Miracles

As I have mentioned in past blogs, my family has been going through a difficult time this past year. I was forced to close my child care which in turn caused financial strain on our household budget and we became extremely behind on our bills. Especially our mortgage and credit card bills. When you are forced with the choice of feeding your children or paying credit cards... well I chose to feed my kids!

Now, we have a mounting pile of debt, creditors calling and a possibility of losing our house. We have actually received an auction sale date for our home that is to take place in just a couple of weeks. So... after much deliberation, discussion and of course prayer, my husband and I decided to file for bankruptcy.  This is not where we saw our lives headed... however we are so far under water that we can no longer see the surface. Although I am now working from home, the piles of debt have grown so high that we just can't get out from under it... it would take years and years.

Here is where the miracle happens...

We went to see a lawyer about filing bankruptcy and decided that yes it was the way to go, especially so that we could immediately stop the auctioning of our home. In order to do this we had to come up with $1800.00 up front to hire the lawyer. Now where in the world would we get that kind of money in a week?

My husband and I started brainstorming ideas of how we could come up with the money quickly...  so we decided to start by having a huge garage sale. We also started listing things online to sell... including our dining room table. We also decided not to pay a couple of bills so that we could glean $1000 from his paycheck.  One of those bills was our truck payment. We were very scared about postponing this bill because we really can't afford to lose the only vehicle that fits all of our children and their car seats.

I went about gathering items from our home, baby items, clothes, even furniture that we were willing to sell in order to make some money at our garage sale. Anyone having a baby could have come to our garage sale for a one stop shop - crib, car seat, high chair, nursing items, tons of baby accessories, plus so much more!!  In the end we made $275 from the garage sale. A man came to pick up the toddler bed I was selling the next day which brought my total to approximately $300. This left me a little sad, I had prayed and hoped that God would have provided more. Oh ye, of little faith!!!

At church the next morning, as I was singing and worshipping with the rest of the congregation, I began crying and I was overwhelmed with the feeling of comfort and felt God's hand resting on my shoulders reminding me that it would all work out. I kept hearing over and over in my mind that God would provide... why was I so worried? I knew God was speaking to me.  When it was time for tithing, I hesitantly reached for my check to place in the offering basket.  I really needed the money that I was placing there, and yet, I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit reminding me again that God has a plan and was providing for us.... no need to worry.

I left church feeling comforted and at peace with our situation.... still without money, but knowing it would show up. After much indecisiveness, hesitation and sadness, I decided to sell our oak dining room table, knowing that it would bring $400-$500 to help pay the lawyer.  I LOVED my dining room table.  It was gorgeous, and when adding the extra leaves it would expand to 9 feet long. It was super wide at 4 feet so it had lots of room for big dinners and lots of family and friends could fit around our table. I had several people contact me and wanted to pay much less than I was asking. If I was going to sell my table I was insisting that I get the right amount.  Finally, a couple emailed me and wanted to see the table and said that they were prepared to purchase and take it with them. I hesitated in my response to them as I really didn't want to sell it!

In the end, I was reminded that sometimes getting what we want comes with sacrifice.  Was I really ready for a miracle in my life? Was I ready to let go of "stuff"? I decided that it was best to let go of our table and responded to the couple's email and set up an appointment for them to check it out. Then I prayed that God would have them willing to pay the $500 I was asking. That amount would give us enough money to pay the lawyer.

Lo and behold the couple fell in love with my table and purchased it, handing me $500 cash without trying to get it for less. WOW! I counted up the money from the garage sale, the table and the money we were able to squeeze out of the budget and it equalled $1804! We needed $1800! Wow, we actually had $4 extra, we had the money to pay the lawyer. We wouldn't be able to make our truck payment which is $234, but I wasn't going to complain... I knew it would work out.

