Loved and One Word

In years past, I have focused on various words as a New Years Resolution.  Instead of goals, focus on one thing in all aspects of my life.  It is that one word thing...you can do it, too.

In years past I have focused on Simplify, Grateful, Be Brave.  Every year, the word just seems to find me.  Somehow I have a spiritual epiphany of what exactly I need.

I recently made an order online that included a free gift.  I wanted to give it for Christmas...I had already gotten Ladybug some jewlrey, my mom makes her own jewelry and it seemed a little over the top for Miguel's girlfriend.  I mean she would think I was weird or something.  So, here I have this lovely necklace that just couldn't find it's right owner.  It didn't seem appropriate to give it to myself.  I can't give myself a necklace that says I am loved.  That's presumptuous isn't it?  And sometimes, I don't feel loved.  Trying to deflect all those Satan darts, I sometimes forget that I AM LOVED.  So, I guess what I have decided as my word of the year is LOVED.  I need to focus on feeling loved, realizing that I am loved whether it be from my family or my Savior and accepting that love...feeling worthy of it instead of dismissing it.  I AM worthy of His love.

We all have things we need to work on.  Don't overwhelm yourself with too many goals.  Choose one word that you truly need to learn from.  It has been life changing for me...

 

The Best Of...

Everyone has their "top moment" or "top favorites" or "top something or other".  Since this is my blog, I feel like sharing with you some of my top most visited posts of all time..because I'm cool like that.  I'm sharing 7 because 7 is my husbands favorite number.  Weird...I don't have a favorite number...Do you?

#7 - Counting My Blessings - where I name a few missionary blessings I had been receiving.

#6 - Reaffirmations - An alternate to resolutions from 2009

#5 - I Pressed Submit - That time I pressed submit on my son's mission papers

#4 - Toaster Babies - How my children and teenagers have/had sleep problems...Just popping up ALL the time (wouldn't you love to have a cute little toaster like this?)

#3 - Easter Advent - I know we just finished up with Christmas, but it never hurts to look ahead.

#2 - Camp Crafts - Remember when I was in charge of Camp Crafts?  Lots of visits to this one...

#1 - 24 Days of Christmas and a Gift for you - Top visited of all time post! You can never prepare too early for next Christmas.  Just sayin'

Chaos and then the Calm

Peaceful, the time after Christmas...After all the chaos and frenzy that leads up to Christmas, it is nice to sit and reflect and feel His peace, love and reassurance.  It isn't that I don't find Him in the chaos, He is there, oh, He is there in all the messy moments of our lives...in the Christmas moments of forgotten cameras and family arguments and last minute plan changes.  He is in all those grace filled moments filling up every crevice and corner of it, even if we aren't sure He is there.  At the end of it all, He is waiting for us to turn our hearts and minds to Him.  He is cheering us on, calling to us, knocking and waiting for us to open the door.

The days following Christmas are the most peaceful perfect moments for me to find Him.  For me, it is a time for reflecting on my relationship with Him, evaluating where I am and comparing it to where I want to be.  Progress is not perfection and perfection is a myth.  With perfection we wouldn't need Him and how very lonely that would be...I love this printable I found at the redheaded hostess, Focus on Momentum Not perfection.

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I hope as you move ahead into the New Year, that you will focus on your progress not perfection and offer yourself that grace.

She said, "Yes!"

This picture doesn't require too much commentary.  In the time I have been absent from the blogging world, Miguel came home from Mission, Miguel met girl, Miguel fell in love with girl, and SHE SAID YES!  Meet my soon-to-be second daughter...and Ladybug is getting a sister!  She is over the top excited about it.


 

#He is The Gift #ShareTheGift

I know I have had struggles, but I am reminded what this season is all about.  I'm so grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ...I'm grateful for a time of new beginnings and resolutions and do overs and start agains and the love of family and friends.

May you have the Merriest of Christmas' and be blessed and ever mindful of Him.  He is The Gift.

 

The Year there were NO Stockings Hung With Care

Life is complicated you know?  Here it is December 23rd, and I still haven't gotten all my decorations out.  I mean getting decorations out would have meant cleaning out a closet in order to access the bulk of my decorations and who has energy for that.  Not me, not lately...My kids just realized that the stockings aren't hung from the chimney with care.  Nope, they are not there.

I'm not being grinchy...just overwhelmed.  We put up the tree because it was in the garage and a small box of red balls that I could reach in that blasted closet.  But that was it...I happened upon a Christmas clearance sale and bought some pinecones and woodsy animals all under $20.  Then in my sacred, few and far between sitting down moments, I made that pom pom garland.  Wallah, Christmas decorations, and a nativity, of course, because I love my Savior.

Here it is December 23rd, the day that has traditionally been set aside as the day of baking and Christmas movies with my daughter, but I made 5 visits today to families trying to spread my Christmas cheer...plus a dentist appointment.  Now I sit on the floor surround by gifts to wrap and there are things to bake, and dinner to make and I feel so completely and utterly overwhelmed and am wondering where is my Christmas cheer.  Did I give it all away?    I know I have lost sight of what this here holiday is all about.  I mean my shoulders are only so broad to carry what I carry and do what I do.

