  Today I have decided that I am ready to, once again, fight for me.  Today I am taking myself over.

I need your help, friends!  I need your help.

Please offer your support.

Please offer your patience.

Please offer your criticism.

Please send me your ideas for how to be a healthy me!

I'm ready.  I'm in.  It's ME time!

I AM a Motivated Mom (You can be too)!

What motivates you?  

You know, what really gets you going? 

I think it's different for everyone.

I am motivated by accountability.  I am motivated by results (positive or negative).  I am motivated by frustration.  I am motivated by others' successes or failures.  I am motivated by the calendar or the clock.  I am motivated by change.  I am motivated by stagnation.  I am motivated by a lot of things.

One thing that really motivates me, really gets me going, is a checklist.

I think I have my Auntie Dona to thank for that.  She's a list maker.  I hear that she makes lists of her lists.  (I don't know if that's true or not, but that's the story.)  I'm not quite that extreme, but I am a list maker for sure, and few things make me as happy as checking something off a list.  

I discovered one of my favorite lists a couple of years ago.  I've told you about it a couple of times.  I love it, in part, because I don't have to make it myself (although there is great joy in the making of the list).  I love it, in part, because it reminds me to do things I would have otherwise forgotten.  I love it, mostly, because it totally motivates me.

Are you curious yet?

Yep, that's right.  My amazing motivational list comes from Motivated Moms!

Motivated Moms is a "chore chart" for moms.  It's awesome.  It's wonderful.  It's terrible.  It's everything you need it to be.  It's...well...motivational!

Imagine a home in which laundry piles up for days upon days, where the kitchen floor gets a once-over with the broom once a week or so, the kids' nails get clipped when they get scraggly enough that the kids are actually asking for them to be clipped, the fridge gets cleaned when someone can no longer stand the grime...dreadful, isn't it?  Yeah, so ummm...welcome to my house.

Four months ago I started an amazing new job.  An all-consuming, exhausting, amazing new job.  I adore my new job.  I am amazed by how...amazing...it feels.  The trouble, though, is that it's all I have time for.  I feel like, between work, kids, and sleep, I have run out of time for anything...even beneficial things.

Beneficial things like, you know, cleaning.

So, as I sat here on my couch during Christmas break, contemplating what would motivate me to get my messy house (and perhaps life) in order, it's no surprise that I remembered Motivated Moms and the difference that printable calendar's made in my life the last two years!

I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was, to discover that not only does Motivated Moms have the amazing printable calendar I've grown to love, but they've got both apple and android apps now, too!  I don't know how you feel, but this was amazing news for me.  

You see, I love lists.  I love marking things off of lists.  What I don't love is clutter (although my house is full of it).  A binder of lists on my counter?  That feels an awful lot like clutter to me.  It's clutter that helps control clutter, I suppose, but it's always just been awkward.  We don't have tons of room on our counters.  The binder just takes up space.  The app, though?  Perhaps it's clutter on my phone or my iPod, but I don't see that when I walk by.  

I am so much more in love with Motivated Moms today than I was before I downloaded the app yesterday!  SO much more in love!

That house I described earlier?  It's still there.  It's still messy.  It's a work in progress.  But right now?  My bed is made (or at least straightened).  My LAST LOAD of laundry is in the washer. (Don't ask me about the folding, m'kay?)  My bathroom counter is cleaned off.  The top shelf of my fridge is clean.  My furnace filter has been changed.  I could go on, but I won't.

Give me a warning and 30 minutes, and my house will be clean enough for company!  

I couldn't have said that yesterday morning.

You see, Motivated Moms gives you daily chores to do.  Whether you choose the paper version or one of the apps, you get a list of daily jobs, mixed together with day-specific jobs.  Today, for instance, I made my bed (like every day) and wiped the bathroom sink (like every day).  I also cleaned the microwave inside and out.  I cleaned the top shelf of the fridge, which was actually yesterday's job.  Some days the list seems long, especially when you're just starting (or re-starting). Some days, though, the list looks so manageable.  Even on the days when the list looks long, it's really not so bad.  The longer you stay on the Motivated Moms "program," the easier it gets!  Faster, too.  

Motivated Moms actually has the option, now, to assign tasks!  If it's Little Lou's day to feed the dog, for instance, I can turn that task purple.  If it's Bugsy's day to sweep the kitchen floor, I can turn that task yellow.  It's an great way to monitor who else is doing their chores, too, not just Mom!

In fact, if you become a Motivated Mom, you very quickly discover that you've got an amazing amount more time on your hands than you ever had before...and a much much cleaner house! 

