Last Sunday, Pastor Chris revisited his teaching on living the simple life. The only simple life I've ever experienced is on the mission field and living in London, never in California. I didn't understand the simple life as much as I did the second time around. I believe God was preparing me these past weeks to hear it again. Thankfully, I didn't drop it the first time, so I was able to digest it over time. Hearing it on Sunday was different. It put me into action.
As soon as we were settled at home, I asked Dave to help me figure out why we're so busy all the time - no exaggeration. We don't have the immediate things one might think to give up like watching too much TV (we watch two programs a week), reading the newspaper (cancelled it), we don't get invited to people's houses and we don't invite others to ours, we don't waste our time shopping just for the sake of shopping, we don't vacation, we don't shuffle kids to and from practice or games, I barely blog anymore, and I hardly ever facebook, etc. We're just busy trying to accomplish life's basic responsibilities.
Maybe our business comes not knowing how to manage our responsibilities. So, I built a schedule for every little thing that needs to get done in a week. NO WONDER WE'RE ALWAYS BUSY! There's so much to do. I'm trying to find time to move this body and get healthier, but when? Our days are full. If I could hire someone to do six people's laundry and attend to paperwork, that would certainly help! I won't give up Church on Sundays or Bible study on Wednesdays, food shopping, laundry, cleaning the house, organizing constant paperwork, feeding my family, bathing my kids, fixing meals, or picking up at the end of the day. So, what gives? I teach my kids at home, and I barely do that well. Do I give that up? God hasn't given us the big "YES" we're looking for yet. So, in the meantime, my life is all about taking care of my kids, Dave, and my house. Everything comes after them.
My Dad asked if I was taking time for me. As much as I want to tell him I figured out how, I'm didn't and I'm not. I gave that up after baby number two. But his question got me thinking. He's asked it before, but it was different this time. So, on my calendar I scheduled in walking time. Now, I need to call a doctor and find out why I get three-day migraines, why my hair is falling out in handfuls, why my feet hurt in the morning, why I can't do anything without getting totally distracted and off track, and stuff like that.
One more thing. As I was working on my new life schedule, I remembered a fantastic woman, Mary-Ann, who came to speak at our MOPS group before we moved to London. I'd been following her eating plan for a few months, but left it here for financial reasons when we moved. We've been back one year April 23rd, and I'm ready to take on her ideas on again. I've found all her books and I looked up her website yesterday and inquired about her 100 days to health program ~ it's still going! I wrote her a quick note about starting up again and let her know how much I appreciated her knowledge and her sharing her experiences with us. Well, this morning, I received an email from her husband (they live in Africa) who told me she's speaking in Orange County this weekend ~ no way! Driving a couple hours to see her is totally worth it. I'm so there! So, off I go on my new quest for health.
Looking back, I can totally see God working in each step to get me to the place I am today. He knew I wasn't ready a few months ago, so He prepared me for this week when He knew I'd be ready and rarin' to go! Now, let's see how this goes in my crazy busy schedule where I have no room to add one little thing. I guess I'm waking up an hour earlier!!! Weee . . .
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