We all struggle with this and that, but this year has been a little more difficult for me.  I suppose I have forgotten my own advice from years past and it feels like sucking on lemons.

Blogging, Balance and BSU Monkey Hats

Something has been missing, and it isn't just my blog.  My blog has been my outlet for creating whether it be words or inspiration I receive from other bloggers.  Something has been missing, and I felt a little inkling of it today...A little spark of creativity coming alive, a longing to return to the living not just the surviving and create.

I'm struggling with balance...working full-time, keeping a house, leading a youth organization, being a wife and mother, etc.  It's hard, I don't know how people do it and still have time for themselves and things they enjoy doing.

I was going through my blog list today and clicking on blogs I hadn't read in a while.  Many of them hadn't posted in over a year!  There was no message saying they needed to take a break...nope, they were just gone.  I started wondering about them, these people I had come to know and their absence.  I suppose someone might be wondering the same of me...maybe, I hope anyway.  Because that means I made an impact on someone, somewhere at some point.

My point is, I'm back, but in a low stress, I'll post when I want to kind of way.  But, I'm back and I definitely need your help in re kindling my passion for life and not getting all caught up in the have to's because they are squashing my creative spirit.

How do you maintain balance in all the craziness?

Living My Book

I used to want to be someone. I wanted to be a writer.  I even considered myself a writer for a while.  I wanted to leave my mark and be remembered in this life as somebody.  Isn't that at the crux of human existence?  In the end we want to be remembered?  Do something noteworthy?  Something of significance?

The past few months have been full.  I've experienced the highs and lows of life.  In a recap, in May Air Force man separated from the military and moved back home to continue schooling full time, we put our sweet dog to sleep after twelve years and only six days before Miguel came home from his mission.  In June, Miguel returned from his mission in Georgia and still wishes he could return.  In July we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary with all our kids at the "Happiest Place on Earth".  Then two weeks later I was a camp counselor at a girls camp.  I returned home to a job that went from part time to full time.  Life is full, life is busy.

I've come to realize that my mark isn't set by the words I write, the creative ideas I come up with, the link ups I participate in or the guest posts...no my mark is made by the time I spend with my family.  The living I do within the walls of my home and outside of it.  I will write the words of my book in my actions.  Not everyone can be a Jane Austen or Emily Bronte.  But, I can be me.  I can live my book as Lisa.  And you know what?  I can't put it down.

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My joy is full (Miguel's Missionary Moment}

Two years ago 2014 sounded so far away.  

Sometimes I would struggle daily with the missing.  

Yesterday in the midst of that great hug,

 two years disappeared.  

My heart is complete and my joy is full.

Last email {Miguel's Missionary Moment}

I've been absent here...sorry about that.  I got a very short email home from my Missionary this morning.  It was 2 John 1:12 and that reads, "Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full."

We see him in 34 hours, but who's counting....

Missionary Countdown!!

One more month!!

Boy this is going to go slow!!

Back in the Day

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Back in the day, I had a lot of things to talk about.  Posts flowed out of me like diarrhea of the mouth...(that's a very talkative person if you didn't know).  These days I'm feeling even more introverted.  Things are going on, but I'm finding myself in a place where my thoughts have become bottled up. and I just can't seem to tip the writer's block and pour it out.

Life happens, things happen, there is stuff to blog about.  But, I find myself wondering if anyone really cares about my every day mundane.  Because it is my every day mundane, it is not mundane, but others might be like, eh...

So, as I get over myself and figure things out and try to uncork this bottle I have found myself stuck in, know that I am still here.  Just a little eh...

Letter's from Georgia {Miguel's Missionary Moment}

For Mother's Day I got to FaceTime with this guy...So excited to see his face and talk to him...only 44 more days, but who's counting

I also received a letter this week from someone I don't even know.  It was from a woman, a mama, in Sugar Hill, Georgia, that know my son.  Such a sweet letter and so timely for mama's day...

Here it was it said,

"Hi my name is **** I am in the Sugar Hill Ward where your son is currently serving.  As a mother who has an almost 18 year old son, I want to thank you for all you've done to help your son become who he is today.

He has been helping my son with his Eagle Project for the last couple of weeks.  Your son is sic a hard worker and is such a great example to my son of being a great missionary.  Our son has gone out with him tracking and my husband and I appreciate what a fine young man you have raised.

I felt inspired to write you this letter to thank you for your sacrifice of sharing your son with us.  Sometimes being a mom is very hard but know this...you have raised a son who loves the Lord, his fellowman and knows the church is true."

And, that, my dear blogging friends, is a letter to be treasured always.  

#itwasmom

I totally meant to post this yesterday, but you know how things get...Life happens, we get busy.  We are moms.  KT took me out on Friday night and we saw Mom's Night Out.  I totally loved this movie, totes, I really did.  Not one swear word, it was funny and sweet and, yes, I may have shed a tear.  Take a look at the trailer....



On another yet similar note, this is a really awesome youtube video honoring moms from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.




And, one more because I'm on a roll, here is a video Alex Boye' put together with Mom Bloggers United.  It is a cover of Roar by Katy Perry honoring Moms.

Happy Mother's Day to all my blogging Mama's.  
Enjoy your special day.