I choose to use the version with Bible reading as well as other chores.  I've chosen the paper downloadable version with Bible reading the last two years.  The app already comes with the Bible section, and you can choose whether you want to leave that turned on (I hope you will) or turn it off.  

Not only does Motivated Moms help you clean up your house, it'll help you clean up your life.

People, Motivated Moms is an $8 investment.  $8 will get you either the paper download OR the app.  Motivated Moms is worth FAR more than $8.  If you try it, you won't regret it!  

Speaking of trying it, there's a free trial version of the app!  2 weeks worth of chores for you to try.  What an amazing gift Motivated Moms has given!  You're going to love it so much, you're going to want the full version.

Ready to get started?  Head on over to Motivated Moms!

If you're in the mood to download the printable version, be sure you use the coupon code THISNTHAT.  You'll get $1 off the printable ebook, making it just $7!  That offer's only good through the 18th, though, so hurry!

Does WINNING motivate you?  It motivates me, too.  Leave me a comment below (we'll do this the old fashioned way) and let me know why you NEED Motivated Moms this year!  I'll choose a random winner from the comments on 1/19/2013!  The winner will be able to choose either the printable ebook or the apple app.  (Sorry, the android app isn't available for giveaway.)

Don't forget to purchase your ebook or app right away, so you can get moving in this new year!    Your house deserves it...YOU deserve it!!

I was given a copy of the apple app at no cost in order to facilitate a review, but I was going to post one anyway.  I was not compensated in any other way.  This is seriously an awesome app, and even if I hadn't been compensated, I would have said the exact same things.  

Glory

She is, in my mind anyway, a perfect example of an imperfect human living every single day for the glory of the God who made each and every one of us.  

She's precious.  Remarkable.

She's silent when she needs to be and forceful when it's necessary.

She is actively involved in her family and her church.

She has been a missionary, both to people in other countries and to her neighbors at home.

She speaks truth into the lives of incarcerated prisoners at jails and detention centers.

She walks in parades, sharing the gospel.

She has literally put her life on the line, more than once, to put the word of God into the hands of those who aren't allowed to read it.

She is (almost) 84.

This is my beautiful great aunt.  

She's stunning, really, both inside and out.  When I think of the word "glory," she's one of the first people to come to my mind.  Glory.  She doesn't do the things she does so that people will look at her as a saint (although we do).  She doesn't do the things she does so that we can gaze with awe at the amazing woman of God she's become with years of refinement (although we do).  She doesn't do the things she does so that we will congratulate her or praise her or thank her (although we do).  

She does the things she does, every day, for the glory of God...to bring Him glory.

She does the things she does to show God her love for Him.

She does the things she does in PRAISE for Him.

She worships Him through her works.

Glory.

~~~~

I don't make New Year's resolutions.  I tried a few times.  I failed.  I don't do it anymore.  A couple of years ago, a friend told me about her plan to choose a word each year that would shape and mold who she would be that year.  It's been a fabulous reminder of who I am becoming!

I pray for days and weeks before the start of a new year, asking God for the one word I need to more fully embody as I walk through the pages of this year's calendar.  I was struggling, really struggling, to decide on a word this year.

A couple of months ago, maybe close to 3 months ago, I challenged my students to begin living every day, every moment, for the glory of God.  I challenged myself too.  It's been a nice shift in mindset.

When I began the journey to decide on this year's word, GLORY kept popping into my mind.  I resisted.  I've already been there.  I've already done that.  For weeks and weeks I've been doing that.  Every time I go to school, I think about glory.  Every time I go to school, I think about glory.

And what about the rest of the time?

What about when I'm in my living room?  My car?  The grocery store?  What about when it's time to wash the dishes, the laundry, the dog?  What about when the kids are really getting to me?  What about then?  Do I live the way Christ would?  Do I live in a way that would bring glory to Him?  

Do I live my life in such a way that when I'm (almost) 84, my great nieces will look at me with eyes full of wonder and amazement and SEE Christ?  

Do I do everything I can to live a life that brings glory to God?

~~~~

This year, I will focus on glory.

glo·ry [glawr-ee, glohr-ee] 

noun, plural glo·ries.

1.

very great praise, honor, or distinction bestowed by common consent; renown: to win glory on thefield of battle.

2.

something that is a source of honor, fame, or admiration; a distinguished ornament or an object ofpride: a sonnet that is one of the glories of English poetry.

3.

adoring praise or worshipful thanksgiving: Give glory to God.

4.

resplendent beauty or magnificence: the glory of autumn.

