Garbage In - Garbage Out

I went for a run one day last week, and switched from my usual music to break up the routine.  About halfway through my run, I realized why I always listen to the same radio station.   

The tempo was upbeat for running, but some of the lyrics were unacceptable.  If I do not want to hear my six year old singing it, then it should go off.  I thought back to when my husband first became a Christian, and we went through every music CD and movie in the house.  We threw out anything that fell out of line with our beliefs.

Even though we do not have satellite or cable tv at home, I’m not completely cut off from “entertainment.”  I have become increasingly concerned with topics of discussion, what is considered “acceptable” language, and the portrayal of family on television shows.  Christianity has become a joke, sometimes in such a manner we don’t realize it.  For example, how many people know what the ABC show GCB actually stands for?  I have also had a discussion with my oldest daughter that when she “likes” a photo on Facebook, she needs to make sure the message is something that lines up with our values.  If there is any language there, she’s promoting it.         

We waste our time watching “reality” drama, while families around us need our help!  We invest time and money in our children by carting them all over to activities, but we don’t spend enough time teaching them values.  God’s values.  We do not point out what is wrong with situations, but laugh along with others to fit in.  We no longer flinch when we hear vulgar language.   We let our young daughters dress like they’re going to a club, and often times we dress that way too.   

We do not want to stand out.  As a result, we have become desensitized. 

Isn’t it time to say enough is enough?

What will it take for us to stand up to what is wrong with the culture?  Aren’t our children’s futures enough of a reason?

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my children to think things are fine in the world.  I don’t want them to say “That’s just the way things are.”  I don’t want them to join the crowd because it’s easier than taking a stand.  I want them to stand for what’s right, and they must learn that from my example.

I will delete music that doesn’t line up with our values.  I will stand firm in overseeing what my children watch and listen to.  I will dress modestly and I will keep my speech pure.  I will keep a “hands on” approach to parenting no matter how much they protest.

I will be unpopular.  I will be weird.  I will stand out.     

“Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”  Philippians 4:8 NASB  

What will you do?      

Don't let it stop here!  Spread the word, and take action! 

It will be worth it. 

Cut the Clutter

For the past two weeks, I've been summarizing my progress through a 15 day writing challenge.  If you missed it up to this point, you can read it here. 

I planned to finish up this week, but to be honest, I want to give the last few days the justice they deserve.  I need to make some changes that will take a little time.  Fortunately, I have a break coming up this week that will allow me to focus on those changes. Thanks Mom and Dad!

The challenge for day 11 involved a word I love to hate. 

Declutter.

Oomph!  As much as I hate clutter, I have a knack for keeping it around.  But this challenge also entails cutting the clutter in your writing.   

The post came in the midst of cleaning out for a yard sale, so my house was in chaos.  We had piles of clothes, toys, and dishes in every room.  The clutter has been building, and I haven't been able to use my computer desk because of much needed filing.  I've been spending my time writing on my bed with the laptop.  It does get a little uncomfortable after awhile. 

I read the challenge, looked at my desk, looked around the house, then tabled day 11 until after the weekend. 

Today I took five minutes, and moved the piles of paperwork out of site.  I reclaimed the desk chair from my daughter's room, and set up my laptop for an hour of clutterfree writing. 

As far as decluttering my writing, I try to do that on a regular basis.  I like to keep my blog posts to the point.  I typically edit them down several times before I hit publish.  As a fellow reader, I know time is limited, and I want you to feel your time was not wasted.    

I also want to know - how do you stay on top of clutter? 

15 Habits Update: Days 6-10

For the past two weeks, I've been focusing my blog topics on working through a 15 day challenge from Jeff Goins.  My last post summarized my progress for days one through five, so now I'll focus on days six through ten.

Since my biggest obstacle right now is trying to believe in myself (from day 2), I was pleased to find some of these challenges much easier.  Day 7 taught me that it is okay for my work to be primitive (ugly) before it becomes smooth and refined.  This freed my writing time.  I spend less time on the backspace key.  More ideas make it to the screeen. 

Day 8 affirmed what I have been doing by working my book to completion.  Instead of starting another project, I am positive I will be halfway through my first draft this Thursday.  I have started gathering people to read my work, give honest feedback, and keep me on task.

The area where I'm having trouble right now is in connecting with other writers.  While I have the ability to read blogs and other information on my iPhone, it's more difficult for me to comment, join forums, and seek out discussions with other writers.  We don't have the internet at home.  I know this is something I eventually need to work on, but for now the penny pincher in me is winning.  

The day 10 challenge was easier.  Even though I am a day behind, I hope you'll indulge me in sharing what I've been reading.  This was one of my goals for the year,  and the pick for June was short and powerful.  I hope you have had a chance to read Who Moved My Cheese.  It was much more than what I thought it would be.  Note to those who haven't read it:  I would not recommend reading this on an empty stomach.

If you're looking for humor, I recommend Jon Acuff's site Stuff Christians Like.  If you have spent any time in the church, I promise you will laugh out loud.  He also has another blog with great ideas on moving forward with goals. 

For ministry minded reading, take a look at Paul Stohler's blog.  His wife Michelle shares insights on life with young children on her blog Seriously Underpaid.


If there is someone's writing that has impacted you, please share. 

Five habits to go, and I already sense a difference in the direction of my life.  I'm so glad you've joined me on this journey! 

