Archive for September, 2007
It’s not easy being a good wife – especially when football season in the south rolls around. College football is a required pass time in the Bible Belt. Not only are there the games to consider, but the post game attitude (made worse if a loss is involved). I should expect that my spouse will disappear about the time of the baby’s nap and won’t re-emerge until it’s time for church on Sunday.
Last year during this time, I was writing a column about college football. I tried watching the games with my husband, but I think it disturbed him even more to have me by his side doing commentary. Some one I the family needed to stay balanced I guess. 
Because of the interest that was piqued in me during my stint as a sports writer, I’m keeping up with some of the teams. I secretly watch a few quarters here and there, but I turn the channel to a Lifetime movie if my husband wanders into the room.
Most people would consider that sharing experiences will bring a husband and wife closer together. Sometimes it’s NOT sharing experiences that help with the bond. So I’ll be the good, southern wife that knows nothin’ about playin’ no football – and hide in the bathroom with the sports page at night.
Are there things in your life that are just yours and that you don’t really want your spouse to become a part of? It’s okay to want to have some time alone or with your own interests. God made us all special and our spouse is usually a complimentary person not a duplicate.
September 22nd, 2007
There always seems to be an “unexpected” expense that pops up and messes with the budget that I have painstakingly put together. Last month is was the emergency room visit. This month it was tires for the van. The truth is, nothing is completely unexpected and I have to make a budget that plans for these events.
Since my budget includes a high estimate of what I will owe each month (I use the most expensive utility bill and round up to boot) I am going to use the overage to prepare for the unexpected. If I have budgeted $250 for electric and the bill is only $180, I will write a second check for $70 and put it in savings. The same goes with my car expenses. If I budget $450 and only spend $375 then I’ll make out a second check for $75 to go into savings. I won’t wait until the end of the month because some how I always manage to spend the extra on other “stuff.”
I have a friend that takes it a step farther. She has her savings broken up into categories – home repair, car, vacation, medical, etc. She only uses the home repair money for repairs on the home. I’m just not quite that organized yet. Getting it INTO a savings account will be exciting enough for me.
There are no true unexpected expenses. You know the car is going to need new tires. The kids are probably going to have to visit the doctor. The holidays are coming up at the same time EVERY year. Instead of being shocked when you have to make a big pay out just prepare ahead of time by saving here and there.
September 22nd, 2007
This is actually possible. I can make a living writing in a way that I love to write. I don’t have to write about subjects that hold no interest for me. I don’t have to scramble my brain trying to fill in blanks for some unknown site. It is possible to write what I love and get paid.
That being said, I’m not getting rich. There are people on the internet that are making thousands of dollars a day with their blogs, but I haven’t broken into that segment. As a matter of fact, I haven’t even figured out how to make dollar one on my blog.
How am I making money writing what I love? I’m glad you asked. I have been persistent. I started by working for sites that paid me only pennies to do posts on different forums. The posts I made were relevant and well written (spell checked and grammar checked).
From there, some of the forum hosts have asked me to write for their blogs. From there, I began to visit sites that have blog jobs posted (problogger.net is one that doesn’t charge you). Always I made sure that what I produced was the best it could be – spell check and grammar check once more.
Now the people that I have worked for are sending me to other potential employers with glowing references. My opportunities are expanding each week, and I am in a position where I can say no because of the money or because of the subject. It’s a great feeling to be writing – and getting paid.
September 22nd, 2007
There is enough groceries in my cabinet, freezer, and frig to feed a small army. Most of it isn’t what I would call easy ingredients. Artichoke hearts, black olives, and navy beans are not what my kids would call food. In order to make the reserves work, I’ll have to use some thought, creativity, and a dash of sugar. (Just a spoonful of sugar helps even medicine go down).
The first step in using what you have it to make a list of exactly what you have. Ever can, bag, and box in the panty – every cheese, bread, veggie and meat in the frig, and every item (including frozen waffles) that you have in the freezer. Put them in categories so that it is easier to see what’s available.
Now thing of ways to use what you have. Look through cook books, or even better is looking online. Many recipe sites offer a search by ingredients. You may find a new family favorite that you would never have discovered otherwise.
The next step is to make a menu for one week. Include the recipes you have found for easy access. If you have time, and the energy, make three of these packets. Now you can rotate the weeks and keep everyone happy. Plus, having the recipes on hand means making a grocery list is a snap.