5.

a state of great splendor, magnificence, or prosperity.

I will strive, every day, to do everything I do for His glory.  He deserves my best.  It is my goal, my job, my desire, to give Him exactly that. 

 After all, if my 84 year old great aunt is willing to give everything, including her very life, for His glory, aren't I capable of doing the same?

Mobile This N That!

Check this out, people! I'm mobile!

(Of course, I'm sitting here in the spot from which I always blog, but if I WANTED to, I could be in the doctor's office waiting room!)

Little Lou wanted to help, so there she is in all her "I've been torturing brothers all morning" glory. :)

The awesome part? I don't have to wait for hours (and likely forget) to tell you my thoughts.  There you are, friends, wherever I go!

Wishing you all a beautiful December Friday!

Senseless. Tragic. Incomprehensible.

Watching my own 5 year old play with Play Doh at the kitchen table. 

 Praising God that he was safe at his school today. Remembering that the last words I said to him before he got out of the car for kindergarten this morning were, "See ya later, Pal! I love you!" and that the last words he said to me were, "I love you too, Mommy! I'll make you proud today!"

I'm feeling SO grateful that tonight I got to pick him up from school and hear his giggle. I can't imagine...CAN NOT IMAGINE...a world without that little guy.

Praying desperately for the mommies of those little ones who lost their lives today. 

 What a senseless tragedy.

 In their honor, I'm letting my own kids laugh just a little louder than normal, be a little more silly than normal, eat cookies before they finish their food. Why? Because some mommies aren't getting the chance to give their babies cookies tonight, or hear their laughter, or snuggle on the couch to watch movies. 

 My heart breaks for those mommies.

Life...it happens.

What happens is that every once in a while, life gets all life-y and I don't know for a minute or a month whether I'm coming or going or which way is up.  Sometimes life gets all full-filly and overwhelm-y and chaotic all in one big breath and if I stop and sit down for just one second I notice that it's all passed me by.  Occasionally I look around and suddenly notice that my house is an igloo built of laundry waiting to be folded and papers waiting to be graded, and I am simultaneously filled with dread and desire.  Life's like that.

Three months ago I was a stay-at-home mommy and I loved and hated every minute of it.  I needed those babies with everything in me, and I needed to, at least occasionally, talk to grown-ups.  It was delightful and devastating to start working in August, and amazingly blissful to change jobs in September to my "made to" job!  And if I'm going to be honest, I have to tell you that I love and hate every minute of it.

You see, I love love love what I do each and every day.  Love it.  My "day job" is amazing.  My day job puts a smile on my face and in my heart and renews that sense of purpose I'd been missing.  My day job puts me into the sphere of influence of 80 or so teenagers every day.  My day job lets me breathe a little bit of God-breath into them each and every day.  My day job rocks.  My day job is everything I have ever dreamed it would be, everything I have ever wanted.

Also, I hate what I do every day.  I wake my night-owl self up before 5 every morning.  I wake my night-owl toddler (and two early-bird school-agers) by 5:30 every morning, and we're out the door by 6:30.  I hand my toddler over to a daycare teacher (Nana, but still...) and go about my day, NOT being his Mama.  It hurts my mommy-heart every single day to take that little sweetie of a boy to daycare.  I spend my day NOT being the one to wipe his tears when he cries, NOT snuggling him at naptime, NOT being the one to wipe his bottom when he starts pooping in the potty.  It's hard being his mommy and also NOT being his mommy.  Very hard.  It's not just him, either.  We're back in the "Little Lou's sick; how are we going to juggle her today" routine.  We're in the "Bugsy's got to have surgery, how can we shift him throughout the day so we miss as little work as possible" routine.  We're in the "get home at 5, feed the kids dinner, check homework and put them to bed" routine.  We're in the fast-paced, never-a-spare-minute routine.  Sometimes it stinks.  

Working-mom is a hard job!  There's this amazing balance of who I am and who I am becoming and who I will be.  There's this brilliant mix of mommy and PERSON that is unexpected and real. 

There's this tiny voice that says to me every day, "Make your students proud, Mommy!" and makes me smile because I'm doing my best.  There's a bigger voice, one no one hears but me, that says, "Make your God proud, Elizabeth."  And so I try.  I try so very hard to do everything for His glory, all day every day.  

This life?  Sometimes it gets all life-y.  Sometimes it gets overwhelming.  Sometimes it gets to be a little too much.  But everyday?  Every day it's amazing.  Every day it's a challenge and a job and a duty to live for Him.  

Every day it's beautiful.