Alone Time?

Today's theme for "So We Don't Forget," is Our favorite thing to do with our alone time.
I chose to journal today about this so that I can save this memory for my children when they are grown.
This idea came from my friend Lynnette, and I hope you will stop by to visit her here...http://lynnettekraft.blogspot.com/

I was thinking about this journal entry a lot. I was asking myself.. "When in the world do I have alone time?" And to answer that question honestly,, I really, really do not have alone time.. at least not that often that I have a favorite thing to do.
But, as I was recalled my schedule every day, it occurred to me, that I do my best to take moments for accomplishing those things that are important to me, and that is what I consider my alone time.
I absolutely love to take walks. The entire time I walk, I am thinking upon all the activity in my life, and weeding thru the thoughts that get stuck in the cob-webs of my mind sometimes.
I am able to sort them out, and even have a firmer resolve to my day when I am done walking.

While I walk, I truly enjoy all of God's Creation around me. Living in the country slants a whole new meaning to a walk. The corn fields, and wild flowers. The smells of the farms that may offend one driving by actually become a familar smell to my senses. Seasonal changes are more noticeable to me, and even the regualar occasion of a deer and its fawn walking across the road in front of me is just another reason that my walks alone are a favorite part of my day.

I walk to exercise.. after each and every baby I have a task of baby weight that needs to go. This task has now to turned to a favorite time to me.
Using my walks for my quiet time with the Lord has been the biggest blessing. With out the hustle and bustle of being home, or even living in town, I have found that this time on my country road has so many more benefits than exercise.
The next time that you are driving by a corn field, and see it waving in the wind, think on that song that talks about the trees of the field will clap their hands, and we shall go out with JOY and be led forth in peace. The mountain and the hills will break forth in Glory!
THIS is why I LOVE my time alone - walking.

Is there any evidence?

This was on my mind today. It is probably because I get project "overload" on the brain right before another School year, and at the end of the summer.

Tell me if you relate.

Big List of things to do. I can easily make a mental checklist, ON TOP of the already written list that I am checking off thru the day. Walk, nurse baby, shower, laundry, and then the list gets more detailed and more complicated.
Why is it that I can some days check off the entire list on paper, half of the mental list that I formulated secretly, so that I couldn't be accused of Project overload, and being a maniac about lists... and YET.. I still get to the end of the day and cannot see much evidence of much being done?

I have been thinking on this tonight.
Well, actually more than tonight.
Does this happen to you?

Yes, there are days that I sit down at the end of a long day, and can look back on the hours, and even around the house, and see how the list made its progress.
But these other days..
This is what I have figured out.....

PERSPECTIVE!!!!

Man,, do I have a problem with this sometimes.
I am honest. I am real, and I will tell you.. I am continually finding parts of my heart that need working on.

My perspective this week that didn't allow me to see any evidence of my big list of to-do's that did get done?.....
I was breeding seeds of discontentment.
Rather than allowing myself to see the fruits of labor in the time that I was given that day,
I saw all that I wasn't able to get done, and more.
Wanting more accomplished, wishing for a life that holds more than I need, and waiting for a miraculous magic wand to fix all that I can't.

Sowing these seeds will not bring forth good fruit. I can tell you first hand.
The only evidence I will see when I sow discontentment is wishing, wanting, and waiting.

Evidence of the fruits of my labors today?- Yep, and it isn't glorious or grand-
It may just be seeing the love returned in my children's eyes,. because I took the time to hold them, sing to them, or even play with them. It may be a simple healthy meal on the table, or my children saying Thank-you Mommy.
And what is this?
REAL evidence-
CONTENTMENT.

Smile, You're On Candid Camera!~

I loved summer this year. As a homeschool mom, I feel as if I don't have the freedom very often to break out of our normal routine long enough to spend many fun days with the children. I am not referring to just plain making school and chores fun, but really breaking out of my "mommy, and teacher" mode to spend day after day learning more about each and every one of these special gifts God has loaned to me.

This summer we experienced a lot of new things. We laughed, we cried, and we spent a lot of time in the sun!
Looking back at this summer, I thought that if someone had said to me,
"SMILE, You're on Candid Camera!" - That it would not have surprised me.

Here are a few highlights that I can recall from this season of sunny days -
(I have decided that I will have to blog about some of them separately, due to the hilarity and somewhat lengthy , boring nature of my writing at times. Heehee.)

*Our daughter became very ill, requiring a series of tests, and losing 15 pounds in 2 months. She has had pain attacks and her diet is extremely limited. We think we are in the homestretch for a diagnosis, and reprieve.

*My precious worldly possession - my laptop- with all 6000 pictures of my children from the last 5 years - completely died. A good practice of my reaction to an item with no -eternal value. A real sad, true test.

*Our FIRST camping trip... ever - with 9 children. THIS is another post entirely. Just a little hint...This is where I thought I was going to be told for sure - Smile, You're on Candid Camera!

*My oldest son was sent to the Emergency Room with a bilirubin level of 3.0. yellow eyes. yellow skin, lethargy, nausea, and many tests. Diagnoses with a liver condition - Gilberts Syndrome.
Just another opportunity to let my thoughts be led by truth rather than emotion.

*I took the children on a 3 day trip ,5 hours away, while my husband had to work. THIS was a definite candid camera weekend. My , oh my! I will spare you the drama, and not so funny moments, and just say that it was another eye-opener to the things that I have been blind to in my life, and my children's as well. We truly did have a wonderful time together, and they all worked hard to make it an easy trip for each other.. but the three under age of four- well, hmmm... they were along for the ( long, hot, miserable, stuck-in-a-car-seat, ) "ride!"

*We are preparing for another year of homeschooling, and made a hard decision to send our three oldest, ( freshman, junior and senior) to a Private Christian School, ( where, coincidentally, my husband and I, both attended.)

*Visited some awesome.. summer places this year as well! If you are ever in the Northeast, let me know, I could recommend some great places to visit!

The Candid Camera Comments?... It was like this for me this summer- Just when I was feeling myself adapt to a new normal- well, along came another! If you had a camera on me in those moments of :

seeing my daughter so ill along the roadside as I rushed her repeatedly to the Dr...it would have been sadness, sympathy, and concern.

Or the moment I realized my last 5 years of my children's pictures may have been completely lost forever- sheer and utter desperation.

Driving down the road on our trip alone in a torrential downpour, driving my 15 passenger van thru a narrow detour with flashers going, and windshield wipers going full-speed and a baby that is fussing to be nursed. Camera moment?

First Camping trip?.. Summary- I drove home the second night with baby, let her sleep in her crib, took a Normal Shower, and painted my toe-nails!
In the end- summer is almost over for this homeschooling family- and we are all smiling and thankful for blessings each day!

Where, Oh Where Art Thou?

Life has crazy turns...doesn't it?

Where oh, where art thou? Perhaps that is what some of my blogging friends have been wondering about life here ... A day in my life.

I have missed my writing..my quiet place, and my blogging friends.

Life has taken some wild and crazy turns here, but nothing more than the Lord can handle, and nothing that has taken Him by surprise. And so, One day at a time, Sweet Jesus - That's all I'm asking of You.

If you are a follower to my blog, and want to come back tomorrow to read about a wild and cray adventure that our family has gone on this summer... check in then.
I miss you fellow bloggers!
Feel free to leave a note, and I will stop by your blog as I do my catching up.

Where oh, where art thou?