Shake it Off

One thing I am learning as I search for my Purpose is to learn to "shake it off" when people are not always kind. God tells us to "love thy neighbor as thyself". That neighbor may be the person who lives next door, across town, at work, at church or halfway across the world.

Unkind words hurt. And unkind actions are just as hurtful. But I know what God wants us to do. Love that person back because aren't we taught that we are all created in the likeness of God?


Today is a snow day in New England. The girls are home from school and I am home for a much needed day off from teaching.

Everyone is home today except for my husband who is essential personnel. One neighbor has been over to snow blow our driveway a few times. Love thy neighbor. When my husband is home he always takes care of this neighbor and another neighbor. The other neighbor has never helped my us during a storm. Love thy neighbor.




Recently at work, a few people said hurtful words about me. People who do not know me personally. Love they neighbor.

image from kenyanjustice.blogspot.com


Who are we to judge others? We do not know what is going on in others' lives and I am trying to keep this close to my heart.

 image from viewalongtheway.com

A Gift from God

Some days life passes in a blur and we often take the little things for granted. I have intentionally been slowing down and listening to what God is saying to me. Each little gift He brings.

A friend of mine has been struggling with infertility for years. After several miscarriages, the Lord spoke to her and she realized what she wanted and needed was to adopt. This Friday she will become a mom to a 7 month old little girl.

God's plans were already laid out for her. This baby was born exactly when she realized she needed to adopt. My friend just needed to BE STILL. 

"I am chosen to bear fruit and have purpose." John 15:1.

Tomorrow we will celebrate and honor this new addition to my friend's family.

Tonight I celebrate the gifts God has given me.

 

Finding your Identity

I have been thinking a lot about who I am and what does God want for me? I know His plans are already put into place, I just don't know what they are yet. I know He wants me to be the mom of two smart, messy, loving, energetic little girls. Check. He wants me to the be wife of one level-headed family man. Check. He wants me to have a clean, loving home for this family. I can't check this one off because I will admit it isn't always, ok, ever, clean.

I went to a conference this week to teach others how to find their Identity. I know, you are laughing right now. I am laughing too. The Lord has put this right in my path. I am wondering, do we ever become experts on who we are?

I have been writing in my journal this week everything that I am passionate about to find my own Identity. I am passionate about God. My family. Thrifting. Blogging. Crafting. Reading. Will these things really lead me to my Life purpose?

Life is busy. Kids, work, activities, maintaining a house. Sometimes it is hard to just BE STILL. I am trying. At least my daughter's favorite stuffy, Dotty, knows how to be still.

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. " Ephesians 2:10

Series on Steps To Finding Your Life Purpose

I have done a lot of thinking and praying about what my life purpose is over the last several weeks. I wish the answer was written down somewhere in black and white. But since it is not, I have decided to start the process of journaling to find my answer.

I will be sharing with you as I journal my thoughts on each question as part of a series on Finding Your Life Purpose.

Step 1: What do you like to do for fun in your free time? Would you do it for free?

Step 2: Who do you admire and why? Chances are, they are doing the exact thing you want to be doing or filling a similar path!

Step 3: What are your hidden talents? What do others' say you do really well? This is part of your life's path.

Step 4: Spend 10 minutes doing something from your list in Step 1.

Step 5: Write down how you feel when you are doing the things you listed in Step 1.

I hope you will share your thoughts on this! I am excited to start journaling!
image from indulgy.com

House Tour

Here are a few pictures of our (somewhat) organized home.  I am glad that I took these pictures yesterday when we had great winter sunlight.

 When we purchased our home nine years ago, we had an outdated kitchen from the 1960's. My husband renovated the entire kitchen himself while I was pregnant with our first daughter. I love the granite counter tops. The granite we chose actually cost LESS than it would have been to purchase laminate. It was a close out on this one particular color granite.

 The nightstand was free, my friend was throwing it out! The lamp was a dollar at a thrift store. It was an ugly gold that I spray painted. And the comforter was a recent purchase from the Goodwill. I needed a little yellow to cheer things up a bit. My husband is not a floral kind of guy, so I am surprised he does not mind my shabby chic addition!

 Our bedroom set was mine before my husband and I got married. We had not planned on keeping it this long, but not having to make a major purchase like a bedroom set is nice.

 My mother-in-law was going to throw this desk out, so I took it, painted purple and added the flower knobs to it. The chair was a chippy blue purchased from my favorite local antique store and I sanded it and painted it to match.

