tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13881720430473728302024-03-13T08:08:01.575-07:00365 Days of Worththe journey of two weary women to find their own worth...Shoeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04520357841735224785noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-58946098104941901412012-05-22T10:08:00.001-07:002012-05-22T10:08:44.159-07:00“[Life by the Spirit] You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” Galatians 5:13 NIV
Humbly in LOVE...
HUMBLY in love...
Thinking on this today...
It is a lot to absorb.
Thank you God for your word!
Joanjoancurtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04167711949574895242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-37330508822250877592012-05-21T11:11:00.001-07:002012-05-21T11:11:22.131-07:00Having a hard week... but God is still bigger!This is one of those weeks that feels overwhelming.
I am tired.
I have had illness pestering with me...
I have it pestering my kids...
My baby is about to graduate 8th grade...
WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN!
I remember that time of my life. It was a difficult time...
This does not have to be a difficult time at all for me and my family.
My attitude needs an adjustment. God is bigger then illness and frustration.
PUT DOWN THE CRAP and PICK UP THE WORD! I opened it and this is what I got...
Isaiah 1:16 - 20
Wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
stop doing wrong.
17 Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.[a]
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow.
18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the good things of the land;
20 but if you resist and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
<b>
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the good things of the land; </b>
That sticks out a lot to me... I have been feeling ill because of the way I eat! My doctor is telling me that I might have some issues that can not be instantly changed with diet, but are related to my diet.
Time to get serious with this fat thing...
Just feeling overwhelmed with all of it. God is bigger and His word is truth.
I need to be WILLING and OBEDIENT
Up to this point I don't know that I have been.
Dear God,
I confess that sin in my life of unwillingness and disobedience. Please God help me to stand on your word and the work of your hands!
You are BIGGER then my unwillingness and disobedience.. PRAISE YOU GOD that my sin leads me to you.
Amen
Joanjoancurtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04167711949574895242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-48529295159044872222012-02-06T06:24:00.000-08:002012-02-06T07:28:33.317-08:00Joan and Jesus take on the day!I have a busy busy week... there are lots of prepared in advance activities to do.<br /><br />Scripture that spoke to me today:<br /><br />So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.<br />—Colossians 2:6-7<br /><br />I need to be doing everything with a gratitude attitude. <br /><br />Thankful today for a husband who loves me, and calls just to say hello when he has left for work.<br /><br />Thankful for my almost 4 year old son who loves to hug!<br /><br />Thankful for my other 3 kids, and how they have grown so big in such a short time!<br /><br />Thankful for my job that allows me to work from home.<br /><br />Thankful for the possible cold that I am getting now, instead of the end of the week so that I am not going to my mom's in Phoenix with a cold in the beginning stages. <br /><br />Thankful for a miraculous healing of a friend in the hospital.<br /><br />Thankful for food in my fridge, and the ability to cook said food.. because I am a person who likes to eat out to much...so I need to cook for myself today.<br /><br />Thankful that my car starts, its old, but it works!<br /><br />Thankful for my girlfriends who always call me to touch base.<br /><br />I am also thankful that I am overweight... and I need to learn dependence on God to loose said weight!<br /><br />I am thinking very seriously about what my year looks like.. continuing the 365 days of worth.. and beyond with intentional prepared in advance things...<br /><br />This is just where my heart is today.<br />Thanks for reading my thoughts!<br /><br />Joanjoancurtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04167711949574895242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-73276612127843871512012-01-30T04:14:00.000-08:002012-01-30T04:19:22.259-08:00prepared in advance...That is the first thought that was on my mind when I woke up today. If I want to live intentionally, (and I do), then I need to be able to think like God does...<br /><br />Ephesians 2:10<br />For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.<br /><br />What if I prepared in advance... intentionally living as if God had prepared in advance for me... to do good works.. help people, encourage people, and love intentionally, eat healthy, take better care of myself and my family, be more effective in my day, have more grace for my mistakes, (this one hurts) exercise! <br /><br />If that is the case, I have a lot of work to do on my way of thinking, doing, and being.<br /><br />Meditating on that one today...<br />Joanjoancurtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04167711949574895242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-74003534199874543162010-12-19T13:02:00.000-08:002010-12-19T13:12:26.304-08:00What Say We Try This Again?Hmm. We were contributing at a nice, steady pace up through mid-summer and then... well... not a whole lot of blogging action. Behind the scenes, however, has been a different story.<br /><br />Joan and I have both had some ups and downs this year in our personal lives and we've had a lot to share. I think it's fair to say that this 365 Days of Worth project is still a great idea and one we are absolutely willing to keep trying at. The other day we had a conversation about it and both agreed that finding our worth, discovering what it is that makes us special (to ourselves, to our families, to our friends, to our Lord) is an ongoing process. Every day requires new eyes, renewed vision to see ourselves more clearly.