Hodgepodge

My first Hodgepodge in a long while. Playing along from http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/.

1.  Speaking of skating...when did you last 'skate on thin ice', 'skate over the details', 'encounter a cheapskate', or just plain skate?

I used to love to roller skate - the last time was probably just before entering high school. I tried ice-skating once we moved to the frozen north but I was never very good. The last time I was on ice skates was many years ago. I fell and hit my head quite hard and never wanted to try again.

2. What would you say is the biggest problem of people your age?

Going to the Dr. for every little ache and pain and relying too much on Drs. to make us feel better instead of making lifestyle changes.

3. What's your favorite accessory? Is it something you wear every day, often, or only on special occasions? Jewelry!

I’m a jewelryholic! I inherited my mom’s vintage jewelry...that’s where I get it from, that I just love but I also have many pieces I have purchased myself or have been given as gifts. I love simple clothes that I can accessorize with a pretty necklace.

4. January 20th is National Cheese Lover's Day. Are you a lover of cheese? What's your favorite dish made with cheese? Last thing you ate that contained some kind of cheese?

We love cheese in our family. I have too many favorite foods with cheese to list but a few would be pizza, lasagna, I even make my mother’s stuffed meatloaf which is topped with cheese. Just last night we had white chicken chili with monterey jack and pepper jack cheeses.

5. What's something guaranteed to make you roll your eyes?

When people get on Facebook and share absolutely everything that came across their page that day whether it is applicable to them or not.

6. Your favorite book series?

I don’t have a favorite series.

7. Why did you choose your profession?

Because my life was so radically changed and blessed by my piano teachers and because I truly felt that is how the Lord was leading in my life.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I have been a part of Hodgepodge a long time ago and hope I can be a part of it again. I can’t promise I’ll be here every week, but I’ll do my best. Also, I don't know how to turn the Hodgepodge photo to a link - maybe someone can tutor me. So, we'll see if this works. Thanks for stopping by.

Grazioso...With Grace

 “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.” Psalm 118:8

Today I had to ask myself, how do I respond when someone shares something personal with me? Whether it be a complaint, a need, a health issue or even good news - how do I respond? Lately I've noticed those around me responding by trying to either outdo the one who made the comment by relating a similar but much more dramatic and important event in their own life thus making the other persons comment seem trivial, or they respond by telling the person they are wrong or know nothing about what they're saying. Quite honestly, I couldn't answer my own question. I'm not quite sure how I respond, but I hope, hope, hope it's with much more grace than I have seen recently. Why don't people rejoice with others without trying to outshine them or even worse make them feel badly for feeling good? This queen is realizing that it's often difficult to be gracious no matter which side of this situation she finds herself. I truly hope I can be gracious the next time I'm left to feel as though my life events are not important enough or that I don't know what I'm talking about. I also hope the next time someone shares something with me that I will be extra careful not to turn it around and make it about me. 

Above photo credit to queenisms.com. 

Sometimes the queen has to learn when to be quiet.

I turned on some music today and spent the entire day in the kitchen. Music makes everything better. I made white chicken chili for supper, used up some leftover pork roast by making scrapple and made an oatmeal cake. Tomorrow morning I need to put together a chicken noodle soup and also practice, teach 3 lessons, and work on my other projects. No rest for this weary queen. 

It's possible anyone and maybe everyone thinks this whole queen thing is silly and perhaps it is, but I find it fun and helpful and even encouraging and it is my hope you will enjoy it too. 

Royal Progress

That is one of my new favorite sayings! I find it very encouraging lately. 

Queens and other members of royalty usually are quite privileged and often powerful but with such also comes great responsibility. I'm finding it difficult to manage my responsibilities to the Lord, others and myself. I know that taking care of myself, my body, mind and spirit is something the Lord desires for me and yet He also desires my service to Him and to my family. As we all know it's quite a balancing act and certainly nothing new. Yet, I continue to strive for balance in these areas. I know in which areas I am most out of balance and I haven't yet successfully tipped the scales but I'm making progress.

In an effort to increase my exercise, I went snowshoeing yesterday with my daughter and Gibbs. It was a beautiful jaunt through the north woods and despite the fact I  haven't been on snowshoes in several years and have not exercised much to speak of lately, I enjoyed myself very much. The fresh air was much needed and I'm hoping I can add this activity to my routine once or twice a week weather permitting. 

Friday is grocery day but despite the weather, I was enjoying being out of the house so I stopped in Shop-Ko for a few minutes before heading into the grocery store. We are on a tight budget right now and trying to increase our savings for emergencies. I have resisted buying myself anything but I really needed a pick-me-up...even if all I did was look, besides, there was a big banner on the outside of the store that read CLEARANCE so how could I not? ;) I found these three tops, all on the clearance racks and for a total of just $10. The striped one on top is almost like a poncho. It definitely needs something underneath because the arm holes are so large. I wore it Friday afternoon with my gray sweater, but in warmer weather I can easily put a tank or cami underneath. I really like it and I even got a compliment from my daughter, so that means for only $4.00 I must have made a good choice. The orange tee is workout wear with wicking properties, which will come in handy for workouts or just for everyday wear during the summer...also $4.00. The pink tank cost me all of $1.99 and it was such a pretty color. It will be nice alone this summer, but today I planned to wear it to church with a lace cami underneath and a gray cardigan over the top. Church was canceled this morning due to the over foot of snow we received so I will plan to wear it next week. All three make practical and very nice additions to the royal wardrobe! 

