Cost of Dreadfully Busy

I once heard someone say "We do what we really want to do." It was said in relation to someone saying they couldn't. Or didn't have time. Or any other myriad of excuses.

But it's true. If you really want to do it. If it matters to you. You will find a way.

Your calendar and your checkbook generally show EXACTLY where your priorities lay. We should order our priorities so that we give our best time and effort to what matters most... (Revelation 3:20, 17).

In the past I considered it very important to read to my children every night. I've often allowed myself to become so busy and TIRED lately that I no longer do this. It makes me wonder if my two younger children will have the same love for reading that my two older ones have.

We used to do a family game night...or rather nights! Every week. Just silly time to play games. And the lessons learned in family game nights can be VERY valuable. Learning to lose gracefully. Learning to win gracefully. Learning to enjoy what you're doing whether you win or lose...

Busyness distracts us from things that have real value.

I used to run a pretty reasonably ordered household. Not perfect by any means. And some days were more ordered than others. Most weeks though, we had a menu for dinners. And laundry was clean and dry-if not put away.

I feel like I've become so busy and so tired that these things have all taken a backseat. And so I become more tired. And harried. And dinner sneaks up on me every. single. night. Like I didn't know it was coming...again.

Busyness produces fatigue.

When you're too busy you're too tired. Duh. (Yeah, Nathan would inform me I just said a bad word. And "whatever" is a "bad" word too!) Anyways, if you expend all of your energy running around like a chicken with your head cut off, you won't have energy for relationships. I'm not talking about physical energy....emotional and mental energy are huge. Absolutely paramount for relationships. I can carry on for quite a while with very little physical energy (sure, not performing at my best, but I can "function" and do the necessary things) but if I'm emotionally zapped...fuhgeddaboutit. There have been times that by the time my husband gets home I will think to tell him about something and when I open my mouth....I just close it again. It doesn't have to be anything significant-just relating a story or a thought I had earlier in the day...but it's just not worth the effort. Do you see the problem here? One of my top 3 relationships suffers. Because I haven't saved enough energy for it. 

So, what is the answer? I wish I knew. I wish I had all the answers. For me, something that has helped is just taking stock and realizing that while so many things are good, not all are good for US. And not all at once for sure.

• We no longer attend every field trip through multiple homeschool groups.
• We are not participating in co-op. It did not make this mama happy. And if mama ain't happy....
• Sometimes we just stay home. And in our jammies.
• Down-time is VALUABLE. Time when no one expects anything of you. 
• Kids don't have to be entertained and drug from one activity to another. ----which is another post altogether!

I'd like to expand upon this this coming year. Remember my desire to live intentionally??  Well, this would be part of it. Time is a precious resource-in fact, for me, it's one of THE most important resources. "Quality time" is my primary love language (how I receive love, what I translate into "I am loved and valued")...more than gifts. More than being "served". More than words of affirmation. I don't want to hear that I'm awesome. ;) Those are words! Put your time where your mouth is and I'm feeling GREAT!

So, for this year we're going to see if we can streamline things a little more. Get rid of some of our "junk"!

 

Busy, Busy, Dreadfully Busy!

Veggie Tales has such a way of telling it like it is!! And they have a knack for telling Bible stories and Bible truths in a way that kids can understand and that is appropriate for kids. Now, I'm not saying that the Bible is only for grown-ups but parts of it are definitely not G-rated. I was so impressed by the King George and the Ducky movie which tells the story (roughly) of David and Bathsheba! In a kid-friendly way. Pretty amazing that the writers figured out a way to show the selfishness of King David in this particular instance in a child-appropriate way. A story of a man who had a harem of women at his disposal and yet he wanted another one. Specifically, one woman. That belonged to another man. So, he took her. In the Veggie Tales version, "King George"-who oddly resembles a cucumber-has a LOT of duckies.

King George...and his assistant-trying to explain to him that he already has a lot of duckies...

(Rubber duckies). A LOT. But there's a poor man who only has ONE very beloved duckie. (poor man! say "aaaawwwww") but King George spies this duckie as he's taking his bath--

and darn it if he's not supposed to be fighting at war with his men anyways, instead of sitting in the bathtub playing with duckies! He would not have even seen the duckie! So, he TAKES the duckie. Or rather he sends one of his servants to go get it. And, to cut to the chase....the vegetable prophet

 

(who might have been related to Nathan the prophet in the Bible) comes and tells him a parable where a rich man takes from a poor man...and "King George" gets irate! Until the veggie prophet tells him "You are that man!"...So, we get lots of lessons from that movie! And it's been years since we've seen that video...but we still remember the lessons and the catchy tunes!

Another one we remember often and sing is "Busy, busy, dreadfully busy...you've no idea what I have to do..." It's from the "Are You My Neighbor?" video. It's really the story of the Good Samaritan. But it's one of THE most applicable lessons for most of us these days.

We are so "busy" doing all of the important things we have to do that we don't have time to help someone. Or to rest. Or to just be a friend. And that's a sad time. I fall prey to it also...the busy-ness. DREADFUL busy-ness.

One of the biggest hurts of my life was experienced because a friend considered me too "needy". The funny thing is, I really wasn't. It took a long time for me to realize that. She just had too much on her plate to be a friend and I was the thing she felt like she could shove off the plate. And she "assumed" that I needed her attention every day. All day. That was HER assumption. Not the truth. One of the things I remember her saying most is "I'm responsible for...." She was always signing up for some thing or another. And while all of those things may have been important. And good. Too much is still too much.

And if you're too busy to be a friend and to have a friend....you're DREADFULLY busy. :)

Oh How I've Missed Thee

I've been absent for so long! I miss blogging. I truly do. And I could make time for it...although it seems that every time I find time to use the computer for "pleasure", the internet goes out. Or my pictures won't load from my phone....

This year I planned to live more intentionally. Less reactionary and more of making things happen (when possible)....well. Like most new year's resolutions....yeah.

So, when you fail at a New Year's Resolution, do you do that same one again?? I keep thinking I should. I think it was a super good resolution. Not too specific and no lofty "goals" to make. I kept it vague on purpose. So that it could go any direction I chose...only...it stalled out.

I think I'm going to do it again!

And blogging is going to be a part of it. I've found that as time has gone by, I've tried to make my blog look like other blogs that I've admired over the years. I need to stop that. Just like my post about comparing yourself...my blog should be my own. Individual. Me.

I started my family as a real look at my family and my thoughts. I love God. But I didn't feel called to start a ministry (hopefully my life can be a ministry at times-and if it comes through in blogging that's fine!). I love working on my home. But money is often tight nonexistent, so that's not really an option most of the time--although I'd love that! I love crafting. But time and money can keep me from crafting-besides, how many crafts do I need?? I homeschool-and I'm so glad! But I don't think I'm awesome and have some new ideas that no one else has! I'm just plugging along with my kiddos. (Although this year I'm looking to spend about half of what I spent last year on my curriculum! So, that will probably make an appearance here and there!)

So, there's the update. I want to blog with no pressure. If no one reads it...well, that will have to be ok. I need to stay true to why I started this: because I like it!!!!