<br /><br />It's unlikely that we'll write much in the next two weeks. The year of 2010 is screaming to a finish... but 2011 is waiting just around the corner. It promises to be an interesting year. We're planning on how better to blog about this journey of worth.<br /><br />Have a wonderful Christmas and a safe, happy New Year celebration. Put your thinking cap on and start considering what it is that makes you special. Examine how your year has gone and where you think you might need to go (both figuratively and literally). Spend some time examining your soul and then look at the surface things around you -- do they accurately reflect who you are? If not, why?<br /><br />Be well! Our prayers are with you during these last weeks of 2010 and our hopes are with you as 2011 dawns. We also hope you'll stick with us in 2011.Shoeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04520357841735224785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-11170831175845763732010-10-16T18:54:00.000-07:002010-10-16T19:06:16.897-07:00Too Many Days Have Gone By<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />No excuses. I've been busy just generally trying to stay afloat in the USS Busy Life. (That makes my little lifeboat with perpetual leaks sound so much bigger and cooler, doesn't it?)<br /><br />Before this time in my life, I would have been compelled to spell out at least 15 different valid reasons that I haven't blogged. All those excuses would sound fairly impressive (to me, at least) and act a smoke screen... kind of like the ink screen an octopus squirts to get away. The truth is never as impressive as the busyness is. The truth is boring. But the details of life are found in the boring parts. And the truth is, we all live the boring busy life... so why make excuses?<br /><br />I read something the other day in a life management book called First Things First. It was a scenario of a company that had the life consultants coming in to help them create a "quadrant II culture" (which is life management lingo for dealing with important, non-urgent business most of the time and creating a purposeful and relaxed atmosphere to do it in). This company was the picture of my life -- exceptional amounts of energy spent on looking busy, but without the results to show for it. It was rather shocking to read and confront that moment of realization. I still haven't actually processed it completely.<br /><br />So what does this have to do with my worth (because it would be easy to come to the conclusion that all I do is spin my wheels and undermine my own worth)? Well... exactly that. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">I am worth creating that non-urgent, important atmosphere in my home, in my heart, and in my family.</span> So no excuses, just acceptance of what has been.Shoeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04520357841735224785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-13663616847692181452010-09-07T19:59:00.000-07:002010-09-07T20:07:41.158-07:00Day 250: Whoops!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I was supposed to write something yesterday, but both my idea and my day escaped yesterday. Whoops!<br /><br />Today was a day of running about. It was something of a "me" day in that I had to run across town to see my naturopath. It was about affirming choices: the choice to exercise; the choice to be careful about what I eat; the choice to try to remember to do things that are fun for me; the choice to pay attention to my health; and so on. It was a day of recommitting to those choices and remembering that <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">I am worth all this effort</span> (and that it's much easier if I don't think about the effort part).<br /><br />So this evening I ask you to think about the choices you're making. Commit to putting your needs at the top of your to-do list. Remember that you are worth the effort.Shoeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04520357841735224785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-52871088547737717652010-09-05T18:35:00.000-07:002010-09-05T20:00:16.606-07:00Day 248: Blink<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />How is it that time just seems to fly by, practically unnoticed, like a stealth plane on a recon mission? As a kid, I remember thinking high school would just never arrive -- I was doomed to be a fifth-grader forever. High school finally did become a reality and I thought it would never be over; I was ready for college and maybe even a job. The first job came, college life was alright, but I just wanted my real life to start. It seems that as soon as I got married, the fast-forward button got pushed and the Life Remote got lost in a couch in our first apartment.<br /><br />::Blink:: We bought a house.<br /><br />::Blink:: We had a kid.<br /><br />::Blink:: Another house later, another kid, and a business.<br /><br />::Blink:: Do I need to continue? Everytime I blink, I have another kid (maybe that's how that happens?), more work, and everyone looks older.<br /><br />The scary thing is that I can't remember an awful lot between blinks. It occurs to me that the overwhelming pattern of my early years is one of <span style="font-style: italic;">hurry up so I don't have to do this anymore</span>, not <span style="font-style: italic;">wow, this is a nice moment to visit</span>. Though I try hard these days to be in the moment, my brain is so sieve-like at this point, I find it difficult to remember much of anything beyond how many calories are in a <span style="font-style: italic;">Ghiradelli Twilight Dark Chocolate</span> square (25, if you must know). Even properly medicated with said chocolate, it's tough to know that precious moments keep slipping by -- moments I'm so sure I'll mentally archive, yet are sure to disintegrate in the ether of my mind.