It is important to use up the items you’ve had in tucked away. You don’t want them to go bad and you don’t want to be the person who waits until the local canned food drive to get rid of the canned beets. Save money by using what you have. It isn’t always easy, but it can be a game for you and the whole family.
“Hey, tonight why don’t we play – Let’s Make a Menu – I’ll give you and ingredient and you have to come up with a new and interesting way to use it.”
It’s not just dinner anymore, it’s an adventure.
September 21st, 2007
There was a brief moment in my life when I thought I might want to be like the Proverbs 31 woman. Her husband praised her to his friends and her family declared how great she was. I could live with that kind of pat on the back.
Then I began to read about the Proverbs 31 woman and what she did in the day. I even took the time to write it out (using the Amplified translation) into tasks I could understand. This wasn’t a normal woman – it was Super-Mom incarnate.
The more I have studied the Proverbs, the more I realize it is not about the number of acts we do. She wasn’t the great and wonderful person she was because she buzzed around from dawn to dusk. Everything in my life must be about God. The Proverbs 31 woman was rooted in God, put God first, and trusted in God. If God is the focus of each and every moment then the rest of the day will be balanced and complete.
In my own way, I am a Proverbs 31 woman. I seek God in the morning and try daily to make every step one that is guided by His word. The tasks that I face are ones I face with the idea that God will give me the wisdom and strength and I don’t have to (or need to) do them on my own.
It is by developing a personal, intimate relationship with God that I get to the place where my children rise up and call me blessed.
Thought for the Day: Wisdom, stature, and favor come when God is first in every aspect of life.
Proverbs 31:30b (KJV) “a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.”
Suggested Reading Proverbs 31
Lord, give me the wisdom, strength and tenacity to do all that I need to do and the understanding that there is no way to get there with out You in the lead.
September 21st, 2007
Yesterday was crazy around our house. Laundry day is normally a little chaotic, but this one was exceptionally so. I was determined to get everything done at all costs. It surprised me when I actually accomplished most of what I set out to do.
Laundry – washed, folded, AND put away
Meals – cooked, eaten, AND cleaned up
Living room – mopped and straightened
Articles – written and submitted
Study time
Bath time
Dishwasher loaded (and started before going to bed)
Story time
Bible study with the kids
We even took time out of the day to have company over for a visit. It worked out perfectly. They showed up just after the baby went down for his nap and left just as he woke up. The other mother and I were free to talk and enjoy each other’s company.
As I was finishing up last night, I wondered what I had done differently. It’s simple, but it’s not easy. To get it all done requires that the things that need to be done are done. That means I didn’t stop to watch a television show (or shows). Yesterday was just one push after another.
My thought this morning was “can I keep it up?” The only way to continue doing what needs to be done is to push aside my selfish thoughts. I get time for myself (I was able to take a bath last night before bed). It just may be that the time I want or the things I do aren’t what I would have done before.
Truth is, I don’t need to watch television. I get caught up in the 4 million channels that are available and just keeping telling my mind and body – after this show. There is always another one that comes on that I just have to watch.
Instead of wasting time in front of the tube, I’m going to be getting to the things that I need to do. What are you doing instead of doing what you should?
September 21st, 2007
There is no way that I can get everything done on my to-do list in the amount of daylight that is available to me. It’s easiest to cut corners (like skimping on my prayer and study time) in order to try to get it all done, but that usually ends up back firing.
The best way for me to have a day where everything that needs to be done actually gets done is to start the day focuses on God and keep that focus without hesitation. That sometimes means doing something different than I thought I needed to do, but it all works out in the end. It still amazes me how God can do that.
I have to have a day that puts God first and that keeps God centered in order to have a day that is complete. Now, if I can just get me out of the way I should be alright.
Thought for the Day: God will complete what God leads me to do.
Psalm 37:5 (KJV) “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”
Suggested Reading Psalm 37
Lord, Please let my heart be so tuned into You and Your direction that it knows nothing else.
September 20th, 2007
Our electricity was out all day yesterday. There were no electronics to play, no television to watch, and no internet to surf. As a homeschooling family, it could have been time to panic. Facing a beautiful, crisp fall morning, we just headed outside.
