Day 31 - Saying no

After 31 days of blogging, I'm not sure if I am more sane than I was in September.  I have struggled with much.  I have learned a lot and have much to learn.  The last topic I dare to address is something that will take me a while to learn.  Saying no...  As a recovering "good girl," I have spent my entire life, saying "yes."  If someone needed help with a project, they could count on me.  If someone needed to drop off their children for an appointment, they would call me.  If someone had a baby or a family member who was sick, I felt obligated to bring a meal because I couldn't be sure that others would.  It all depended on me.  Right? 

All of these needs and acts of service are good, but not always necessarily my responsibility.  Being a youth pastor's wife, I have felt since the beginning that I needed to help with every meal or youth function.  Before children, this was possible and enjoyable.  But with each addition of a child, I have also added another layer of guilt over not being to help or be involved in my husband's ministry.  Notice that I said, "I" added the guilt.  My amazing husband has never pressured me to do more.  In fact, he has done more of the opposite.  He encourages me to stay home, to let others who are in a different season of life take the responsibility when I can't, and he shows such sweet appreciate for just "taking care of the girls."  

All of this to say, I hope to say "yes" to only the things that God has called me to do in this exact season that I am in.  As Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 3, 

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

Day 30 - Preparing for sickness

Stress can come from a multitude of areas, but one of the main areas revolves around our bodies and how we take care of them.  I’ve already addressed the topics of sleep, exercise, well-balanced meals, and spiritual renewal.  So I now tread very cautiously on the topic of supplements/vitamins.  I am not a doctor nor have any background in the medical field.  But the flu season is on our doorstep, and with the weather fluctuating as it is here in North Carolina, one can never be too prepared in building up the immune system of their family.  What I share is from our family’s experience, so take it or leave it.  

Colds

Vitamin C – The girls take a daily vitamin which includes Vitamin C, and it’s also included in my Vitamin B Complex that I take daily.  My husband and I have both taken Airborne (chewable) and Emergen-C when we feel a cold coming on or one of us has already gotten sick.  

Honey – We try to buy local honey due to the benefits it can have with allergies.  I grew up drinking hot water with lemon & honey whenever I had a sore throat and it is very soothing.  Honey can also help with coughs.

Elderberry syrup – I buy much of our supplements from Swanson.com, which always has a straight $4.99 shipping fee, but often has codes for cheaper shipping.  (I also buy my essential oils from them.)  They carry the Eldertussin Sugar Free Elderberry Syrup (that you can also buy at Whole Foods, for more).  This is what we give the girls during the flu season due to its immune system support.  They also have this in capsule form for adults.

Eucalyptus Oil – a few drops in the water of a humidifier seems to help my little ones breath better when they have a cold.

Children's Echinacea - tasty drops for building children's immune systems.  Drops given according to weight of child.

Vick’s Rub – We rub this on our girls (and my) feet for coughs.  Put socks on after rubbing to keep the Vick’s from getting on sheets.

Chestal Honey (Boiron) – This is my girls’ favorite cough syrup.  This company carries a lot of different supplements that we’ve found beneficial.

When having a cold, we try to drink more green smoothies and carrot juice and cut way back on the sugar-intake, as the sugar will only breed the cold germs.

Stomach Problems

Papaya Enzyme – This was introduced me while pregnant with my second or third child as a replacement for Tums.  They are also chewable and have a orange flavor.  Papaya Enzyme helps with heart burn and other stomach issues.

Aloe Vera Juice – “The juice is said to be one of the finest body cleansers, cleaning morbid matter from the stomach, liver, kidneys, spleen, bladder, and is considered the finest, known colon cleanser. Studies have shown that it is healing and soothing in the relief of indigestion, stomach distress and ulcers.” – We have used this off and on for a few years.  I’ve also read that it can gently assist with constipation in children.  

Activated Charcoal – This is probably our most used supplement of everything.  I have been taking charcoal as needed since I was twelve.  The most common use for our family is for stomach viruses.  As soon as one family member gets sick, the rest of us and most definitely, the sick one, drink charcoal in water as often as possible.  They come in capsule form, but can be opened and emptied into water for children to drink.  I usually give my girls half a capsule.  We have used charcoal for sore throats, sinus infections (not fun), jelly fish stings, spider bites, and of course stomach issues.  Don’t take it with other medicines, mainly for the reason that the charcoal will adsorb (not absorb) the medicines as well as the toxins in your body, which just nullifies the other medicines.  I usually order ours through Swanson, but it can also be purchased at Whole Foods, GNC, and other pharmacies.  

I hope that this has been beneficial.  There are so many other remedies that I could touch on from peroxide to onions.  But these are the main ones we use in our family.  Please share any remedies, supplements, or ideas you have in this area of building one’s immune system.  Don’t hesitate to ask questions if something I said was confusing or incorrect.  