<br /><br />What does this have to do with worth? I realize that my life, worthy child of God or not, will be largely unremembered by anyone, including me. I have to find a way to make peace with this notion. (More tomorrow on this idea and the web.) <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">I am worth savoring this moment right now, be it good, bad or covered in chocolate because this is the only moment that matters. </span>The stuff of my life's situations are quite unimportant, but the character they build (think of coral reefs and how those grow over time) will last. <span style="font-style: italic;">If I appreciate right now for what it is -- not what it will be, should be, could have been -- I find my worth</span>.Shoeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04520357841735224785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-78951194599202144792010-08-19T21:45:00.000-07:002010-08-19T21:58:45.894-07:00Day 231: Just Keep Swimming<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Just keep swimming.<br /><br />Dory, the lovely blue fish from <span style="font-style: italic;">Finding Nemo</span>, has such a great attitude. It's a big ocean, there's always something going on, and what does she think one should do when the current threatens to swoosh a poor fish away? Just keep swimming!<br /><br />Sometimes it's all we can do. Just keep up what we know to do <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(make the bed, get a basic routine going for the day, eat right enough for the day, sleep enough, take 20 minutes to just be still, and remember that this all means something</span></span>) when the ocean of our lives threatens to pull us under.<br /><br />Today was one of those days: kids to get to school, other kids to teach at home, work to be done, bills to pay, laundry to do, meals to make. In short, it was an utterly normal day... with an utterly overwhelming amount of work to do. The day felt like a vast ocean with me stuck in the middle of nowhere. So I swam. I've been swimming all week, for that matter. The point being that some days, weeks, or months, all we can do is just keep on going.<br /><br />Today's lesson of worth was one of endurance. <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">I am worth enduring</span> the seemingly endless ocean of my life, with all its currents, the darkness in its depths, the waves that threaten to drown me. That same ocean is full of life and is capped by waves that glisten in the sunrises and sunsets of my days.Shoeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04520357841735224785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-7361730616389984932010-08-12T19:22:00.000-07:002010-08-12T19:33:35.531-07:00Day 224: Get Out!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Get Out!</span></span><br /></div><br />No, really. Get out. Get out of your house, get out of your rut. Somehow I doubt that I'm projecting my own ruts onto you. You know what I'm talking about. We all get into ruts -- we keep our hair in the same style for years without even seeing what we look like; we wear the same several outfits week in, week out without trying something new; we listen to the same music (or fail to listen to any at all); we go get the mail in our slippers and realize we haven't left the living room for any other reason since the last time we went grocery shopping... last week.<br /><br />It's time to get out. Plant a garden (mine consists of two pepper plants at the moment), go swimming, take a walk, ride your bike. Just do something. If you're on the phone, step out onto your porch for the call. If your kids are going out to play, pull a chair out to the drive and read a book -- better yet, play with them. Put some highlights or lowlights in your hair. Do something different.<br /><br />Over the summer, I've made a concerted effort to work out as close to daily as possible. I hate working out, just so you know. But I've been diligent about throwing in a show and working out on my exercise bike. <span style="font-style: italic;">It got me out of the rut of just sitting evening after evening.</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> I'm worth a little sweat and some heavy breathing.</span> I wish I could say my body looked better, but I can at least say that it feels a lot better. And my attitude is better, too.Shoeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04520357841735224785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-9527927629880864752010-08-11T20:48:00.001-07:002010-08-11T20:49:57.275-07:00Day 223: Creating Routines<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Creating a routine for myself is not really all that difficult. I need to sleep, eat, work, play, pray. Lather, rinse, repeat. It's working the minions and my husband into the routine that trips me up. They have this nasty habit of trying to think for themselves, do their own thing, and just generally disregarding my mental projections for the day. Nervy bunch, they are. Nevertheless, a valiant effort on my part must be made to create a routine. Actual implementation of said routine is something akin to martyrdom.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> "She could never be a saint, but she thought she could be a martyr if they killed her quick." </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">-Flannery O'Connor</span><br /><br />That's the problem for me. Every day I face a new martyrdom that has the potential to be truly ugly. Every day I have to decide to suck it up and get everyone where they need to be, prompt the use of good manners, fix boo-boos, prepare enough food to feed an army, teach, pick up the daily litter, and somehow take care of me, too. Every day I have to teach my family that proceeding through the day with some semblance of order is beneficial.<br /><br />Get up and make the bed, then you don't have to remember to do it later. It's not quick, that's for sure. Get dressed before you go downstairs to eat. Eat. Clean up. Get your morning chores done. Get the schoolwork started. Get the laundry started (tomorrow you'll need something clean to wear before breakfast). Eat lunch (easier to do if you cleaned up after breakfast). And so the days go. It's a process -- a painfully slow, sometimes fun, never ending process.