Because of the extreme heat this summer, I had forgotten how much fun it is for our family to spend the day in the open air. The kids played on the trampoline and rain through the field. We even had a picnic (because I wasn’t able to cook indoors) and heated ravioli on the grill.
What are some ways you can get your family up and out now that the weather is calling?
1. Plan a picnic. It doesn’t have to be fancy and it doesn’t have to be far. I plan to eat outside at least once a week if the weather permits. It’s a nice way to boost the energy just when I want to slow down.
2. Have a cook out. Last fall, we decided that we would cook out once a week – and that my dad and mom could come out and enjoy the grandkids – which lasted about three weeks. I’m determined to follow through this year. The kids (all boys) and the hubby LOVE to build fires. I enjoy experimenting with just what you can cook in an open fire. Plus, I always keep hotdogs around, just in case.
3. Take a walk or a bike together. Walking is easier for us – we live out in the country. I try to make time for a walk with each of my children individually. This gives them so alone time with mommy and builds a sharing time that will help them talk openly with me as they grow.
4. Play a game. Getting a Frisbee or soccer ball and playing a make shift game not only gets the adrenaline pumping, but it will definitely get the laughter flowing when mom and dad are involved.
Fall is a great time to get outdoors. Be creative and make special attempts to enjoy the weather as a family.
September 20th, 2007
There is no way around it. You can write down as many budgets as you want. Graphs and charts can cover every wall. If you don’t keep up with what you are spending, it might as well be wallpaper.
Our family has been working hard to get completely debt free for the last seven years. We have paid off all of our debts – except for the mortgage (and we are tackling that one almost daily). I work on our budget every couple of months, as our expenses or income adjusts, but I still ran into trouble this last month.
It’s my own fault. I got lazy. I quit writing down all the expenses as we spent them. I just wasn’t concerned because I “knew” we had enough money. It turns out that no matter how much money you make, you never have enough. We spent twice as much on groceries as I have budgeted for AND we spent about four times what we normally spend on entertainment (which includes eating out).
OUCH!!
Now, normally, it might not be a problem. But we also had to trips to the emergency room, two car insurance payments, and new tires for the van. Panic was the first thing I thought about doing. I took some deep breathes and remembered that I had started a savings account for just such emergencies. We were saved – this time.
I’m back to recording our spending. It’s important to know where the money is going, why it is going there, and whether or not it needs to be headed in that direction. If you don’t keep up with expenses as they happen, you may not be able to plug the leak before your boat sinks.
September 20th, 2007
Yesterday was a LONG day and the last thing I wanted to do when I got home was wash dishes. They’d already been “soaking” since Sunday night, so they needed to be done. My husband wasn’t taking the hints.
After he went to bed and the house quieted down and I finished my writing work for the day – I seriously considered going to bed. “You can do the dishes in the morning.”
I knew the voice. It comes around so often that I can almost recognize it even before it speaks. Procrastination was back. Despite how pleasing he sounds, he’s lying – and he knows it. I won’t get it done the next day. There will be just as many excuses to come up with tomorrow.
Plus, I reasoned with myself, even if I do get to it, I’ll just have to put something else off to have the time to do the dishes. “You can just get up a little earlier than normal.” Yes. Procrastination was right. I could get up earlier. But he also knew I wouldn’t. The days that I NEED to get up earlier are usually the ones that I end up oversleeping.
This is crazy – my own voice was trying to over ride procrastination. You have spent more time thinking about the job than it would take to do the job. Besides, didn’t you commit this morning to do “just one more thing?”
With a sigh that would have indicated to most outsiders that I was facing a fate close to death, I approached the sink. Ten minutes later, the dishes were washed, the dishwasher loaded, the sink sparkling clean, and I even loaded the dryer.
Procrastination is a sly little devil. He wants you to keep putting off what ever it is you know you need to do because that means you can’t be where you need to be.
A side note, I did get up early this morning (without the aid of an alarm clock even). Instead of having to spend the time cleaning up the mess I didn’t want to deal with, I was able to cook my husband a warm breakfast and visit with him before he had to start his morning commute. It was a much better use of my time – at least in my opinion. If procrastination had won, I bet I would have slept in. Who wants to face a pile of dirty dishes first thing in the morning?
September 19th, 2007
Next Posts
Previous Posts