 

     

My First Week's Progress

Last week, I told you about a challenge I'm working on to put my dream of writing in motion.  If you missed this piece of news, you can read it here.  Now that I'm moving into the second week, let me simply tell you - I'm tired.  This is not a new concept for me.  I have four children.  I've missed a few hours of sleep in the last - gasp! [almost] 16 years.

But it's not just the emphasis on writing that is contributing to my fatigue.  I tend to give myself permission to do too much, but I've come to realize there will never be an ideal time.  Life is busy, and if I want to reach my dream, then I'm going to miss a few hours of sleep.  I'll apologize in advance for droopy eyes and less than stellar reaction time.

My body is slowly making the adjustment to early morning writing, and I am happy to note progress.  To sum up so far, I have two books in the works.  This may seem a little ambitious, since I spent the last year piddling around.  But I'm tired of piddling. 

It's time for me to be serious.
  
I pulled out a dusty book proposal I started working on last year, and I am evaluating what needs to be completed to send it off.  My next step is to get the two sample chapters to follow the same pattern and mood as the introductory chapter.  If you would like to keep me accountable, you have my permission to ask me about progress on the proposal at any time.  In the meantime, I am adding to my other book daily. 

Oh, and I decided this probably wasn't the best time for me to give up the caffeine habit.

You're welcome.

I Am a Writer

In the spirit of keeping my blog posts in line with my life (you never know what you're going to get), I am going to deviate from my food fight this week.  This is something I'm still working on fervently, and I will update my progress toward the end of the month.  In the meantime, I've started a new challenge that I'm excited about.
 
Almost a year ago, I started this blog to overcome a fear.  Or substantiate my dream.  Either way I look at it, I've enjoyed the challenge of creating new material for you to read.  But as I stated from the beginning, I want to take my writing to another level.  As I reflected on the past year, I was not content with my progress.  I wanted to focus on writing regularly, and keep fresh ideas consistently flowing.  While the latter goal is moving forward, the former is not.  I write sporadically, when the kids are quiet, or when I can stay awake late (thanks Diet Coke).

Isn't it funny how things come along right when you need them?

I ran across a link on twitter,which I hope is key to moving me forward in my progress.  I joined a 15 day series to mastering great writer habits by Jeff Goins.  I actually joined the day before it started, so I'm on track.

Here's what I'm putting into practice so far from the first two habits:

1.  I'm a writer.  If you didn't know that, you do now.  I will no longer say "I don't work."  I will not refer to myself as a stay at home mom (even though that's a tough title on its own).  Simply put:  I Am A Writer!

2.  I made myself get up early this morning and spent almost two hours working on a book.  I plan to post more about that specifically later on.

I'm excited about what's to come, and I hope you'll enjoy following this journey with me.  And if you have the desire to write, but do not know where to start, you can join the journey too!  Just click on the link above.  For extra accountability, I'll be updating my progress a couple of times a week.  I'll also be searching for additional sources of caffeine. 

                                                           

Fighting the High Cost of Food (Part 2)

In my last post, I admitted frustration over our family's increasing food budget.  If you missed it, you can read it here.  

On my journey of finding better, yet easier, ways to feed my family, I decided to start with some freezer cooking.  Don't ask me how I landed on this specific decision, but part of it is my relentless quest to become more adept in the kitchen.  So with a little help from a few websites, I devised a plan to stock some ready meals in the freezer and be rid of the incessant phrase [insert teenage drama tone here] "There's nothing to eat in this house." 

The first site I started with was Money Saving Mom.  If you're looking to save and want some great ideas, this is a great site to visit.   The series of posts to fill the freezer piqued my interest.  I have never tried to freeze meals, even though we have the space to do so.  Most of the time, I do buy in bulk and I'll freeze ground beef, chicken, or spaghetti sauce into meal-size portions.  I also frequently stock up at the bakery outlet and freeze bagels, tortillas, and multiple loaves of bread.   

So in my typical fashion of big ideas (finish degree while working full-time, take a minimester graduate course, run a marathon), I planned to spend a Saturday filling our freezer.

I spent five hours in the kitchen that day, and here's what I learned:  

1.  I was smart enough to put a roast in the crock pot for dinner before I did anything else.

2.  The more cooking I did, the less I wanted to snack.

3.  I should never get tied up at home for hours with no Diet Coke.

4.  The only thing I can competently do with a rolling pin is roll out muscle soreness in my legs from running.

5.  Reading the directions all the way through is very important! 

I wasn't able to finish everything I planned on Saturday, but I did a little more Sunday afternoon and Monday evening.

What went into my freezer (by Monday evening):

The rest of a double batch of waffles from breakfast (there weren't many)

1 Lasagna Casserole

3.5 lbs of Barbecued Meatballs

1 batch of Pizza Pockets (the remainder after the kids hit them for lunch)

Southwest Rollups  

Was the freezer cooking worth doing again?

While it has been nice to have things on hand, I don't like spending hours in the kitchen at one time.  I am going to try to become more efficient with my cooking though.  For instance, Monday evening while chicken enchiladas were in the oven, I made the Southwest Rollups.  These have been a handy lunch item to have on hand, and cheaper than sandwiches.  Next time I will make them without chicken to decrease the cost per item even more.    

Meanwhile, I'm still searching for more ways to eat better for less.  If I can only master homemade pizza dough...