<br /><br />The process of creating a routine is worth the effort. This process of being the master caretaker holds countless lessons for me each day. I can choose to grow, to hide, or to give up. If I look carefully at each day's lessons, I find that I am worth more at the end of that day. Sometimes it's just because I survived it. Sometimes it's because I took care of myself and found I had more to give than I ever dreamed possible. Sometimes it's because I walked in someone else's shoes and understand them better. But every day I can see that if I choose to grow through even the small, menial tasks, I will be worth more to myself, my family and my friends because I tried.Shoeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04520357841735224785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-81315961428997264732010-08-10T20:34:00.000-07:002010-08-10T20:58:21.749-07:00Time Has Ceased to Mean Much, Yet It Keeps Flying By!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Summer is a bit dangerous when it comes to keeping track of time. The days start early and end late, there aren't very many places one needs to be very often or regularly, and where I live, the sun cooks your brain so you don't even care what time is anymore. Alas, all good things come to an end...<br /><br />... Or, a new beginning?<br /><br />My 5 year old son, <a href="http://adventureabounds.blogspot.com/">Wonder Boy</a>, just started Kindergarten yesterday. Suddenly I am faced with a stack of paper an inch thick -- a combination of mommy homework (didn't I just fill these out when I registered him?) and the already breeding school projects consisting of poems, pasted puppets and little books. It's only the second day and I'm swimming in clutter. I fear the rain forests won't survive the remainder of the week at the rate the paper is flooding home. This signifies the end of my summer freedom (well, we homeschool year round, so it's not like it was <span style="font-style: italic;">free</span> free... but it was blissfully free of other people's schedules) and the beginning of a new routine. The end of preschool, the beginning of actual homework. The end of Wonder Boy's littleness, the beginning of my big boy. The end of my lazy ways, the beginning of the new, responsible me.<br /><br />Yeah, about that <span style="font-style: italic;">"responsible me"</span> business. What day of this worth stuff are we on? Time may have lost meaning, but my worth sure didn't. During my absence I really devoted myself to a new workout routine, a new attempt at my prayer life, a trip just for me, and some other nifty things I hope to blog about at some point. For now, suffice it to say, I am back. I feel somewhat sunburned, but refreshed. My sense of time has been obliterated, not unlike the unfortunate victim of an alien abduction. I'm still distracted by my kids, my constant procrastination and my search for the perfect system, but I am back and ready to keep talking about what it means to be a woman of worth.Shoeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04520357841735224785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-9435264505431367392010-06-18T19:21:00.001-07:002010-06-18T19:24:48.731-07:00Time to Restart This ProjectOh, my. We sure didn't mean to drop the ball on this worth project, but life has been running wild for both of us.<br /><br />For my part, I'll say: let's review:<br /><br />Make the bed & pray while ya do it.<br />Worry accomplishes nothing, and procrastination accomplishes even less.<br />Treat your mind and your body right.<br />Get enough sleep.<br />Get outside every day.<br /><br />Review lesson over. I'm off to the grocery store (so I can feed my family's bodies right) and then facing another busy weekend. I'll be back soon to pick up where I left off on the worth project.<br /><br />LucyShoeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04520357841735224785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-21876912045772311262010-05-31T13:16:00.000-07:002010-05-31T22:12:22.942-07:00Day 151: This Really Is Harder Than It LooksGood gravy, a week and a half has passed... how did that happen? My blog posting is starting to suspiciously resemble the rest of my life -- spurts of furious, frantic ideas and long bouts of staring off into space and accomplishing little. I am nothing, if not consistent in this. Should I be asking myself why, or should I just be content to ride out this quirk of my personality?<br /><br />I was thinking about how much better I've been feeling lately. My tired is a different, more appropriate tired (as in it's more directly related to my level of busyness and less related to depression), my moods are more even (heck, I have moods, which is an improvement on its own), and I'm more restless when I've caught myself wasting time that wasn't meant for leisure. These are all great improvements, but I still haven't answered the why of how I got so depressed and lost in the first place.<br /><br />Is it really all that beneficial to try to figure out depression or is it more important, at least in the short run, to learn how to ride it out?Shoeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04520357841735224785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-69402398748727990492010-05-21T20:16:00.000-07:002010-05-21T20:42:16.156-07:00Day 141: Change on the Horizon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />There is change looming on my horizon, big change. This is the nature of life, I do realize, but it feels rather... daunting. As ever, there is much to do.<br /><br />I will say that the dietary and supplement changes I've made have begun to make a tangible difference in my energy levels. There is still brain fog to deal with and the reality that I simply have too much to do all the time, but now I can actually make it to the end of the day without falling apart. And that <span style="font-style: italic;">sit-and-do-nothing-for-20-minutes homework</span>? I love it! It actually feels like a gift to myself to shut my door and just relax for a few moments -- it's very refreshing. Exercising consistently still remains a lofty, unreached goal.<br /><br />Changes, though, still need to be made. I need to get more brutal about the minutes I keep stealing from myself. The plan is to use my kitchen timer to keep myself on task. My hope is that I will regain some control over my lost minutes and also be a good example to my children. If I plan breaks into my day, maybe I won't be so tempted to "just check my email really quick." (We all know that "really quick" means an hour will pass without so much as a blink of the eye.) It's so tempting to hide from the many responsibilities I have, but it's never worth it at the end of the day.