Priorities….

Ya’ll….(I can say that now that I live in the south) I really want to be the “fun girl” these days. I want to be the girl with the happy blog that readers flock to for entertainment and lighthearted dialogue! I want to be those things….but I just can’t right now.

I’ve spent the last several weeks doing some soul searching and evaluation of my priorities going into this new year (I know….it’s not as new anymore, just work with me here!) and here are the conclusions I’ve come to.

I can’t focus as much energy on blogging and “social networking” right now…it’s just not what I’m being called to. I don’t intend to shut things down and crawl away into a hole, but I honestly need to put these things on the back burner for a season and focus on the priorities that God is really highlighting for me. I will continue to blog and be active on twitter and facebook etc….but in moderation. I’m choosing to focus on some much more important things right now that need my attention.

1. Relationship with my children – specifically my daughter. I think I’ve been parenting on “auto-pilot” for awhile now and it shows. I love my kids and I know that they know it….but I want to invest more in a deliberate way in their lives this year. My relationship with my daughter, even at her young age, can be pretty rocky at times. Suffice it to say that God gave me  a challenge in the shape of my small daughter….and I want to run this particular race much better than I have. If I’m not careful I could lose big on this one…and it’s a risk I’m not willing to take. Family and my children are at the top of my priority list this year.

2. Relationship building. I need more relationship….I need friendship. I’ve been self-protected for a long time now because of some relational hurts and I’ve used being busy or tired or having kids to keep people at arm’s length. I can’t do that anymore….and I’m putting a stop to it. I want to be vulnerable again. I want to reach out and I want to let people close….it’s just time to invest my energy in people. I could use your prayers on this one, cause it feels pretty scary!

3. Compassion and Child sponsorship. God really birthed something in my heart concerning Child Sponsorship and the work that Compassion is doing last year. Social justice isn’t just a good idea – It’s a biblical mandate. I’ve agreed to become an advocate for Compassion, which simply means that I work as a volunteer to promote their ministry and find sponsors for children in desperate need. I want to really give myself to this and see what God has in store….he never ceases to surprise and amaze me!

There are a few more rolling around in my heart that are still in the infant stages and can’t be articulated right now, but you get the picture. My priorities are important and will dictate the decisions that I make this year. I’m not packing up shop….but I am stepping back a bit. If you think of me, pray that I continue to follow God’s heart instead of my own – that’s a pretty tall order!

Filed under: Compassion, Family Stuff, Try and argue with THIS!, Uncategorized

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Filed under: Justice, Things I'm hoping you can't ignore, Try and argue with THIS! , I Need Africa More Than Africa Needs Me

iLust

We took the kids Sunday afternoon for a little trip to the mall. We were all a bit stir-crazy and grumpy and this seemed like just the ticket to break us out of our slump. We have several great malls near where we live so we picked one we had not been to much.

You guys…..this mall has an Apple store….full of Apple products…..with full permission to touch and test them to your heart’s content. Now I can tell you that from the day my iPod has come into my life I have LOVED it. I have the 30gig iPod video and it is fantastic. But, I had never held or seen the iPod Touch until today…..and I love it. They just came out with the 32 gig model and after playing with it for a bit, my husband and I decided that we have a bad case of iLust. The Touch is essentially the same as the iPhone without, you know, the phone. Since switching cell carriers is not an option (my brother in law works for Sprint and we get crazy low rates) I would settle for this in a heartbeat.

Don’t even get me started on the MacBook air……it’s a thing of beauty.

I know I have no money right now (seriously, none!) but if money were not an object, I think I could become a full-fledged Apple fanatic. The products are appealing on every level, and most importantly to me, they are aesthetically beautiful – really beautiful.

Sigh, I know that this must be against one of the 10 commandments…..iLust that is!

Filed under: Apparently Random Thoughts, Thoughts I thought...., Try and argue with THIS! , Apple store, iPod touch, iPod video, MacBook air

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Filed under: Compassion, Justice, Stuff that makes me cry...., Try and argue with THIS! , Compassion, Justice, Sponsor a child, video