My neighbor, and dear friend, came home and saw our table being loaded up by the couple and so I went to tell her what was going on.  She already knew about the lawyer and money we needed and asked me how much more we needed. I told her that by selling the table we had enough to pay the lawyer. She said, "Well, me and... (several other people) have gathered some money to help you guys. We really wanted to do more, but all I could gather was $230."

I couldn't believe it! That was the EXACT amount we needed to be able to pay our truck payment. EXACT! With the $4 extra from our sales and the $230 from my neighbor, we had enough! If that is not a miracle, a divine intervention, a hand from God, I really don't know any other way to describe it!! Miracles DO happen every day. We must believe that God will provide. Just when you think about giving up, that is when the miracle happens. After the year my family and I have been through, I have realized beyond a shadow of a doubt that every trial that we go through prepares us for something greater. The trials hurt, as they stretch us and grow us. The question remains... Are you willing to wait for the miracle? Or do you give up before God has a chance to  perform one in your life?

(I know its hard to read but the plaque says, "We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty." -Maya Angelou)

If my friend has told me she was giving us one thousand dollars it would not have meant as much as that $230! That dollar amount was God's way of reminding me, "Hey, Erica... I've got this! It is all part of the plan. Stop worrying and spend more time focusing on me so that I can continue healing your family!"

"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."  Matthew 6:25-34

God has a plan... we need only to believe in Him and He shall provide.

I hope that our story will help someone to believe just a little bit more and that our story might give another family a little more hope. I believe with all my heart that God has asked us to go through these trials so that we can help someone else. We (my family) know that God is using us to further His good works through us and everything we have gone through is part of His plan. Don't get me wrong, the trials HURT but the FAITH that has resulted is just a small glimpse of the reward on the other side! Oh the sweetness of resting in His GRACE!!

Conquering Paper Clutter in 5 Simple Steps

I used to struggle with paper clutter - mail everywhere, piles of receipts, magazines that I'm going to read someday... sound familiar? Maybe your desk/work space looks like this:

I can't stand paper clutter... and yet, before I created a simple 5 step system to keep my desk organized, I always seemed to struggle staying on top of the piles that accumulated there. Since starting to use these steps daily I have managed to eliminate the paper piles - and it only takes a few minutes each day!

Step One: Go through mail daily.
I have found that when I have accumulated a giant pile of mail, it is mostly "junk mail" that I am going to toss out anyway. As I am walking back to the house from my mail box, I am already sorting through the "junk" and separating things out that are going to be immediately tossed into the trash. I think 7 or 8 out of 10 pieces of mail go right into the "circle file bin" (trash can) or shredder. Even if I can't get to the rest of my mail right away, I only have to sort through the important things when I do. On the days where my kids or hubby get the mail, they know to place it neatly on the desk and I will go through the mail when I get home, etc. To stay on top of it, I go through it daily, even if that means I have to sort it before I go to bed. By using my five steps it only takes me a few minutes and therefore is easy to do daily.

 

Step Two: Only keep ads of places I regularly shop.
I am not a "drive all over town to hit all the sales" kind of person. I just simply don't have time for that. I tend to go to a few specific places and will create my menu and shopping list according to their ads. However, if I do happen to stop by a store that I don't normally visit, I can always grab an ad on my way into the store. Most places keep ads on a rack right in their entry. For the ads I do keep, I have two paper trays (3 shelves total - picture at the end of blog) on my desk and I use the middle tray for ads. As soon as I bring the mail in the house, I put the ads on this tray and then I can look through them when planning my shopping trip. When the next week's ad arrives, I simply swap the old for the new. This keeps my ads current and I never have to search through a bunch of ads - the ones I use are quickly within reach, not outdated and I know right where to look for them!