<br /><br />I need to face impending changes in my 5 year old's schooling. He has <a href="http://www.apraxia-kids.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=chKMI0PIIsE&b=787891&ct=464117"><span style="font-style: italic;">apraxia of speech</span></a> and we're scrambling to figure out the best way to handle therapy and academics -- we loved his preschool, but that time has come to an end. This sort of change is big and scary and full of <span style="font-style: italic;">"what if I make the wrong choice"</span> worries. But worry, as my friend Jenni says, won't change the outcome. I need to just face the changes and make the best choices possible in the time I have.<br /><br />What do these changes mean in terms of worth? It takes courage to see changes that must be made, especially changes with the potential to hurt while we heal part of our lives. It is going to hurt a little to work when I want to play. It's going to hurt a little to exercise and put other priorities aside so I can rest for a few minutes. It's going to hurt more than a little to go through another year helping my son to "fix his words." Even though these things upset me and scare me, I know that courage is fear that prays first. So I'll pray first, remember that nothing will happen today that God and I can't handle together, and then get on with the changes. <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">I am worth cultivating courage.</span> These changes are going to heal part of what's broken in my life.Shoeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04520357841735224785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-45989904392566763672010-05-21T15:10:00.000-07:002010-05-21T15:25:36.648-07:00May 21: When did she grow to be a beauty...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZzYXvhZA9-DwI7GB0OnUGd-T0Z_hUlhpNM7spH7LW5ZWTMtw8Yc2K3wO74dikRmYkZNQ6oNhp0WhxxiDBQ4_MVcE18OEwd_qgvIUWEEdzKGKE-bA9AT5iVtshaBi69KBsqOi3GIbdV8n-/s1600/headshot4.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZzYXvhZA9-DwI7GB0OnUGd-T0Z_hUlhpNM7spH7LW5ZWTMtw8Yc2K3wO74dikRmYkZNQ6oNhp0WhxxiDBQ4_MVcE18OEwd_qgvIUWEEdzKGKE-bA9AT5iVtshaBi69KBsqOi3GIbdV8n-/s200/headshot4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473852882137907490" /></a><br />Well, today is big milestone day for Miss Emma...<br />Preschool Graduation.<br /><br />She was so pretty... and had stage frieght. Came running to her daddy to be held. How wonderful to have that security.<br /><br />Caralyn... had a disapointment.... she asked to be alone. When did she get to big for Momma's kisses and hugs to be good enough to scare away any hurts. She is so amazing and beautiful as well.<br /><br />It is hard to watch them grow. It is hard to let them go. It makes me depend on my God more as I understand His heart for me! He watches me grow, thru pain and fears, and disapointments. I know HE would love for me to run into His arms for comfort.<br /><br />I am thinking about spending more time in the arms of my Heavenly Father. I have a feeling the older my kids get, the more I am going to need it!!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">I AM WORTH GROWING!</span><br /><br />Thank you God!joancurtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04167711949574895242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-57925348641645704642010-05-18T05:43:00.000-07:002010-05-18T05:56:40.059-07:00May 18: Well hello there!!!!!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAK6PmQ9v6NkeqEMv5f0B8kJkYbMEzCKoj6v2uZqyedjwTelKvhvTTSIpRtkvUNHKyyZ2SwsxXSe2Ryk0DVgU-r317JHS4onrqsrYegsAQhd537h2loDY5wDSCfkTJTTINkKTuLP4Jc4at/s1600/headshot4.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAK6PmQ9v6NkeqEMv5f0B8kJkYbMEzCKoj6v2uZqyedjwTelKvhvTTSIpRtkvUNHKyyZ2SwsxXSe2Ryk0DVgU-r317JHS4onrqsrYegsAQhd537h2loDY5wDSCfkTJTTINkKTuLP4Jc4at/s200/headshot4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472592958505199538" /></a><br />I am so happy to be with you again! I have been inundated with life and children...and now I have my WONDERFUL LAPTOP back thanks to my generous husband! (love you babe!) SO now I have no excuse not to get back on track!<br /><br />What have I learned thus far about my worth....my observations if you will :)<br /><br />My life has really changed a lot actually. I feel much more calm about things. I feel like I value my time more and my surroundings. <br /><br />I have really "cleaned" up my relationships and am spending more time with people who matter to me and less with the ones who were sucking the life out of me. <br /><br />I am less likely to to start new relationships with people who have no gratitude in their speech. When someone complains all the time, chances are they will complain about me eventually. <br /><br />I realize that the music I listen to needs to be life giving so I am now exclusively listening to christian music.<br /><br />I am seeing the fruits in my family as they are treating themselves better and I am seeing less conflict with my kids.<br /><br />I have been on FB a lot less... and found I survived! <br /><br />I have really been focused on my marriage a lot more and in results my hubby and I have been on 4 dates in the last 5 weeks and have one planned for this weekend!<br /><br />These are just some outside observations..... inside I really am starting to feel peace. This understanding of myself that I have never had before. <strong>I am worth knowing. </strong> It is a good thing!joancurtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04167711949574895242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-62260828678420405072010-05-10T17:16:00.001-07:002010-05-10T18:24:34.728-07:00Day 130: Celebrate!<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">I am worth celebrating!