 This is the family room which we try to keep neutral. The coffee table is well loved by my daughters' art work that seems to make it onto the table more than their papers.

 My oldest daughter loves purple and loves butterflies, so I cut out a butterfly from some vintage sheet music that I had and painted the vintage frame purple.

I found this cute little pink end table at a thrift shop and did not have to do anything to it.

My oldest daughter still has her crib that is now her full size bed. I would have preferred white, but we chose this set before we knew we were having a girl.

Thanks for taking a tour of my home! I will be adding pictures of my youngest daughter's room this week!

Broken

The vintage colorful blankets felt so warm as I snuggled underneath. Outside the temperature was -2 and felt like -20. Many schools canceled classes for the day, but not mine. Reluctantly, I climbed out of bed, barefoot on the hardwood floors. "Momma" my oldest daughter called from her room. The tooth fairy had visited again for the second time in less than a week. My youngest daughter still slept, snuggled under her quilt.

I dressed in my many layers and headed out into the dark, cold January morning to my school. Ahead of me the day awaited, filled with students, questions, emails and papers to correct. My school day finally arrived, and it was time to return home, feeling a little broken.

Time to switch gears, family mode. Two smiling little girls, a pile of laundry and a dinner to cook awaits, feeling a little broken.

As a family, we have made the decision that for us, simple living involves as few activities outside the home was possible. Our two activities involve our church and dance. We do not want to rush from activity to activity but rather slow down and enjoy one another.

We are a household where both parents work out of the home, not by choice so we choose to slow down in other ways.

Life is chaotic and sometimes broken. "But the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in Spirit."

Simple Eating involves One Word

Part of my journey of Simple Living includes Clean Eating. I know that eating processed foods is not healthy, yet teaching all day and having to come home and cook for my family seemed so much easier to open a can or a box. Now I am making better choices and it really s simple. Clean eating involves eating foods that have only one ingredient. SIMPLE.

Salads. Fruit. Eggs. Yogurt. Almond milk. Salsa. Granola. Oatmeal.

Whether it is wanting to lose weight, ridding your body of toxins, or  avoiding cancer or other diseases, Living a healthier and simpler lifestyle is one step away. The benefits are endless.  Part of my purging and decluttering is cleaning my food pantry of processed foods.

Our grandmothers had the right idea with home cooked meals, not fast paced easy to reach options. These are the values I want to pass on to my own girls.

Tonight's dinner was salad and eggs. Now it is off to read Notes from a Blue Bike

Less is More

"By letting go it all gets done." ~Lao Tzu

Two weeks purging "stuff" and sometimes with that comes letting go of the emotional ties and baggage. Many bags and several trips later, they do not even notice these things are gone. "For we brought nothing into the world and we cannot take anything out of the world." 1Timothy 6:7.  Each day I take a small step towards living a simpler life. Making my family rich in all the things that are important to us, spending more quality time together and less time worrying about material things.

What have you done today to slow down and live a simpler life? Many dream of a bigger home with more things, I dream f a smaller home with fewer things.

Less IS more.

A Fresh Start

It has been a long time since I last blogged. Recently I have found a renewed purpose to living a frugal life. The dictionary states "careful about spending money or using things when you don't need to" and "simple and plain". This is EXACTLY what I intended for this blog to be about when I started it. Over the last few weeks I have made a commitment to living a simpler life.

The first step is to DECLUTTER. It can be overwhelming, but it feels amazing. I have brought almost 25 bags to donate and to my local consignment shop and I still have only begun.

1. MY CLOSET: Since I teach I need to have a variety of shirts. I mostly wear black pants so bottoms are easy. I started by pulling everything out of my drawers and closet. I was not too strict, but I wanted to make sure nothing was left in a pile on the chair in my room. If it didn't fit back in, I pared down and tossed it. (I will go back again in a few weeks and pair down.) I buy all of my clothes from consignment and second hand stores.

2. TOYS: If my girls have not used the toy since last Christmas, I packed it up and donated it. Simple enough,

3. BOOKS, DVDS and CDS: I went through my own and my girls and pared down the obvious choices. ( I did not go through any of my husbands items)

4. Fridge: I cleaned out my fridge and freezer. Wiped it down and wiped all containers before going back in the fridge. I love how everything is neatly stacked.

5. Bathroom: I have not done the bathroom closet yet.

My goal for this year is simple living. Many dream of a bigger home and more stuff.  My dream is of a smaller home and less stuff.

I want more time to spend with my family, doing things I enjoy like reading and cooking healthy foods for my family.

I hope you will join me this year on my journey.