Step Three: Keep 2 files for coupons - current month and last month.
Are you a pizza, burger, Chinese food, oil change, car wash and steak dinner (plus so much more... ) coupon saver? I love to save a buck and as a result, I love to save up all these coupons just in case we visit one of the places around town. We love to treat the family to a dinner out once in a while and we like to try new places. As a result, I like to keep these kinds of coupons on hand. In the past, when we wanted to go somewhere, I found myself sifting through a huge pile of coupons, trying to find ones that hadn't expired and frustrating myself and the rest of my family for having to wait. (Crabby, grumpy, whiny children replace my usually well behaved children when they are not fed on a timely basis! hee hee) So I came up with my simple two file folder system that has a home in the drawer of my desk. One is for any coupons that I get in the mail THIS MONTH and one is for the PREVIOUS MONTH. When a new month starts, I simply toss out all of the previous month's coupons and that folder is now ready for the current ones.  Now, when we want to use a coupon, I pull one of the file folders out of my drawer and quickly find the coupon I need... and 99% of the time it has not expired. (I've found that most of these types of coupons expire 60 days from when they are sent.) I also keep a separate file for take out menus so that they are also handy to find.

*Just as a side note, I have a similar system for my magazines. I have a cute little magazine holder in my family room so that I can grab a magazine to flip through if I have a few moments to myself (so rare... really... I am a mom of 3, wife, house to clean, meals to cook, 4 pets to care for and I work from home... I rarely have a moment to myself! Please feel for me!) I only keep one month's worth of magazines in my holder at a time. Even if I haven't read last month's magazine, when the new one arrives, I donate or recycle.the old one. (Be sure to cut out or cross off your name and address if you plan to donate.) I figure that if I haven't had the time to read my magazine for an entire month, then I'm not going to have time to read two the next month!! This keeps the most current one handy if I do have a chance to flip through one - instead of grabbin one about Easter activities when it is almost Christmas! (I know this from experience!)

Step Four: Have a designated place for bills.
I have a small spiral type note book with pockets on each page where I keep bills waiting to be paid in one of the pockets and in another pocket I keep anything I am waiting to clear my bank account. Although I pay most of my bills online, I still have a few paper bills that arrive by mail. I would lose them or even forget about them because I am so used to paperless billing. Now, when paying bills, or checking my account, I have everything in one organized spot so I don't have to worry if I remembered everything. The "things waiting to clear my account" pocket, I also use for any receipts that I have accumulated throughout the day. I have also trained my husband to place any receipts he may have into this pocket so that I can file accordingly - even if that just means right into the shredder! As I said before, while I bring my mail in the house, I am already sorting it. And by the time I reach my desk, I already have the bills separated and they go right into my spiral notebook without starting a pile of clutter on my desk. The pocket notebook is also great to organize other paperwork that I need to keep filed and handy.

Step Five: Have a designated space for "read later" items.
As I mentioned previously I have paper trays on my desk, and I use the the bottom tray for any mail, brochures, papers my kids bring home, bulletins, etc that I plan to read or file later. My kids and hubby are trained and know exactly where to put notes or papers they bring home. I place any items here that I can't get to "right now." I try to go through this tray every few days so that it doesn't start to pile up and I deal with each item as needed, whether that means read and toss or read and file.

On most days, the above picture is how I wake up and find my desk. This system has really helped me and I hope that my simple 5 step system can help you tackle paper clutter as well. Working from home, it is imperative that I have an organized space from which to work. I am one of those types that can't concentrate when surrounded by clutter! Since I have started this system, I feel so much more organized and ready for the day when my desk is clean and tidy. I spend less time sorting and trying to conquer the endless paper piles (that can become out of control with just one days worth of mail) and more time being productive. Its as easy as 1,2,3,4,5!

Now if I could only organize the rest of my house like this... yeah, I know, its a process!! One small space at a time!

Friendship Bread

When the weather becomes cooler and the skies are dull and gray... I start baking! I can't find anything better to warm up a cold day than turning on the oven and letting the smells of cinnamon, nutmeg and sweet goodness fill my home. My kids and hubby will come crawling out from under their cocoon of blankets just to see what kind of yumminess (is that a word?) Mama is baking.