</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Friday was my birthday. I had nothing special planned and really wasn't all that excited. Then I found out my mother-in-law was coming over to look after the kids so I could go to an early dinner with my husband. Nice! Very nice. I grabbed my movie cup (our theatre has special cups that we can get refilled for a buck all year long) because Iron Man 2 just opened, just in case. It turned out that my husband thought I was worth celebrating, too. We never went to the movie; instead we went to a baseball game, complete with a fireworks show. As<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3NyTa1Fn7dVg5lSJL_R8TmbQXwuBgMN6pxXzzFb4A_1bcegsRPGbDqv_IoJ30qlX5lm5KD53yUn69SE3NnsvxSogJGGxne3NxDjVPWw5UH2nyGKtEdXtL4V7cLmzl7WZYcRr_T0L_PlA/s1600/jars.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 97px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3NyTa1Fn7dVg5lSJL_R8TmbQXwuBgMN6pxXzzFb4A_1bcegsRPGbDqv_IoJ30qlX5lm5KD53yUn69SE3NnsvxSogJGGxne3NxDjVPWw5UH2nyGKtEdXtL4V7cLmzl7WZYcRr_T0L_PlA/s200/jars.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469817074117995330" border="0" /></a> if this weren't fun enough, after the game my favorite band, Jars of Clay, gave a concert for an hour!<img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/lucy/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.png" alt="" /><br /><br />Just dinner and a movie would have been swell. It felt so wonderful to celebrate and be celebrated. What a gift! And... upon further reflection, this is a gift we can give ourselves, too. Little splurges here and there (lunch out with a magazine, painting toes, buying a new pen in a fun color, eating dinner out on the patio) can help us celebrate. We're worth celebrating.Shoeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04520357841735224785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-54164870330643584442010-05-01T13:04:00.000-07:002010-05-01T13:14:14.841-07:00Day 121: Glimmer of Hope -- It's Working<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Lost as I am in the whirlwind of teaching, grading, working and keeping house, I noticed something this week. I was still really tired but it has been the right kind of tired. The fact of the matter is I am busy all the time -- I accept that. But that I've-been-hit-by-a-bus tired hasn't been in the picture this week. Even on the tired days, I managed to get dinner made, get kids to bed, get schoolwork done (even if not as much as I'd like to see happen), get groceries, etc. I even smiled through it. So something is working.<br /><br />I am worth the effort to take care of myself. Taking care of myself means:<br />*doing nothing for 20 minutes, at least twice a week<br />*taking my supplements (iron, Vitamin D and a few other things)<br />*getting some exercise (still shooting for daily...not quite there yet)<br />*cutting out sugar (oh. my. goodness. this is hard)<br />*ditching soda... again<br />*read for fun<br />*get outside for some fresh air daily<br />*acknowledge daily that there is only so much a human being can accomplish and be ok with that<br /><br />There's more to do and learn, but for now this is plenty. When this stuff becomes routine, I'll add more.Shoeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04520357841735224785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-32022491193936046852010-04-28T21:22:00.000-07:002010-04-28T21:49:50.451-07:00Day 118: Breathe In, Breathe Out<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Apparently this is a bad, bad year for allergy sufferers. Plentiful winter rains here in the desert guarantee a bumper crop of endless greenery and all that green stuff tries to replicate itself much too quickly. The pollen counts are unbelievable. My standard antihistamine regimen has fallen short this year, leaving me gasping for breath for the past two days.<br /><br />It takes a lot of work to consciously breathe all day long. The chant <span style="font-style: italic;">"breathe in... breath out... breathe in... breathe out"</span> is almost audible in my mind. (I am fairly certain that hearing voices is still not en vogue, psychologically speaking, so we'll leave it at "<span style="font-style: italic;">almost </span>audible.") Over and over as the hours pass I find myself straightening up in my chair and willing myself to breathe evenly. What does this have to do with my worth? What does this have to do with anything?<br /><br />Basics. Breathing is basic -- we're born knowing how to do it. Even my kids who needed oxygen or visits to the NICU had an innate desire and general idea of how to breathe. We know how to breathe and we don't have to think about it. We take it completely for granted. That is, we do until we can't do it easily. As soon as a cold crops up, or allergies explode, or asthma threatens, or a rogue pillow in the middle of the night plants itself on your face, you suddenly have to think about that next breath. You see how fundamental an exercise getting oxygen into your lungs is. You achieve a sense of acute awareness at how dependent you are on a single element.<br /><br />A great deal of our lives (at least my life) is spent in the "take things for granted" mode. Even our stresses are somewhat normal for us. When we cross the line, however, into extremes, we discover our utter dependence on something like oxygen. We discover that this moment, right now, is slipping past us. We don't exist in the past, we don't exist in the future. We only exist right now. <span style="font-style: italic;">Now </span>is as basic as it gets. It occurred to me during breaths 23,535 and 23,536 that I have been focusing moment by moment for the past two days -- that's not a bad thing. I think we end up in trouble when the crisis of our extreme passes and we're not so dependent on consciously breathing in and out, consciously focusing on the now. We easily slide back into taking for granted again. <span style="font-style: italic;">The trick is to let go of the stress but not the focus.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">I am worth focus.</span> Right now. Being as centered as possible in the current moment is crucial. It's crucial for completing a task, reading a book to my kids, keeping my mood in check, and so on. It means learning to tolerate noise or utter silence or difficult emotions -- realizing that these things pass, just as the moments do. <span style="font-style: italic;">I only have to master right now.