What if?

The new year has come and I find myself surrounded by resolutions, many of which flow naturally from questions that must be asked...

What if... I finished this book and published it one way or another?

What if... I was less motivated by selfish desires and more by a servant's heart?

What if... I stopped stressing out about where we are all headed and enjoyed more of where we are?

What if... I trusted God with those things that worry me instead of trying to handle them myself?

What if... I reached out in my speaking ministry and let it blossom in that way?

What if... I found an agent who has knowledge and experience to direct my speaking and writing?

What if... I looked for daily sources of joy and helped my family do the same?

What if... I remembered the importance of following God's lead and helped my children to follow, too?

What if... I focused less on having and more on releasing things?  

What if... I took my health a lot more seriously and started feeling stronger?

What if... I worked on friendships the way I did when I was young?

What if... I put the amount of energy into my marriage that I know our marriage demands?

And lastly... What if I did not find excuses, did not manufacture excuses... but instead sought to do and be those things I know I need to do and be?  What does that mean for me?  For my family?  For my speaking? For my writing?  

It is a brand new year.  There are things about my humble life that I love... and things I know could use some change.  But, I cannot change what I do not see... So, it is time to see.  It is time for me, time for my family, time for you, as well.  

Because, really.  Think about it.  

What if... 

Blessings on your day.  

Saturday Faith and She Speaks

Many of you have asked and today, I will answer. Thank you for your kind questions, friends... for you thoughts and prayers.

Last week, the winners of the She Speaks scholarship were released and my name was not among them. I will tell you, I was and am very disappointed. There were four scholarships offered and there were literally hundreds of applicants. I knew all along that the chance was slim but having it be done and over with is a bit sad for me. Except, well... I do not believe it is done and over with.

Sometimes we are called to do things and the calling is clear. For me, She Speaks feels just like this. I know I am to go. Not getting the scholarship makes that a bit confusing but the truth is that when we are faithful, we cannot always expect to have all the answers up front. There is a time and place to stand upon our faith and stare down the questions before us and believe, deeply believe, in what we know to be true.

We saw this in the Easter story last week, didn't we? On Friday, the disciples lost their Jesus. Can you imagine what Saturday was like for them? They were grief-stricken and confused. They had released their WHOLE lives to follow Him and then He was gone. The disciples had heard Him talk about rising from the dead. But truly, how do you believe something like that? What does it look like for us to have Saturday faith in our own lives? Saturday faith that demands that we buy it. Saturday faith that requires us to see the impossible. Saturday faith that allows room for hope in the face of so much struggle. Can we do that?

I can remember feeling this way when I was pregnant with my boys. I could see the promise of a new little one with the positive result of a pregnancy test... but the reality of it seemed so far away. I had to see the impossible and rest in the hope. You do that too. It can be both difficult and exhilarating... and always, always worth it.

Being faithful does not come with promises. Being faithful can be difficult for even the most stubborn among us. It is much more a choice than a feeling and today, I choose it. I choose to believe that my registration for She Speaks is not in vain. I choose to believe that I have opened an account with them in registering for that conference that will somehow hold the funds necessary for the conference. I choose to believe that God's call to attend is true and my need to go is real and that, even without my ability to see the end, it will happen nonetheless.

So, pray with me friends, that what needs to happen will. God does not need THAT scholarship to help me find a way. He is bigger than that. And bigger than whatever struggle you face today. Bigger than illness, bigger than disability, bigger than disease or disbelief. He is bigger and even today, I choose to trust Him fully. Even today, I will wrap my Saturday faith around my shoulders and believe what I know to be true. What about you?

Blessing on your day.

Odds and Ends and Muffins Again!

Look around! I made a few changes here on the blog to make it a bit more user-friendly. A few things to notice:

1. Check out the search feature on the right, at the top. I played around with this myself for a few minutes and think it's really fun. : ) Put any topic in that I have ever discussed here and you will get click-able links to that information. If I ever linked to another site, and they mentioned what you are looking for, you will get links for that as well. I tried search for muffins. : )

2. Instead of a big, ugly list of blog labels, I added a place at the bottom of this page that offers all those labels, not in a list. I like it better. If you are really organized, you might not. : ) Sorry about that.

3. I took some stuff off and tried to put the things you use closer to the top.

Other things to think about:

-I kept the link to my website. If you, or anyone you know, is looking for a speaker for a parenting group or Sunday school class or conference or retreat, click through on that link and you will be brought to my site. From there, you can find lots of information about my speaking topics and booking options.