     - Article on Activated Charcoal

     - Stocking Your Natural Herbal Medicine Cabinet - Fabulous post!!!

     - 20 Ways to Stay Healthy (and Happy) this Winter Season - Great tips!

     - Podcast - Help For Depleted Moms - Plethora of ideas that I hope to incorporate this year. 

Day 29 - Silence

There are days when the only way to get away from the chaos within my mind is to stop and "be still."  

There are days when my words only echo back to me and hypocrisy stares me in the face.  

There are days when the only way to move from the madly insanity is to stop talking and listen.  

Day 29... 

Day 28 - Blessings...

Canada Mission Trip - 2008

If you would have asked me when Marty and I were dating, if I could have imagined my life the way it is now, I probably would have at least chuckled.  I guess I thought we would both be teachers, living happily ever after with a household of boys…  Ha!  Ha!  Seriously, growing up as a tom-boy, I really thought I’d have boys.  I would have never guessed to have all girls and be married to a youth-pastor.  How glad I am that God had better plans!  Since I was twelve, my life verse has been Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  

Growing up as a MK (missionary kid) and then a PK (pastor’s kid), I knew a little of what ministry was like.  Family time was not always a guarantee because you never knew when someone was going to die, and a funeral would need to be planned.  Your life was an open book for everyone in your church to see.  Gypsy blood began to creep into my veins at a young age as we moved time and time again.  Marty and I have now lived in the same area for over seven years, and what an amazing feeling that is!  

As in every job, there are the harder moments, but there are always more joys that outweigh them.  Today was one of those days…  As a youth pastor’s wife, I see the hours of counseling, the ball games, the studying, the planning, and greatest of all, young lives changed for Christ.  We have been blessed to be a part of a church that we don’t deserve to be serving in.  When we were called to come seven years ago, we were  overwhelmed by God's provision of such a plan for our lives.  With each year, our church has blessed us over and over.  To have 30 men help us move from one house to another last year, to receive anonymous gifts when things were so tight, and the countless meals we’ve shared through their generosity.  Today, they outdid themselves again.  Words cannot express!  

Sometimes ministry can seem insane.  It’s moments like today that bring sanity.  Day 28…

Senior Beach Trip - 2009

Youth Ski Retreat - 2009

My Sunday School class a few years ago

Day 27 - Organizing my "home away from home"

Today has been a day of getting a few things accomplished that I’ve had on my to-do list for too long.  The two main tasks were putting up my “wall of daily do’s” and organizing my car.  We were blown away last Sunday by an incredible group of friends who blessed us by detailing my van, inside and out.  Thank you again to the Fescoe Life Group!  So, already I had a good start to my endeavor. I saw an idea on pinterest (which I’ll link to) that totally inspired me to organize my car.  So here is my copycat of the pinterest idea…

The mesh pocket organizer is from IKEA and cost only $3.99!  It comes in orange or blue/green.  I also bought carabineers (snap hooks) from the Dollar Store to hook the organizer to the headrests.  The pockets contain #1) cough drops, #2) hair accessories, brush, feminine items, #3) office supplies (note cards, note pad, pens, sharpie, tape, and scissors), #4) first aid kit, big band-aids, hand sanitizer, #5) tissues & wipes, & #6) picnic supplies (napkins, plastic utensils, straws, & matches).

In the floor board, I have a portable potty (very important since we are potty training our youngest!), extra towels for wiping off slides & other playground equipment, & picnic blanket.

In the stackable plastic bins, the bottom bin contains, extra clothes for each girl, paper towels, baby wipes, extra diapers, and trash bags.  The open bin contains jackets for each girl, just in case they forget one walking out the door.

For any men who are worried, on the left hand side, I have a set of jumper cables in the van cubbie.  In the front of the van, there is a trash can & the glove compartment has all important insurance info as well as a flashlight, more band-aids, and peppermint sticks from Cracker Barrel (a must in each vehicle!)

There are more things I’d like to add, but forgot about today, such as umbrellas, car activities (coloring, books, etc), & non-perishable snacks.  Here are some other ideas for organizing your car…

     - The Castro family - Junk in the Trunk (original idea from Pinterest)

     - Simply Kierste - a place for everything

     - SC Johnson - 8 Tips to an Organized Car 

Our Wall of Daily Do’s 

I wrote about this back on Day 12, and have finally (almost) completed it today.  The only thing I need to do is print off a 5 x 7 picture of our family to put in the small frame in the middle.  One day, I’ll fix our daily schedule board to look a little straighter/cleaner, but for now, it will do.  Our schedule is written on the plastic part with dry erase markers, so we can erase and reuse it week after week.  The small frame on the bottom has my weekly cleaning schedule (which was not well done this week).  The chalk board has the girls’ monthly verses that we are working on for Sunday School.  The top red frame contains a print of family rules that I hope our family will incorporate into our daily lives.

