It's All Too Much

I recently read and have the book, “It’s all Too Much” by Peter Walsh. This book has revolutionized how I think about the things I own. It is such a good book! I have been re-reading portions of it over the last couple of weeks. For so long, I have been weighed down by being overwhelmed with my stuff. I felt as if my house was in such a state that I couldn’t relax. I tried organizing and re-organizing but no system ever seemed to help. This book gave me a new perspective. It is much easier to clean and manage a house, when you have less. It is amazing how much stuff I have accumulated that I don’t need or use. Some of these items are things that I really like. What I have found is that I am much happier with less. I am freer to enjoy what I own when I have fewer things. My goals are clearer and my life is simpler.
Both Seth and I grew up in families that collect stuff for various reasons. It might be that the items were gifts. Some of the things were great deals. Also, you never know when you might need something. Everything is bought with good intentions. There are so many “reasons” to accumulate. I am breaking free from the bondage of clutter! The bondage was in my mind. The clearing the clutter will be a continual, life long process.
If you get a chance, read this book! It is a great read. Peter Walsh was challenging and motivating without being condescending.

Memorial Day

What do you know about Memorial Day? The Iraq war is in the forefront of my mind constantly. I have a thankful heart that my husband made it home safely from Iraq. Many, many people have sufferred tremendous loss. Do you know of someone that has died in Iraq? What about family members that lost loved ones in previous wars? I was telling my 6 year old recently about the meaning of memorial day and he asked me, "How can we honor the people if they are already dead?" In some ways, that has become a sentiment amoung our country. We can honor our nation's fallen heroes by remembering. Maybe you have never participated in a Memorial Day ceremony. Perhaps, you feel quite removed from the meaning of the holiday but you simply cherish it as a day off with your family. Celebrate the day off from work! Let me challenge you to take a minute and learn a bit about the history of the day.

History Channel site:
www.history.com/minisites/memorial

US Memorial Day site:
www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html

Waiting

I read recently that it could be argued that life is more about the time we spend waiting for something to happen than it is about something happening. Right now we are on the brink of some major life changes so I found that perspective very interesting and challenging. Big events in our lives are often preceded by days and nights spent dreaming, planning, organizing and simply waiting. The time in between the big events in our lives constitute the majority of our lives. If you think about the “in-between times” they are anything but uneventful. Still, we spend so much of that time thinking about a better time to come or worse yet, a trying time on the horizon. We may feel impatient for the upcoming event or we may dread it. Either way, much energy is focused on the future. I don’t think that we should live in the moment entirely. We should be responsible and plan ahead. However, we should live more fully in the moment. We don’t really know what will happen tomorrow. Besides, what I have today is a day full of opportunity. What is my purpose for today? My heart must be open to embrace others. My spirit must be ready for the challenges of the day. What do I spend my mental energy on during the “uneventful” times in life? In times of reflection, I can explore my mental, spiritual and emotional readiness for big life events. But, in the moment to moment, hour to hour trek of my day, how can I live life to the fullest? Something IS happening in my life each day. Life is happening. I believe the answer is simple but extremely challenging. What has my focus? Do my children dictate my mood? Does my husband regulate the peace I have? Does the TV or computer allow me to escape my life? What HAS me? The challenge is in what we are devoted to and what controls us. These Bible verses jump out to me in my quest to search through this topic.
John 1:16
From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Pressing On

There are days when I think to myself, “However did I make it last year?” Granted, right now I am experiencing pregnancy exhaustion. That might be the reason that I was reminding myself this morning of what I was able to do during Seth's deployment. Or, it might be that I was recently told that I have my hands full with the boys. From time to time, it just hits me, the deployment year was hard. I struggled through it. I had great times with my kids. I also had some tremendously hard days. I learned a lot about myself and the difference my attitude makes in the struggles of each day. I had friends say to me during the deployment, “I don’t know how you do it.” The truth is, I have no idea how I did it either. I just did the best I could. I wasn’t on top of everything but I managed the most important things. I loved the boys, loved and missed Seth, tried and refined my faith in a faithful God. I remember toward the end of the deployment I felt like I had failed in some ways. I was reminded that, “You haven’t failed if you haven’t given up.”