In the parenting road trip one faces all kinds of weather. For a while the weather here has been overcast but not particularly difficult to maneuver However I see a storm cloud in the near future that is distressing. It is one of those that you know the rain is going to come down so hard that it is going to be practically impossible to see where you are going. You know that it is going to take everything you have to stay on the road. It is the kind of cloud that makes you wonder if the yonder destination is worth it.
Peter has made some choices and now I have choices to make. Am I going to use the opportunity for training and head into the storm or do I enable poor choices and avoid the storm? The choices wont just affect Peter and me, but others around us as well. The issue itself is not life threatening in anyway. To some it may be considered small. However considering the direction Peter currently is going, I do believe that the issue is an important one. I have to tell you the whole thing has me distracted and disturbed.
If you think about it, would you pray for me to have God's wisdom for how to to handle this issue and the courage to follow through. Pray that I can set my emotions aside to do what I need to do. Pray that I will find my peace in Christ and not an environment that I try to engineer. And please pray for the Plants family as Christmas will most likely NOT meet "all is merry and bright" expectations.
When I was a kid, dad would say, "Lets go over yonder." In church we sang "When the roll is called up yonder." I often wondered, "where exactly is yonder?" The best I can tell, "yonder" is the place you have yet reached but journey towards. You are invited to come along with me on the journey towards "yonder".
Friday, December 21, 2012
Shopping Fast 2
The shopping fast has been a great adventure. It has probably helped that I have been sick as it has suppressed my desires to be out and about. I have actually found the limits I set to be very freeing. It has helped me realize when I shop out of boredom or a desire for comfort. I have also recognized shopping as a tool of procrastination to put off things that I don't want to do. The best part is that I have been able to stretch the budget further by not randomly or repeatedly shopping.
You might be wondering if I have cheated. Well lets just say I have tweaked the parameters on a couple of occasions. There was an extra trip that would take me near Trader Joe's that I didn't account for. And considering Trader Joe's is an hour plus away I couldn't pass up getting Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips and a few other goodies when so close! I also had an emergency run into a grocery store for a forgotten item I was to carry to church. And yes I have been in Wal-Mart. I had been given a Wal-Mart gift card, we needed toilet paper, and the household budget was empty! I also confess I think I am going to need to look for one unexpected Christmas gift because one of my Christmas gift plans didn't quite work out. Over all I consider the shopping fast a success. It has helped considerably curb impulsive shopping and made me aware of less healthy shopping habits.
One interesting observations has been how by decreasing the shopping habit, other coping habits intensified. My time watching Netflix increased as well as seeking comfort and procrastinating with food. I have become keenly aware of how I find it easier to look to earthly things for comfort than to look to Christ. I have not moved much further than that observation at this point but I guess awareness is always a good place to start.
You might be wondering if I have cheated. Well lets just say I have tweaked the parameters on a couple of occasions. There was an extra trip that would take me near Trader Joe's that I didn't account for. And considering Trader Joe's is an hour plus away I couldn't pass up getting Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips and a few other goodies when so close! I also had an emergency run into a grocery store for a forgotten item I was to carry to church. And yes I have been in Wal-Mart. I had been given a Wal-Mart gift card, we needed toilet paper, and the household budget was empty! I also confess I think I am going to need to look for one unexpected Christmas gift because one of my Christmas gift plans didn't quite work out. Over all I consider the shopping fast a success. It has helped considerably curb impulsive shopping and made me aware of less healthy shopping habits.
One interesting observations has been how by decreasing the shopping habit, other coping habits intensified. My time watching Netflix increased as well as seeking comfort and procrastinating with food. I have become keenly aware of how I find it easier to look to earthly things for comfort than to look to Christ. I have not moved much further than that observation at this point but I guess awareness is always a good place to start.
Stuff in my Head
It has been a month since I last wrote. To be exact I have not written anything since Thanksgiving Break and now I am into a week of my Christmas break. I have lots of stories in my head but it has been competing with a lot of snot in my head and chest as well. I have been sick for about 3 weeks now. It isn't the flu, although my kids at school were wiped out with it. It isn't strep throat, ear infections, or sinus infection. Basically I will just call it annoying. Therefore I have struggled to untangle the thoughts and stories in my head and get them written down. What I am going to attempt is a few updates and hopefully I can share some other thoughts and stories in the near future.
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