Today I made....

Amish Friendship Bread
Yes, I am talking about that starter bread that you put on your counter, you have to mix it up daily, add ingredients to it and then find friends to give away the new starters so that they can put it on their counters, mix it daily, add ingredients... and on and on it goes. I'm exhausted just thinking about that version!

I have a simpler way!  My Mom has been making this bread for many, many years - since I was a little girl (so I guess its only been for a few years... really... less than ten! Hahahaha)

Here is the recipe my Mom passed down to me:

Day 1: you are given the starter... free pass... you don't have to do anything
            Here is my first make it simpler tip: I keep my starter in a plastic container instead of plastic baggies. For 2 reasons: less wasted plastic bags and then on bake day you can just add the wet ingredients right into the plastic container - less bowls to clean (really this was my Mom's idea - I must give her the credit!)
Day 2-4: stir up the starter once a day
Day 5: Add 1/4 cup of each: flour, sugar and milk
            Make it simpler tip #2: The traditional recipe calls for 1 cup of each. If you cut it down to the 1/4 cup measurements you will have enough for one starter and the rest to bake your bread. Now you don't have to beg friends to take a starter off your hands... or wonder if they just threw it away. However if you do want to make the larger batch you can add the full cup and that will give you three starters and your bread mix at the end.
Day 6-9: stir up the starter once a day
Day 10: today is bake day
              Make it simpler tip #3: I write the ADD date and the BAKE date in permanent marker right on the top of the container of the starter. This way I never forget what day I started it, what day to add and what day to bake... because if I don't... I have to try to figure out which day is which... and you know how that goes... I'm a mom... which equals FORGETFUL!!

Here are the instructions for bake day:

To the starter add: 1/4 cup of each flour, sugar and milk and mix well. 
Next, measure out 1 cup of the starter mix and put in a container. This is your new starter and today is Day 1.... don't forget to put the date on top so you don't forget what day to add and bake!!
(If you are making the larger batch add 1 cup of each and measure out 3 - 1 cup portions of starter to give away to your friends.)

To the remaining starter add: 1 cup of oil, 1/2 cup milk, 3 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla and mix well

In a separate bowl combine the following dry ingredients and mix well:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 (5.1oz) box instant vanilla pudding
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup pecans

After dry ingredients are mixed,

make a well in the middle and

pour the wet ingredients in to the dry mixture.

 

Mix well. I mix mine by hand, but you could use a hand mixer or large counter top mixer.

It will be sticky and thick.


Pour into 2 well greased and sugared bread pans.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

You will know the bread is ready when you insert a toothpick into the bread and it comes out clean. (Make sure you put the toothpick in the middle as it takes the longest to bake completely.)

Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Then take bread out of pan and let cool completely on wire rack before cutting. This last step rarely happens in my house because as soon as I take it out of the pan I have hungry goblins ready to gobble it up!!

If there is any left you can share it with a friend or neighbor... It is Friendship Bread after all!

Make it simper tip #4: Make this bread any flavor that you like or have on hand. I have added peanut butter chips or cinnamon chips instead of nuts. I have used pistachio pudding with pistachios and chocolate pudding with chocolate chips.  Use pumpkin pudding for a thanksgiving treat... whatever suits your fancy! You can also make one large loaf or make smaller loaves... just adjust the bake times accordingly.

One last tip to Make it Simpler for you: If you don't want to put your new starter on the counter and start all over again, simply put the starter in a sealed container and place it in the refrigerator. When you are ready to start the cycle again, pull the starter out of the fridge and begin with Day 1... don't forget to date it!!! I haven't made a starter in so long, I can't remember where my recipe is, however I've looked online for a starter recipe before... if you have no one to give you a starter you can just make your own!!

ENJOY!! I hope you love this simpler version as much as I do!

