One of my (many) addictions

It is so easy for me to be consumed by things that I enjoy. I can very easily become passionate about my latest "hobby" and go all out in an effort to immerse myself. As my husband, children, and dear friend Melody can attest, I am addicted to fabric. "Hello, my name is Janell and I am addicted to material."

I had thought that after all of my Christmas stitching (ALL but 2-3 gifts were homemade this Christmas, 98% of those were stitched up by myself and the girls), I might be sick and tired of my sewing room and sewing machines. Hmmm. This is definitely not the case. I'm sure that Scott had hoped that the piles of fabric in downstairs living areas would disappear once my Christmas sewing was done. However, they have just been replace with other types of fabric. Poor man.

This weekend I am going to be granted one of my hearts desires - Scott is taking all the girls, and dogs up to his folks house. I am going to have the entire house to myself, no responsibilities, no one calling "Mommy" when I'm in the middle of a crucial project. I can stitch and serge to my hearts content. (Or at least as long as my eyes will still focus on the sewing needle.) I am sooooooooo excited!!!

"The only place where housework comes before needlework is in the dictionary".
--Mary Kurtz, "The Needlework Times" April, 1978.

The truth

Tomorrow morning, Scott and I will have the privilege of attending a conference put on by Focus on the Family's Truth Project. Check out their website for more information.

I'm pretty excited! I've been seeing my perspective on life change as I have grown and (hopefully) matured. My becoming a parent and seeing my own girls grow and mature has really caused me to go to my knees in prayer. This seminar should help me learn how to see the world through the Lord's perspective.

Pray for us. I'm looking forward to sharing a small portion of what we learn!

Have you ever noticed...

Why is it that whatever I am studying in my quiet-time almost instantly become applicable that day??? It is almost like the joke "Don't pray for patience - God will test you!"

I've been working through a great book - "Wives of the Warriors" since January of last year. It isn't a long book, but I'm not working through it every day. I've been really surprised at this Army wife's perspective and insight into the daily issues of being a military spouse. The Lord has truly blessed her and is reaching others through her words.

Anyway, for this week, I've been reading about forgiveness. An issue I struggle with in the best of times. Today I read about Joseph and how he approached his brothers' betrayal, various imprisonments and eventual elevation to governor of Egypt. (Funny thing is, the girls and I are studying this exact thing in Bible for school as well as ancient Egypt in history - life is fairly overlapping for me right now.)

Today, the author tied in Paul and his exhortation to be joyful in all things, not complaining or arguing with how Joseph handled his difficult circumstances. We don't know if Joseph ever asked the Lord "Why?", but we do see how the Lord was with him always. Joseph didn't fret, or lose sight of the fact that God was working.

4 "Please, come closer," he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, "I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt.5 But don't be upset, and don't be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives.7 God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors.8 So it was God who sent me here, not you! Genesis 45:4-5, 7-8

This is so tough for me! HOW do other Christians do this? I had woken up on the wrong side of the bed, Hailey was her typical fussy self, Beth needed more than I could give, Beth (my "mess-maker") decided she needed a drink of water and got the water dispenser stuck in the ON position, and I spilled Pepsi all over my sewing machine and desk. Tough circumstances. My "engineering" mind wants a step by step plan for resting in the Lord and finding joy in all things. I'm slowly learning that this isn't the way life works. The Lord is truly growing me - day by day, even minute by minute.

Time marches on.

I knew I had taken a break from blogging, I just hadn't quite realized how LONG of a break.
Sorry! Life has not really settled down here since Scott returned. However, yesterday marked our first day back at school after the Christmas holidays. (And yes, I said CHRISTmas.) I'm determined with so much change and chaos ruling my life that I have to get some sort of order back in my life and our first day of school seemed like a great day to recommit myself to Flylady.

Almost 5 years ago, I was introduced to Pam and Peggy Young - AKA "The Slob Sisters". My handbell choir director, Linda, spoke at a MOPS meeting I attended about how their book "From Pigpen to Paradise" had helped her organize her workload when her children were younger, and that she still stuck with the system.

Being chronically late everywhere I go, wandering around the house with a toothbrush in my mouth, wondering "Why am I in this room?" or "Now, what was I looking for?" I realized that Linda was speaking right to me. I ran to the local library, checked out the book and was amazed at how accurately my life was described by women who didn't even know me. It was uncanny.

Shortly thereafter, I was introduced to Marla Cilley via her website. It didn't take me long to become a "Flybaby." And no, I didn't become a maggot, as Scott jokingly called me - only once. I was about halfway through my pregnancy with Beth, had just been called by God to homeschool Katelynn, and was really craving a method to keep my head above the water. The Flylady really helped.

Throughout the past 5 years, I have been on and off the Flylady bandwagon many times. I did several large purges of stuff while Scott was gone on deployment - I can even park my Suburban INSIDE of my garage now.

So, I am back on the Flylady bandwagon again - trying to use my routines to help establish good habits. I was able to get almost everything accomplished today that I had set out to do, I even had carved out time tonight to blog. Sorry it isn't exciting, it is going to take me a while to get back into the swing of things.

Good night all! I have an episode, or two, or three, of LOST to watch before bed!