</span><br />Now... <span style="font-style: italic;">how </span>to do that? Beats the tar out of me. But I'm working on it. Tonight's agenda, however, is breathing. Be well.Shoeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04520357841735224785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-23860748647183302672010-04-26T17:18:00.000-07:002010-04-26T17:33:13.036-07:00Day 116: Holy Rusted Metal, Batman! Kryptonite!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I blinked, I read, I lost time again. My reading suggests some sort of black hole. If I were a drinking woman, I might suspect blackouts. Unfortunately I have to admit that my time loss is not chemical, nor is it science fiction related. I just spend too much time creatively avoiding work. Scratch that. There is nothing creative about checking my email, Facebook and a host of internet fora -- those all just suck up time. Those things are my Kryptonite.<br /><br />I read an interesting phrase today: <span style="font-style: italic;">show me your checkbook, I'll show you your values.</span> A reasonable twist to that for me would involve a day planner and how I spend my time. Darn, growing is painful. It would seem that I've forgotten a basic principle in choices: <span style="font-style: italic;">to choose to do something also means to choose not to do something else.</span> Choosing to indulge in my Kryptonite means I'm choosing to ignore other responsibilities -- responsibilities I willingly took on because I know they are good and essential for me and my family.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">I'm worth better choices.</span> It's hard to change habits -- we don't even have to think about our habits until they start to get in our way. My Kryptonic habits have to change. I'm taking a superhero approach to this. I've got to learn to listen to that Spider sense tingling in the back of my mind when I'm about to check email. I need to pay attention to the brain drain my electronic Kryptonite has on my SuperMom powers. I need humor, too (hence the wild Batman & Robin phrases), or I'll go nuts. But above all, I need to keep trying to change my wayward habits and master myself.Shoeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04520357841735224785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-23660688124732117732010-04-20T09:49:00.000-07:002010-04-20T17:11:39.365-07:00Day 110: Revisiting the 20 Minute Homework<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Several weeks ago I mentioned that my doctor had given me homework: twice a week I am to sit for 20 minutes and do nothing. Absolutely nothing. Some more connections I'd like to share have been made in my mind.<br /><br />My routine bloodwork showed a Vitamin D deficiency. How someone who lives in the Desert Southwest can be Vitamin D deficient is beyond me, but there it is. Guess what? Sitting outside for, oh, 20 minutes a day is a way to boost Vitamin D production in the body. Sure, walking, gardening or some other activity outside works, too. But for now, sitting suits my purposes nicely. How interesting that the "sit still and don't do anything" advice dovetails with the "get outside for a few minutes and make some Vitamin D" advice.<br /><br />Guess what else dovetails nicely in there? Drinking enough water. Trust me, if you sit out in the desert sun for 20 minutes, you will be thirsty and thus guarantee better water consumption. A well hydrated person is a person who can function throughout her day.<br /><br />Sitting still and reconnecting the weary brain cells is... well, to be honest, it's aggravating most of the time. However, I am starting to truly see the benefits. I've done it enough to note a difference in the day when I make that time for myself. The funny thing is that I feel I'll never get everything done anyway -- and what I've noticed is that I never <span style="font-style: italic;">can </span>get it all done, regardless of whether or not I've taken a few minutes out for me. Interesting, isn't it? I can't do it all anyway... but if I take 20 minutes out, I feel better and actually manage to get a great mountain of work done. <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">I'm worth 20 minutes!</span>Shoeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04520357841735224785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-57132066550213382582010-04-19T16:20:00.000-07:002010-04-20T09:49:19.069-07:00Day 109: Notebooks, Chaos, and Balance<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Notebooks are my salvation... and my downfall. I've been trying to jot down my random thoughts, to-do lists, ideas, discipline issues with the kids, and a host of other mundane, but oh-so-necessary, tasks in notebooks because I forget things so easily these days. Do you see the problem already? <span style="font-style: italic;">Notebooks</span> is plural. My notebook situation has become as bad as my mental situation -- the thoughts are now strewn around my vehicle, living room, kitchen, bedroom, school room, and a few other places that I can't remember (I bet I made a note in a notebook.). Instead of collecting my thoughts in safe place, I've scattered them to the winds of my life. In short, the only improvement is that I now usually know that I'm forgetting something, but I still have no clue what.<br /><br />How does this relate to my worth? Good question. I've noticed that I am very hard on myself for not remembering things. Just yesterday I was exasperated with my nine year old for not telling me he was done with an assignment (you know what I'm going to say next, right?)... and when I huffily asked him why he was playing instead of telling me he'd finished, he and the fourteen year old both quietly said that he <span style="font-style: italic;">had </span>told me and I had responded with, "Good. I'll be right with you." (This is the part where my head hits the desk and I begin to groan and sigh.) It's so easy to beat myself up over this -- it's hardly the first time it's happened. But before I get to far on berating myself for being inattentive, or side tracked, or whatever, I also have to take note that the boy told me while I was in the middle of teaching the teenager and the little kids were playing loudly in the next room. Multitasking anyone?