-If you do not already follow the blog, feel free to add yourself. I am also on Twitter! There is a link on the right to help you find me there.

What's up with Mr. Linky?

So, I have wanted to try it for a long time and couldn't figure it out. If you are new to the whole Linky thing, all you have to do is add your info at the end of the post (Look at yesterday's post if you are unsure what I am talking about...) and then post on your blog on the same topic I posted about. When people bop in here and read about the topic, they can then click on to yours to read more on the same topic. I like the Simple Woman's Daybook topic... I think I will do it again. Normally, it is posted on Tuesdays so keep that in mind and let's grow that list. Mr. Linky is just a fun way to help connect a whole bunch of blogs.

And wait! Did I mention speaking?

I am going to be speaking in Michigan on April 24. If you know of someone who is looking for a speaker around that time, please send them my way. I would love to add other groups to that weekend!

And... how's this for random?

You know that amazing muffin recipe from last week? You remember, the chocolate pumpkin muffins? Easy peasy? This week, I tried that same recipe with a spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin (I found organic pumpkin at Target!). The results were amazing. My kids LOVED these pumpkin muffins and they were so easy. Made me think that there are millions of ways to tweak this recipe to discover new flavors. What cake flavor will you try next? : )

Okay, this is different from my regular posts but now we are all on the same page! Sometimes you gotta deal with the odds and ends. Come back tomorrow... I will be posting about some of the things that have been going on here this week.

Blessings on your day!

Writing, Speaking and Resolutions

This week is beginning with an overwhelming feeling that I am somehow behind. With a holiday yesterday, Monday is gone, and Tuesday is knee-deep in details. I have things to mail, a bank stop to make, an article to write, a blog to mull over and speaking engagements to plan. I have a lasagna to cook, garlic bread to bake, kids to care for and a marriage that cannot be set aside. There are a lot of things to do and while all of it is chosen, it leaves me wanting a nap.

Last week, a friend of mine asked on Facebook what dreams we had for ourselves. Given the fact that my resolutions are still fresh in my mind, the answer came quickly for me. I want to write. I love my speaking ministry and want to do more. Two easy sentences but so much to do!

So, today I am breaking it down and looking at it piece by piece. Sometimes, when we make those New Year's Goals, we are left with a broad stroke, a beautiful dream on a huge canvas. But the picture will only become clear as the details are added... a splash of ink here, a flower there, a bit of red, a glimmer in an eye, a shadow or highlight and then before our eyes, a masterpiece!

Today is my day of details. I am reminding myself that it is not enough to want to write. I must, in fact, do it. I must plan an outline, do my research, pray for guidance and wisdom and pull together the message that I want to share. It is not enough to passively accept speaking engagements. I must, in fact, seek them, advertise for them, expand my topic list and then get the word out. It is not enough to make the goals. I must, in fact, break them down into tiny pieces and then find room in my life to chip away at that list. It is in accomplishing these little things that the beauty of the whole will begin to be seen.

In the end, my to-do list will sound less like a bunch of "have-to" and more like a lot of "want-to". Because that is really the truth. Today may be full and I may feel behind but I am privileged to work at what I love to do.

So tell me. Need a speaker? I would love to help you out. Planning a parenting retreat or MOPs group or MOMs Group? It is what I do and what I love and you and I need to chat. Need a writer? Peruse the blog and see what you think. I have several works in progress and am excited to do more.

What about you? What resolutions did you set for yourself that someone here might be able to help you reach? How amazing would it be if we came together and helped one another to do the very things that God is nudging us to accomplish this year? I want to speak more. I want to write more. What about you?

Blessings on your day.

Goals and Plans and Things to do... "Sticks" Included!

I have this thing about goals. There are two sides to this coin and both are very real to me. I love the feeling that comes with having a purpose, an end in view that spurs you onward-learning and growing along the way. On the other hand, there is something to be said about guilt-free relaxing that does not carry with it the stress of an opportunity missed. I have moments where these sides balance perfectly and I feel a calm sense of forward movement. In summer, I seek that balance for my children and myself.

With three months spread out before us, the thinking through possible goals seems like a natural fit. A month or two before school gets out, I start thinking through things I would like my kids to learn. I dream about experiences I would like to share with them, places to go, things to do. I process through whatever is upcoming for them in the next school year and think of ways they might accomplish some of that over the summer. I add to that list enticing books to read and activities that will help my children connect to one another. On top of all this, I wonder about what they need to learn... what life skills might they need as they grow from children to adults. It is three long months and I like to look at that time as a gift... a chance to give them, teach them, things I know will matter for a long, long time to come.

