Me Management

The Nerd and I attended our first-ever homeschoolers' conference run by OCEANetwork (Oregon Christian Home Education Association) a few weeks ago.  I went armed with pen, paper, and an open mind, ready to learn; and I left completely loaded down with so much information, ideas, and new thoughts that it was undeniably overwhelming. 

One session led by Heidi St. John (you can find her at The Busy Homeschool Mom - she's hilarious and so real!) was on the topic of time management.  The Scripture she shared at the beginning of her talk has really stuck with me these past few weeks.

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, I will hearken unto you.  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 27:11-13) 

Having that peace that God promises is certainly enticing.  It's necessary to have a smooth and productive day.  And lately, it hasn't really made an appearance around here.  Four active kiddos and an (ahem) lack of organization have not helped that at all. 

The thing is - Heidi St. John wasn't really talking about time management but rather "me-management."  Time doesn't need to be managed.  It doesn't go faster or slower - it does exactly the same thing every day.  The only thing I can manage is me.

She talked about modern-day "time bandits" - pasttimes that are good in and of themselves but can wile away valuable time if not used carefully.  Heidi encouraged us to think of our own "time bandits", write them down, and then seek God's help in managing them.

God brought these three culprits to mind:  Facebook, blogging, and my Iphone.  When I indulge in these activities excessively, it sucks time away from my priorities.  What are my priorities?  Well, I made another list: 1)relationship with God, 2) marriage, 3) family, 4) home, 5)homeschool, and 6)outside pursuits.  I certainly don't want to be an absentee wife or mom - one who's "there" but not really available or present for her husband or kids.  Even more importantly, it makes me cringe and feel shame that something like Facebook would take precedence over the most vital relationship in my life - the one with my Lord and Savior. 

So I wrote this all down and made a decision to really seek out God's wisdom on these issues.  I have been re-exploring the Psalms in an effort to see the ways that David connected with God.  I am learning that Facebook, blogging, and my Iphone have their places in my life, but they are WAY down on the priority list.  I just have to put the proper parameters in place so they don't crowd their way back to #1 on the list. 

And that's what I've been doing.  I'll definitely continue to blog about our always-crazy life, but it will have to fit in after hubby and the kiddos get their share of me first. 

See you around.

linking up with:

/tt94/memoriesbydesign/My%20Cup%202%20Yours/Mom-MondaysButton3.png

InstaFriday #2

It's time for another Iphone photo dump, courtesy of InstaFriday from Life Rearranged and my everpresent phone to catch those little moments. So, without further ado, here's our week in grainy Iphone photos:

The Boy Scouts have been selling ice cream treats after church each week to raise money for their troop. For several weeks, we had been steadfast naysayers until the Nerd finally gave in this past Sunday, allowing the kids to pick whatever they wanted while I visualized my laundry detergent at home and fervently hoped it would erase any damage made by the popsicles.

I was very proud of Davey - although the ice cream cart advertised Spider Man popsicles, they ended up not having any. Instead of having a major meltdown, he very calmly chose another character and seemed pleased with his selection. (and in case anyone is wondering, the SpongeBob and Sonic popsicles taste awful! My kids didn't think so, but I ended up with a taste or too and they were disgusting. )

I managed to catch a few shots of party guests at our "Monkeyin' Around" bash on Saturday.

That's full-on party excitement, folks!

The birthday boy wanted me to take a picture of him and his cookie cake with my "funny phone camma." I obliged.

I have slowly been getting my feet wet in the whole couponing thing - this week I really managed to get some great deals without stressing myself out too much. With coupons and a quick trip to the local bakery outlet, I managed to get all of this for five dollars. Go me!

Surprise! They were serving up 25 cent bowls of ice cream at the splash park on Tuesday. This was a perfect scenario for me - eat the ice cream, get it all over yourself, and then go rinse off in the splash park. I call that a "win-win."

Halloween costumes have emerged from the closet as various little people around here have taken turns being Ironman, Spiderman, a shark, and Thomas the Tank Engine. Apparently the Shark likes himself a little TV time.

Library time is always a fun excursion for me. I take four kids and tell them repeatedly to be quiet and pick out their two books without disturbing the other patrons. The Spud always picks his books out in record speed because that leaves him more time to terrorize the library. Here he is searching for the key in a treasure chest "can you find?" book.

I scored some much needed girl time with my Rachels last night - no it's not a secret club; I just happen to have two close friends named Rachel. :) We hit up Panera Bread where I greatly enjoyed the above meal. The cashier had the nerve to ask me if I would like the pastry packaged up to take home later. I said to her, "Lady, look, I'm pregnant! Just put it on the tray with all the rest of the food!" We fully intended on walking through the mall or visiting the local bookstore after we ate, but conversation led us to stay firmly at that table until closing time. Ah yes. The food was very good, but the fellowship was far greater.

And that's it for this week. Now my phone is ready to capture whatever is in store for us this coming week.