Servant Leadership

An excerpt from the book I am reading on servant leadership in network marketing, quote by Derek Hall:

"They [leaders] garner a great deal of respect by, literally, turning the traditional pyramid organizational chart upside down. Instead of the base serving the few at the top the reverse occurs; the few at the top serve the many at the base."

I have worked for multiple pyramids (aka JOBS) where those at the bottom do all the hard work so that those at the top look good. That type of pyramid gets old quickly. Especially because I was always doing a large portion of the work!!! I am so grateful to be part of a national team of business people who model servant leadership daily. It is obvious that those at the top of Organo Gold love nothing more than helping new team members succeed. Amazing examples of servant leadership!!

Which type of pyramid do you prefer?

The quote is from the book "How To Become Filthy Stinking Rich Through Network Marketing (Without Alienating Friends and Family)"

Are you a furniture mover?

Are you a furniture mover? You know, around the house? I am. I move my furniture around ALL THE TIME!!! I don't really know why... not sure if there is a reason.  I just start to get that twitchy feeling.  I start looking at the furniture and the rest of the "stuff" around the house and I start thinking, "Is there a better way?"

I know that I get it from my Mom... she is a furniture mover too!  So is one of my sisters.  I don't think anyone else suffers from this condition - YET, but they are still young and we have lots of life left! (I am the oldest of 6 siblings, so I doubt only 2 of us inherited this condition! hahahaha!!!) Every time I go to visit my parents something has been moved around in their house, rooms have changed functions, new furniture has been switched out for the old, something has been repurposed, etc...

Baby Boy's Room - in process!

Everything I mentioned about my parents' house applies in my home too. Right now, I am in the process of changing two of my kids' bedrooms.  A dear friend gave us a bed to replace my daughter's broken one.  As it turns out, the new bed works better in the baby's room, which has resulted in me needing to rearrange two rooms!! Plus the shelf in the baby's closet broke... I didn't realize if I stacked board games to the ceiling it would be too heavy!! I always figured... if it fits.... hahahaha! Enough said! My hubby likes to say I know how to fit five pounds of sugar in a three pound sack!

When my Mom comes to visit, my husband will ask us a very important question before he leaves for work, "What are you moving around today?" He knows if you put the two of us together we are going to figure out a way to rearrange something!! And my hubby simply wants to be prepared for when he gets home! I am extrememly lucky that he supports me in just about everything.  Even if he thinks one of my ideas is a little wacky, he is willing to try it out before criticizing. 

Truth is... my husband is not a visionary! He just can't see it in his head. I can try to explain or draw it out as much as possible, however, until I actually move things around, put the color on the wall, repurpose the furniture, etc, he really has no idea what I'm talking about.  Luckily... he is so laid back that he just goes with it. If he REALLY doesn't like something he speaks up, but for the most part, he knows I will just change it all again in a few months because I have a new vision!

And then there are the holidays which are quickly on the way... and that means... TIME TO DECORATE! YAY!!! Time to make room for a tree, put up lights, (inside and out) take down the every day decor and replace it with shiny, twinkling holiday goodness!!! Ohh Ohh Ohhhh... it makes my hands tingle with excitement. My heart is beating faster just thinking about it!! Seriously, is there something wrong with me?

I am one of those weird people that likes change! Not just in my house but in life as well. I simply get bored with the same old thing. I wonder if I will always be this way. Is there something else in my life that is lacking which in turns causes me to fill the void by moving furniture? I don't know. While you are pondering this mystery... I am off to rearrange!

Weathering the Seasons (and Storms) of Life

I love this time of year! The weather is getting cooler. Leaves are changing colors. Kids are back in school (well, not mine!) The streets are quieter - empty. The holiday season is on its way. Sweaters, hats and scarves are starting to appear. Living where we do in California, our summers are HOT! Many days topping 100 degrees; a dry heat that just seems to scorch all things in its path. (We are lucky to know several people with a pool or we might melt!) The cooler climate of fall is a welcome change.