<br /><br />My working theory on this constant state of forgetfulness is that multitasking creates chaos. Don't get me wrong -- a certain amount of plate spinning is required in life (think of the circus act where the clown runs back and forth to spin plates on the ends of sticks... plates that he has to keep spinning lest they crash). This goes back to what I said before: <span style="font-style: italic;">I am worth my sanity</span>. There is only so much a person can do in a day. There are only so many thoughts a person can follow in a given period of time. Motherhood is all about constant interruption and correction and somehow finding joy in between. No matter what role I'm playing, there are only so many plates I can keep spinning at once.<br /><br />Maybe this means <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">I'm worth taking myself less seriously</span>? Oh, I'm not saying I should ditch any of my responsibilities or let them all go to pot. It just seems logical that there must be some line in the sand that I've crossed... a line between joyful living and overbearing burden. I really do think there's a way to build a fence on that line so that a balance can be struck. How to do that? That's the question of the day.Shoeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04520357841735224785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-62387963341162340722010-04-19T07:15:00.000-07:002010-04-19T07:24:26.431-07:00April 19: This is hard without my laptop! :(<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_9-gdRauYjqve_mNYY8nkR8L3S4_a65xD8hW7ASTVagPFguG9lFT4vKwYS_IVySctCmpX0A58iUaOvq87wk_1cL6RoWyHBiWumRjqCLu_UfTSZ6xAc7-wmhje6tqQN4zxU5NeMTDNXXL/s1600/caralynandemmareading.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_9-gdRauYjqve_mNYY8nkR8L3S4_a65xD8hW7ASTVagPFguG9lFT4vKwYS_IVySctCmpX0A58iUaOvq87wk_1cL6RoWyHBiWumRjqCLu_UfTSZ6xAc7-wmhje6tqQN4zxU5NeMTDNXXL/s200/caralynandemmareading.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461854295847917890" /></a><br />I am trying to hard to be diligent with my blogging.. as I am not one with loads of follow thru! But without my lap top this is becoming difficult. I have a (Dino) computer that takes forever to load and then it looses things.<br /><br />I am whiny today!!! SO it would be fitting for me to follow up with my last post...<br /><br />CARALYN SAID...<br /><br />My daughter and I have been talking thru this worth thing since I have started it. I am amazed at the insight she has at such a young age, and she challenges me as I know she is watching with "worth" vision since we have started talking. <br /><br />One day recently she asked a very awesome question. "Mom, what exactly does a woman of worth do?" Mmmmmmm, this is a question that will be answered for years to come... The ACTIONS of a woman of worth, what a great question! So I asked her what she thinks are worthy actions, and who does she see them in? She said her teacher from last year Mrs. Stone. She said that she is kind but firm in her boundaries, and that she is very accepting. I said "Yes, this are worthy traits!"<br /><br />We have a little contest to share with each other when we see a worthy action.<br /><br />I am really thankful to God for bringing me thru this. If for no other reason than my daughter at 12 focusing on worth based actions rather then the latest trend in the teen magazine.<br /><br /><strong>I AM WORTH SEEING WORTH IN OTHER PEOPLE! Phil 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.</strong>joancurtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04167711949574895242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388172043047372830.post-45418135851936080482010-04-14T12:23:00.000-07:002010-04-14T12:46:28.105-07:00Day 104: Where Did April 13 th Go?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS1U1-vCVTy7QqMVuhesg5Fc-OOJSClAHFMbvUiMltEGX5wcSpf6zyXQLtI1eJqWl6MG6TZaZCtYd2xaxbyOjUxIpLH303rfKKtvi3DCkA-9r1wIllTQkT6Xbb3mioLkmsup4ii4oacvZ/s144/IMG_3362.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I've lost a day!</span> For some reason I thought yesterday was the 12th and that I had plenty of time to attend to certain responsibilities. I had to finish my intake with my doctor (remember, figuring out hormonal imbalances is extremely important in the grand scheme of things) and I got to go out on a fabulous date with my husband. I worked on school planning, teaching, grading and even some of that financial stuff... but somehow the actual date just didn't register. I woke up this morning feeling panicked and stressed.<br /><br />There is enough time, but it sure doesn't feel like it. This feeling is a key issue for me. The<span style="font-style: italic;"> fight or flight response</span> is great for deciding how to deal with sabre-toothed tigers or closing multi-million dollar business deals, but not really so great for juggling lunches, schooling, finances and self-care. Whether or not my checkbook is balanced shouldn't be a survival moment. Whether or not we get all the quizzes and tests for the day finished should not be one of those moments either. Even paying bills shouldn't be a big deal. But making a mistake on the date sure can make the smaller things in my life feel monumental and potentially catastrophic. Truly, I need to learn how to navigate life better.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">I'm worth cultivating a sense of peace and calm.</span> I need to learn this -- being a high-strung person is not fun (and I doubt such a person is fun to live with ::cough::). Watching my kids develop the same issues is painful. They need a better model to pattern themselves after. It worries my husband when I stress over the minutiae and go to pieces.<br /><br />Today's plan involves a do-over. I started attacking teaching and bills randomly and with incredible stress. Needless to say, it's not been the most pleasant morning (though, honestly, it's far from the worst... so something must be changing for the better), but the day isn't over yet. So it's time to regroup, make a short list and tackle what I can without sacrificing my family on the Altar of Perfection.Shoeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04520357841735224785noreply@blogger.com0