Not a very exciting post… but I hope that each of these areas will help me even in small ways to go from insanity to sanity.

Day 26 - "Stylin' for Sanity"

I am just about blogged out…  five more days.  Today was one of those days that you just want to “call it a day,” check it off in the homeschool book, and be done with it.  Nothing special…  Remember the days as a new mom when one of the items on your to-do list was “get dressed.”  (Others of mine included “do the dishes,” “exercise,” and “shower.”)  I needed to be able to check off the little things in order to feel like I was accomplishing something…  anything!  Even though I am no longer a “new mom,” I still need those moments of affirmation (or the occasional kick-in-the-pants to get me out of bed in the morning).

Proverbs 31:25 says “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”  I laugh at the days to come (especially at the thought of three teenage girls at one time), but probably not in the same way the Proverbs 31 woman did.  In all seriousness, the way that I dress in the morning plays a big part in how I approach my day.  If I’m still in my t-shirt and shorts from the night before, I move so much slower and accomplish less for the most part.  But if I get up early, spend time in God’s word, exercise, & shower before breakfast, I am more apt to be ready to take on the day.  Now there still is a difference in just putting on my yoga pants & t-shirt, and taking the time to pick an outfit a little more put-together.  

I love my yoga pants!  Don’t get me wrong.  But when I take the time to dress like I care about the body God gave me, it puts me in a productive and confident frame of mind, rather than ho-hum and lackadaisical.  As King David reminds us in Psalm 139:14, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”  This is easy to say and not as easy to do.  I have found a few blogs that give some great ideas for “stylin’ for sanity.”

o Passionate Homemaking – Start your day by getting dressed! – great perspective!!

o The Tiny Twig – 31 Day to a No-Brainer Wardrobe – great tips for knowing your style & choosing your wardrobe on a budget

o Dear Abby Leigh – Dress for the Day – I love her mantra for this!

o The Pleated Poppy – What I Wore Wednesday – gives great ideas for clothes match-up’s and where they were bought.

Day 26 of 31 days from Insanity to Sanity…

Day 25 - Simplifying Christmas

For those of you who are friends with me on Facebook, you probably already know that my hubbie and I were given a last minute opportunity for a date night.  What a blessing it was!  Our girls were thrilled, and we were able to enjoy some delicious Japanese food in peace, and even get a jump start on our Christmas shopping.  So it was actually my husband, Marty, who gave me the idea for this post to share a little bit of what we do to prepare and simplify Christmas.  

One idea (inspired by my friend, April) that has really helped me to stay organized and a little less stressed in preparing for Christmas is to have a gift journal (not sure if that is the right name, but it’s the only thing I can come up with at 9 pm).  She showed me hers back in 2006 and I have loved it!  It’s simply a small 5 x 7 scrapbook/art pad with a little Christmas paper on the front and divided into four sections.  

- Our Family

- The Miller’s (my family)

- The Middleton’s (Marty’s family)

- Friends (neighbors, teachers, coworkers, etc)

Each section begins with the year we began and lists the family (or friends) names who we desire to give gifts to.  For example:

Christmas 2006

Marty:  frisbee, marshmallow shooter, Worship CD, Pirates of the Caribbean DVD, bedroom slippers, Handyman magazine

Amy:  scrapbook idea magazine, earrings, novel, strainer      

Chloe:  train set, Little People barn/farm set, Veggie Tales DVD, Esther, books    

Naomi:  farm yard toy, soft book, rattle toy

Maybe too simple for some, but be mindful that we were in the middle of seminary at this time.  (Still more than Laura and Mary got in Little House on the Prairie.)  After each Christmas, I’ll write down what Marty and the girls gave me for Christmas, and this has proved to be helpful to them as well to be able to look back and remember what they gave and to get ideas again.  This is also helpful throughout the year when an idea comes for a gift for someone, there is now a central location for me to keep all these ideas.  When buying gifts much earlier in the year, I love being able to write them down in order to avoid overbuying or completely forgetting about the gift altogether.  I try to write down our birthday gifts as well, but that has not been as successful in getting down on paper.    

If this sounds confusing, I’ll be happy to try to clarify.  I’ve seen some amazing Christmas organizers out there, which include the gift lists.  But I love being able to carry my little Christmas gift journal in my purse when I need to, as I did tonight.  (We bought four Christmas gifts and one December birthday gift tonight!  So excited!)  Just wanted to share something that has helped to relieve a little stress in our family as the season of Christmas soon approaches.  

This is a sneak peak for November as I hope to share more Christmas ideas from our family and from other families who seek to simply Christmas and put our Savior in His rightful place.