Some of you read this blog because somewhere over the years you have heard me speak to your group or to a conference you have attended. If you have heard me speak or know my family in any way, you have heard me mention "Sticks". This is a program originally created for use in our house to increase organization, help my children internalize (age-appropriate) daily tasks, minimize parental nagging, reduce materialism, develop independence and generally help our home run in a way that is far less stressful. I had NO idea when I developed the program that it would take on a life of its own! I am now writing a book on it all that I hope to complete by next fall. I am asked to speak on "Sticks" all the time and there are now many, many people who are using the system in their own homes. "Sticks" is a big part of our summer planning and while I cannot post the whole "Sticks" system here on my blog (Who would buy the book?), I can tell you some of the things that we do everyday to help my kids find structure in the slow, relaxing days of summer.

Here are some things that we are doing-

Everyday all the kids: read for 30 minutes, play outside (at least twice), practice a sport (usually soccer or baseball), have a healthy snack, play with a sibling, do a workbook page (That commercial where the child at the pool is losing all his knowledge from the previous year haunts me!), clean after meals, assist with our big garden, feed and brush and walk our dogs, and help with simple housework.

The older boys: learn to do laundry (gotta love that!), practice an instrument and develop leadership skills by teaching a younger sibling a sport outside.

The younger kids: help haul laundry, do flashcards in reading or math, help with setting and clearing the table and learn a sport.

In a given week: all the kids memorize a memory verse from the Bible.

Over the summer: Elizabeth (5) will learn some pre-reading and reading skills, Josiah (6)will work on math skills in addition and subtraction, Benjamin (10) will fight his urge to play all instruments by ear and work on reading music and Noah (12) is working on some school lessons that will be important for him next year. All the kids will read books from the library that our school recommends. These books are found on the Caudill List and the Monarch Book List.

In addition to all this, the kids will either participate in or help run our church's VBS program and take swimming lessons for two weeks. Sometimes we can add a camp or two but VBS and swimming are things not to be missed.

It may seem like an awful lot but the truth is that our daily routine is really quite laid back. Because the kids know what they are working on and Sticks eliminates nagging, they move from activity to activity, from task to task, with little pushing from me. There is TONS of time for free play, though most of that will happen outdoors. When they come inside, Legos are a draw and the younger kids still love our old Imaginext set. They make up games, play with lots of water and interestingly all the boys have chosen to "write a book" on the computer. We watch very little tv and have not yet started video games, and so time is not spent there. We encourage "screen-free" time and for the most part, the days are full and relaxing enough that screens get pushed out without notice.

Mark and I dream of things we would love to do with our kids... most of which will not find a place in the next three months. Spending over two years with two houses and two mortgages makes many things impossible but we dream nonetheless.

We dream about:
-Camping vacations to places that we long to show our children before they are grown and gone. We would love to go to the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone Park, Yosemite. We have long since outgrown our tent and wish we could afford a pop-up that we could pull from place to place and sleep up off the ground.

-Being able to afford overnight camps and bigger summer experiences for our four kids. With camp a part of both of our backgrounds, we know how important that time can be but our goals and wishes and budget must match.

-Taking all the kids on mission trips out of the country to teach them more about their part in the Kingdom and to help them see our blessed life in fuller perspective. With friends who live in various countries, the locations would be easy to choose, the plane fare much harder to come by.

For now, we dream --but someday we will do! While we wait, the summer is full of simple pleasures and quiet moments that intertwine with the chipping away at goals and tasks and new lessons learned. The goals offer us a structure from which we hang our lazy days and for us, the fit is good.

What about you? What would you like to see your children learn over the next three months? What experiences can you offer, what lessons are important for your little ones at home? What do you want your days to look like and how might you facilitate that happening for them? It has taken many years for our family to learn and build the system that we use but this level of detail is not necessary to maximize your many summer days. Finding a few minutes to be intentional about what they will learn and do can save your sanity when the walls begin to feel like they are closing in.

It is cloudy and cold in Chicago today. After chipping away at some daily tasks, we made a big bowl of popcorn and cuddled up with blankets to watch a silly movie. Even with goals, even with structure, there is always a place for a child on my lap and the smell of popcorn on the air.

Blessings on your day!