Wednesday, August 11, 2004

I did it!!!

Yea for me!!! I actually "pruned" my life!
Yesterday, I told the lady at the aerobics place that I did not want to teach. She thought it was okay! I told her that she should blame my pastor, since he was the one who told me to do the pruning!
Today a lady asked me to coach another cheerleading class (my schedule is already Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 3:30-9:00 and Wednesday 3:30-5:00) and I said Really, I can't do that but thanks for asking me! This is hard for me to say at times, so I am very proud of myself.
This week has been crazy, I have been babysitting 2 extra kids, so my schedule has been hectic. A funny though... these kids cannot sing! I mean they are way off tune, and they sing exceptionally loud and most of the time they do not know the right words! Yesterday we were in the car and they wanted to listen to the Shrek CD and I thought sure why not. The singing was so bad!! And loud! So I took the cd out of the car last night and today they asked if they could listen to it and I said it wasn't in the car (the truth), so is that mean? I don't really think so!
My own children do not usually know the right words to sing, but they are mostly on tune! Macguire was singing "Praise Him, Praise Him, Praise Him in the morning, Praise Him in the evening..." and he was saying "Raisin, Raisin..." So funny!!! Today I watched an 8 year old learn how to roller skate...not a pretty sight! I coached 2 cheerleading squads, and based 2 liberties and 4 extension full-downs. Although I used to be a flier (30 lbs ago) I am now a solid base!!! But truly I am strong and it is kind of fun...except when the flier puts her foot down in her lib and her shoe is on my face! Or when I am backing a lib and I say cradle and the other bases choose not to catch and I am floored by the flier! Okay, too technical for some so I will say goodnight!

Sunday, August 08, 2004

Too busy???

Today I heard an amazing message from our pastor (he is great, and several family members have been lucky enough to hear him) and it is about time! Time management, what are we doing with our time? What fills our claendars? If you are me, then you will say: kids (and this entails a lot!) husband, house hold, work hours outside of this home, friends/family and general upkeep, time in the gym, and time at church or related functions (bible studies etc...). So that is a long list and many many days things are left unchecked, not crossed off, and just plain ole not done!
What are the priorities?
What are the necessities?
Obviously, the kids have to have certain things: they need me to get them up in the morning, to dress them, to feed them, to get them to school, to help with homework, to feed them dinner, to prepare a bath, and to tuck into bed. And look at that list, basically a robot could do all those things, that doesn't include any "feeling" time, reading, talking, playing games. It also doesn't include soccer practice, or cheerleading practice or any other related activity. Now times that schedule by the number of children you have and I know you are busy like me!!! THAT IS ONLY THE CHILDREN!!! Husbands, and house, jobs and "my" time are all things that fit in when they can.
Anyway, since that just gets overwhelming and depressing I will move on...PRIORITIES>>>
I am a Christian, so I am committed to a relationship with God and spending time with Him. I am committed to serving Him, to saving at least one soul etc... So that will be my #1 priority
Then I committed to my husband (12 years ago) and that commitment was "until death do us part" so that is still valid for me and that is my next priority.
Then I committed to being a mother when Kennedy was born (and Macguire and Emerson) and you have to know that this is a HUGE commitment, as I have promised to do everything from giving birth to leading them to Christ to being a godly example to bringing up children who are pure to giving them in marriage one day and still I am a parent! They should do a "marriage" ceremony for children also, because it is "until death do us part!" I will never stop being their mother until one of us is in the grave, thank goodness Corey is also bound to these children! So this pretty much has to be my next priority!
After this, I would like to have friends/family/cultivation of relationships and well, since I am writing this, I will say that!!
The pastor said today, that everything else I choose to do should be hald to the question "Am I pleasing God by doing this?" "Does it interfere with any of my higher priorities?"
So okay, I have decided not to teach aerobics, I will still go to the gym, but I have decided not to make that commitment. Teaching takes time, it adds stress and it is not worth it to me.
Working is obviously something that some of us need to do, and I will continue with that, but with a new focus! I will be pleasing God, I will be searching for the soul I can lead. That way I can say that I have done what God wanted me to do!
It is hard to fit it all in, I want to "prune" my schedule and only let it include what benefits my God and my family!!