As mentioned in a post last year about summer - I love all the seasons.  Every one of them brings change.... and for me, each one brings a new appreciation for God's creation.  I LOVE the autumn colors - reds, oranges, yellows, browns, purples. Neighbors are decorating for Fall. Kids are getting excited about Halloween and are starting to plan their Christmas lists. Nights are much cooler, so we bunker down under blankets reading a chapter book together, playing a game or watching a movie. I've started baking again, since we don't have to worry about heating the house with the oven. I can make soups and stews and other "warm your insides" comfort food that I love! I start lighting candles and we have a fire in the fire place with hot chocolate. Kids' soccer season is winding down. It's a time of change. We also go through seasons in our lives; and it is with these seasons, periods of change and of self renewal that we can truly appreciate the beauty -the simple pleasures that surround us daily.

Last year, we went through a horrific experience - one I NEVER in all my life imagined that I would have to endure. In my depths of pain I would think to myself how I never imagined this could happen to us. When I dreamed of my family it never occurred to me that one person would strip us of innocence, hope and love and replace it with hatred, unforgiveness and lots and lots of hurt.  We were in the heart of a season of winter in our lives. Every time I would glimpse a tiny plant of new growth and healing it would be frozen again by a new ice storm.  We continued in this cycle for about 6 months - a couple weeks of healing and then a new storm would hit us again.

Over and over again a cycle of pain, hurt, depression, hopelessness and despair would be followed by glimpses of healing and hope only to be squashed by another wave of destruction. Just when I would think it can't get any worse - it would!! Looking back now, I realize that I couldn't have handled everything all at once. Now I can see that if my world had come crashing in on me all at the same time, I might be in a loony bin or worse!  Just as too much rain at one time will cause flooding with permanent damage, God knew that too many blows at one time would have caused irreversible damage to our family. Our all knowing God, knew that we needed to weather one storm at a time! And I praise Him now for holding us in his arms when we were unable to make it on our own.
With each storm, I had to pick up my family, begin healing again and in the end - we became stronger.  I began to prepare for the storms that were to come. In the beginning, I quit praying altogether - I simply couldn't.  I would try... but I really could not pray. I was paralyzed. Instead, I called on all my family and friends that are prayer warriors (who in turn called on the prayer warriors that they knew) and asked them to pray for our family - simply because... I could not. I know that they surrounded my family with prayer!! I thank all of you now. One of our dearest pastor friends had her entire congregation pray for us for an entire church service. (We still have our prayer cloths!) Thank you - each and every one of you - for praying when I could not!

With the strength of prayer and our friend's and family's support, we began to brace for the storms, and without realizing it, we were growing stronger with each blow.  I gathered the ability to pray again. At first it was mainly yelling at God. I was so angry! This turned into prayers of utter despair and endless tears. Which turned into prayers of thankfulness for God being there even when I couldn't pray. In the end, we survived. We have deep scars, some that will continue to heal and fade, and others that will be with us for a life time... but WE SURVIVED. We still have more storms to weather, but I know now, how to better prepare for the storms. We continue to focus on God and the healing of our family.

My family is now in a a springtime of renewal. We have a new glimmer of hope, rebirth, growth. Fresh new seedlings that are being nurtured, watered, fed and ready to become strong plants. We are changing our circumstance from victim to victory. I don't know what the future holds for my family or myself.  It is unclear.  But one thing is certain, we are stronger and more prepared for the storms in life.  I believe that my children are being prepared for greatness.  Especially my six year old. There is an anointing that surrounds his very being and I know the devil doesn't like it! He is destined for a life of serving God.  He already tells me that he wants to go out in the world and teach others to love Jesus. No wonder the devil is doing every thing he can to bring him down. In the midst of our trials last year, he said to me, "I am praying to Jesus that the devil will leave us alone!" Those are powerful words coming from a six year old!

