Stop Reading this Right Now! - Courage to Continue to Change #3

I am the queen of overplanning and thus I am also the queen of becoming easily overwhelmed, putting things off, and easily giving up when things don't go according to my precise plans.

I keep telling myself that I will:

1. Do amazing character training activities with my kids right after I make perfect lesson plans for each day of the summer that include all of the possible elements that anyone could ever want.

2. Pray and read the Bible with my kids consistently every night right after I find the perfect Bible devotion book and make cute prayer cards and corresponding questions for nightly study.
3. Do number one and two right after I get my to-do list done, house cleaned, de-cluttered, and reorganized and begin following my amazing cooking and cleaning checklists and schedule.

Do you see the flaw in my over planning, and putting off things until I have all my ducks in a row?

My darn ducks are never going to be all in a row!
I am never going to get all of this done especially if I am just sitting in front of this computer blogging.

So here is what I am going to do:
1. I am going turn off this computer and the list in my brain that is continually reminding me of all the things I am never going to get done. 
2. I am going to get down on my knees for a few moments and seek God's guidance for:
    a. What he would like for me to do as special time with my kids right now, and
    b. then where he would like for me to begin to glorify him in my other daily tasks.

Let me also encourage you not to wait for those darn ducks!
1. Stop reading this right now!
2. Turn off your computer and seek God for what He wants you to do to glorify Him in your home and grow closer to your children right now!

Giving Up - Guest Blogger Tara Hicks

See how happy we
can be when we give up on
keeping things perfectly clean?

We are now 2 months into the new year and if you are like me, your New Year's resolutions have now been packed neatly away with the last box of Christmas decorations that were in a heap in your garage.

There is one resolution that I am still feeling good about though. I'm holding to it...

2012 is my year of giving up...

By the end of 2011, I found I was tired...REALLY tired.  Now, some of that was due to the three children - 5, 2, and infant living in my house; however, I realized I brought much of that exhaustion on myself with a large spoonful of guilt.  I had been killing myself to keep the house and laundry perfectly cleaned and dinners perfectly cooked. I was getting so caught up in the never-ending-ness of my jobs as house manager that I was miserable.  I was constantly barking at my family to pick up and clean up.  I stopped inviting people over because I was too tired to do a complete cleaning, only to have to clean up again after they ate a high preparation meal that broke our grocery budget.

So my solution for 2012 was to resolutely give up - okay, it is more of a letting go of my idea of perfection.  I still try to keep the toilet relatively clean and my house straightened, but with the understanding that I have 3 young kids that are constantly getting into something. My friends understand this reality. I have found that if they are greeted with a warm smile, warm cup of coffee, and a simple coffee cake, they don't even notice the dirty dishes in the sink, or a few crumbs on the floor.

Letting myself off the hook of perfection, has helped me realize that managing my home properly is more of a heart issue than a physical issue.  My heart is now more geared to grace and mercy (for myself and others) and less on control and perfection.  My family is happier. I am happier and more rested. And really, I think I might be getting almost as much done as before.  Whew... who knew giving up could look and feel so good?

- Tara Hicks is a military wife,  stay-at-home mother of three, colossal crafter, cooking genius, and friend extraordinaire.  Thanks for sharing Tara!

On Tara's suggestion, I am going to give up my perfect record of blogging every weekday since the beginning of the year. From here on out, I will blog 2 to 3 times a week! What are you going to give up that is not necessary, but that you are holding onto just for the picture of perfection? Seek God's direction in what He thinks you should let go of.