Artificial Time Lines

For those of you that regularly stop by here you know that I have been struggling with exhaustion and being overwhelmed with my personal demands on my time. I have been actively trying to face this challenge and not succumb to the resulting depression. That seems to be a normal course of events in this situation. I have made several changes over the past few months, and they all seem to working for my overall good.

One thing that I am currently reevaluating is my perception of the way things should be done. In so doing I have been forced to think about the demands on my time and why they are there. What I have come to realize is that there are real deadlines and artificial time lines in all of our lives. We fall victim to social standards without really realizing it if we don't pay attention and make a conscious decision to be a free thinking individual.

As a homeschooling mom the most obvious one for me is educational time lines. Who says we have to start school at three, or five, or six, and why not ten? What about graduation? Why do we need to graduate at 18? Why not 14, or 16, or even 22? Since when do we all fit into the same mold? How on earth could our time lines all be the same? What would life be like if we were free to do EVERYTHING at our own pace? I think it would be pretty cool.

In this line of thinking I discovered that one of the things on my agenda, or artificial time line, that was bogging me down was the deadline I inflicted upon myself to have our chosen subjects of exploration completed by May 31st. Who says? Why? To what end? Why on earth does it matter if we complete the Ancient History curriculum that we chose to explore this year by May 31st? If it's not working for us right now, it's not working. Since we learn everyday what harm is there in taking a break when it is needed? My conclusion is ABSOLUTELY NONE!

We are not sitting around like lumps. We are not losing knowledge by putting off a self-inflicted schedule. On the contrary we are learning other things. My 15 year old is currently making a map collage of territory maps of times past. It's rather interesting and amazes me how he can just look at them and know exactly what empire it is strictly by viewing a blank map. My 17 year old is engrossed in writing. He has been writing stories a lot online at a website that others view your work and tell you what they think. Some criticism is useful, and some not so much, but he does enjoy it a lot. Think about the learning and creativity going on here. It's amazing and inspiring.

If my boys are self-aware enough to occupy their time with what fits in the moment, why on earth am I so unable to do so myself? Why do I struggle with doing what feels right for the moment? Why am I inclined to fight my instincts over and over again? When will I ever learn that there are some deadlines that are important like paying the bills on time, and then there are others that are not so important. Life is full of choices, and what we are inclined to think is right is not always the case. Sometimes a reevaluation is in order. When is the last time you took a moment to take a close look at what you are doing with your time? Are you focusing on what is important, or are you paying more attention to something due to an self-imposed deadline. Take a close look. You may be surprised as to what you find.

The Weight of a Burden

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.

He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can cary on with the burden."

"Before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can." ~ Author Unknown

Life is full of little burdens and big burdens that can carry much more weight than a glass of water. Think of the physical stress you body endures due to the emotional stress you carry. Take a moment, breath deeply, and allow yourself to relax. Release your burdens, and don't pick them up again until you have taken some time to rejuvenate and refresh. Nurture your mind, body and you soul so that you can enjoy every moment of life bestowed upon you.

EnJOY the Sabbath!

I pray God is blessing you with JOY in your heart
on His special treat of the Sabbath!

I Can't Believe it's Friday!

Where on earth does the time go? Normally, I am not on the computer right now, but I had something that needed to be tended to immediately, so here I am. When I checked my email there was a message from Karen at My Funny Dad, Harry thanking me for my advertisement purchase. In it she said, "Happy Friday!" Who knew it was Friday? I couldn't believe another week had zoomed by already.

Do you remember being a child and time just seeming to stand still? I sure do. It seemed like time would go on forever. Summers lasted much longer as did the days in general. Now, as an adult I find the time slipping by more and more quickly with each tick of the second hand. There's just something about being an adult and the responsibility that comes with it that our time gets used up much more quickly. We really don't seem to live in the moment so much as adults. There really is something lost there.

There was a time when I actually used to get pleasure out of crossing the day off the calendar. It gave me a sense of accomplishment and relief. My responsibilities were met for another day. There's nothing left to deal with for now. Can you believe it? I mean, really think about that. Once a day is gone, it is gone forever. There is absolutely no getting it back. In reality there is a level of sadness that goes with each passing day. That time is gone forever.

On the other hand there is a level of joy in knowing we are one day closer to meeting the Creator. However, just how one is spending one's time comes into question. Have I made the most of my time? Did I spend my time wisely? Did I spend time with God? Was I kind to others and myself? Take a moment to think about the way you spend your time. Is there room for improvement? Are you making the most of God's gift of life?

Keeping My Word

It seems I spend my life learning lessons. I fully accept and acknowledge that as a good thing. In order for God to be able to use us in any capacity He must refine us. It is just part of the process.

I do not know about any of you other parents out there, but I seem to learn a lot of lessons through my children. There are so many parallels that can be made in the process of raising children. For me, God seems to point out His challenges and triumphs with us as I watch my children grow and learn. It is even more evident in my struggles and challenges trying to assist them in that process.

Making mistakes is unavoidable and imperative. It is a very good thing to make a mistake. There is ALWAYS something to be learned through mistakes. We must make mistakes, and many of them, in order to become a well educated, bright, and balanced individual. Our lives will be spent making and learning from our mistakes, and the more conscious we are throughout the process the easier it goes. Have you ever noticed that we repeat things over and over again until we get it? God never gives up on us, and that is completely cool. So, if we pay attention, we may not need to repeat so many lessons. What an awesome thing it is to get it the first time!

All choices have consequences. Good choices generally have good consequences, and less than desirable choices have generally uncomfortable consequences. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, remember? We do reap what we sow whether or not it is obvious at the moment. There is just no getting around it. Absolutely 100% of our actions have consequences. Period.

This has become even more evident to me in my parenting challenges with our youngest son. He is 15 years old. I would not like to be that age again, and I am glad that he is our last to go through this right of passage. We've all been there. It is a tough age, no doubt about it. Not only is it tough to be a 15 year old. It is also challenging to parent a 15 year old. There is so much going on at that age. When we are 15 we are actively building the bridge to adulthood. We think we are grown and know all there is to know. We desire our independence. Yet, we require guidance. It takes a thoughtful and strong parent, and child, to make it through.

Based on my experience as a previous 15 year old, having raised six other children that once were also 15 years old, and my current experience with this particular 15 year old I have learned some things. There is also plenty left to learn. That is, providing that we both make it through alive!

What I am discovering now more than ever is that it is imperative for me to keep my word. It is also imperative that I assist him in keeping his. This is no time to be lax, and it is so out of my comfort zone. Do you ever just hate being the parent? I have a "daughter" mug that my mom got me years ago. Sometimes when I just want to be the "daughter" and nothing else, I make myself a cup of tea in that mug. It sounds silly, but it really is soothing. There is nothing wrong with make believe especially when you are an overworked, under paid, full grown human being. Sometimes we just need an out, and that is a simple passage.

Today, I take a stand. I take a stand for my word. I take a stand as a parent and life guide. Today, I honor my obligation to myself, my son, and my God. I cannot say I am thrilled about it, but there is peace in knowing that I am choosing to do right, and good consequences will follow for myself as well as others. That is something that we sometimes fail to consider. What are the ramifications of my actions for not just myself, but also for others? This is something well worth thinking about. Take a moment to ponder for yourself.