No matter what trials you are facing right now, know that although it may get worse before it gets better.... it WILL get better.  Don't let the devil win! Fight with God's righteousness on your side.  "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:11-12



 We are still weathering storms that continue to strike our family. They are turning into gentle spring rains instead of hurricanes... little storms that are helping us grow, become stronger, survive the heat of summer and be prepared for the harvest God has planned for us. We can see the rainbow through the rain.

What season of life are you in right now?

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted... a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace." Ecclesiastes 3:1-4,8
I hope that my story can help somebody who is weathering a storm right now. I pray for your peace and strength. God knows who you are and He hears my prayers for you. You are not alone. Even if you can't pray, God is with you.

Are You Feeling Overwhelmed?

An excerpt from my journal Fall 2011 - right before my family's lives changed dramatically (and the reason my blogs stopped)

"Do you ever feel so overwhelmed that it seems you almost can't even function? That is how I have been feeling for the last 4 months.  Like I have so much to do that it just stops me in my tracks!  From running my child care (60+ hours a week) to taking care of my family, to cleaning house and all that entails, to being a homeschooling mom (which is a full time teaching position) to additional family drama and stress that I have no control over - sometimes I just want a break from my life!! I want to do it all, and yet I have a hard time realizing that I can't.  I would like to post more blogs, take my kids on more walks, actually work on my scrapbooks (instead of just collecting supplies) watch more movies, cook more, bake more, take my kids on fun day trips, and the list just keeps growing.  Why do we as women feel the need to do it all?
I want to be super mom.... but I'm not.  I want to have the kids best birthday parties... but I don't.  I want to have a home cooked meal on the table every night... but we eat fast food a lot. I want to read more bed time stories to my kids... but I'm too tired by that time.  I want to have a clean, organized home... but we never seem to get it done. I want to go on dates with my husband... but we are never free at the same time.  I want to read my bible more and join a women's bible study... but can't coordinate any of the days.  I have so many things I want to do, and yet, I seem to stop before I even get started.
I guess in the end, I need to ask myself what is important? What to I want my kids to remember about their childhood?  A mom that was so frazzled she never spent time with them or one who sat down to build Lego's with them?  I know the answer, I just have so much trouble getting to that place."

It's interesting reading this now, after going through the tragic events my family has had to survive. (More on my family's experiences in future blogs.) As a result of the events that took place in fall of last year, I have such a different perspective on life.  I have always been a thankful, grateful person, seeing the positive in most situations.  And reading this reminds me that it really is about the little things.  I have learned not to care about the things that really don't matter.  If the floor doesn't get mopped - oh well... instead we spent time curled up on the couch reading a chapter book. All the lesson plans for school didn't get accomplished - oh well... instead we spent time observing the birds in our back yard. 

I am learning more and more to stop and make the little moments matter.  My job has changed - I no longer run a day care, instead I have become the owner of an at home business.  One that brings families together.  I am working on bringing my husband home from the work force and teaching other families how to do the same thing.  It is the most rewarding thing I have ever done! I love helping people - and my kids are watching and growing with me!

We continue to home school. My daughter is 8 and in 3rd grade, my middle son is 6 and in 1st grade and my baby boy is now 2!!!  We let our interests and the things around us guide our learning.  A couple of nights ago we watched and listened as the sky was filled with thunder and lightning which resulted in learning about it the next day.  So much more impactful when we are able to experience what we are learning! 

I look forward to sharing our lives with you once again.... and posting helpful things we are doing, using and learning in future blogs.  Many of my friends have asked to explain our chore chart system, discipline methods we use, the way we do allowance, homeschooling ideas, recipes, tips and tricks I use to stay organized and so much more.  I look forward to sharing all of these things with you in future blogs as well as sharing our personal story - tragedy and all, in the hopes that it will help another family. 

I am on a journey of self discovery - every day is a new day. I will rejoice and be glad in it!!

God Bless! ~Erica

"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom."  James 3:13