So until next time, I will press on...please join me. 

Straighten That Crown!

I hate to admit it, even to myself, but I am one of the world's worst procrastinators. I know what I should do and I find any excuse not to do it. I have really been convicted about this lately...new year, new goals and all that...and I believe God has been telling me it's time to "press on toward the goal". 
Philippians 3:12- 14:
 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal,but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Today I read this verse: John 12:25 "Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed, But if ti dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it; while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life ." Today, whether correctly or incorrectly, I interpreted that verse in a way I never have before. Through that verse God was telling me if I keep filling my time with wasteful things my life with be a waste, but if I fill my time with the things I am meant to do then I will be laying up eternal treasure and furthering the Kingdom. 

Ann Voskamp puts it this way -"hard things keep calling you because you're meant to answer to higher and better things". 

I like that! There is a reason why I feel guilty for ignoring those calls - I am called to higher things. I am after all, the daughter of The King. 

It's too easy for me to get off track - to get distracted throughout my days, weeks and months of goal setting. 

Ann also mentions the "pain of discipline vs. the pain of disappointment". Which pain would I rather endure? I've endured much disappointment ...mostly in myself, so I think it's time for discipline. 

Endurance not indulgence. 

Hebrews 10:32 says, "For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised". My favorite quote from her is: "Understood this way, each thing we don’t feel like doing, great or small, becomes an invitation from God to follow in the faithful footsteps of his Son, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2)."

I have been blessed a number of times from Ann Voskamps writings and I hope you'll take the time to read the two links I have posted below...it's worth your time, trust me. 

From A Holy Experience: 

How To Destroy Procrastination pt.1

How To Destroy Procrastination pt.2

ATC"s

Yes it's time to create ATC's again. I actually did this month's set all in one evening and that is probably obvious when looking at the quality of my work...not to mention, I'm still sick. This month's theme is Space and as always we can interpret that however we want. These are my contributions - our trade is on Saturday. 

Crowned

New Year. Notice I didn't say "happy". Not that I'm unhappy, but it does put a damper on things when you spend the first days of the new year sick. Hubby came down with it first and shared. I missed church on Sunday and I'm hoping that daughter2 doesn't get sick as well.

I no longer make resolutions for the new year, but I do set goals for myself and being sick has forced me to make a late start on my goals for this year. In reality it's just a continuation of what I've been trying to accomplish for several years. So if you know me at all...same ole, same ole. 

I believe we all need people in our lives to come along side and encourage us and sometimes in that encouragement they actually make us feel like we are very special...dare I say like royalty. I've had someone like that in my life and it has changed the way I view and treat myself. Don't get me wrong, I'm not thinking of royalty as in spoiled. As wives and mothers we often put ourselves and our goals for life last on our to-do list. This year I hope to turn that around a bit. I still have my family to care for along with the cooking, cleaning, and laundry, but my health has been telling me it's past time for me to start putting myself first at least once in a while and to spend time enriching myself, physically, mentally and emotionally. It is my hope that in the coming year this blog will be a bit of a different read than it has in the past. I'm not going to give it all away at once but I hope you will catch on to the new theme, understand my journey, enjoy the changes and be encouraged. 

I love this meme...it reminds me to dust myself off, head up, shoulders back and walk tall - like a queen. As soon as I regain my strength, this queen will begin her reign.

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;"

Happy New Year!

New Year’s Day seems to be a fitting day to once again make an attempt at reviving my blog.

By this time in my life I’ve seen the start of a good many new years. I’ve never been much for making a big deal of them though. Growing up, my mother and I almost always spent New Year’s Eve together. My brother was put to bed early and she and I would stay up until midnight watching movies and eating popcorn. I remember one year was a bit more exciting than the others. Shortly before midnight we heard sirens and when my mom looked out the window, she saw a man run into our yard and try to hide in a corner of the house in the back yard. Fortunately the police were hot on his trail, found him, handcuffed him, and took him away. It did however give us a scare for a few minutes.

One New Year’s Eve we spent apart. Instead of spending it with my mom I went up into the mountains with my church youth group for an all night sledding party. One of the boys there liked my best friend and tried all night to get her to go down the hill with him but she refused. In a desperate attempt, he tried making her jealous by asking me to go down with him and I consented. There was something about him I liked but I hadn’t put my finger on it just yet. Going down the hill with him was loads of fun and he was kind - making sure I was safe and not frightened. It was a fairly steep hill and quite fast plus it was dark - the snow on the hill lit only by the moon.

A couple of years after that, my then boyfriend broke up with me on New Year’s Eve...not the boy from the previous paragraph. My best friend and I planned a game night after our church's candlelight service. We bought snacks and put up decorations and he made everyone miserable until he insisted on driving me home early at which point he broke up with me.

From then on it’s been back to all night movie celebrations. New Year’s Day is usually spent putting away Christmas decorations and cleaning house. Today was no exception except add take care of sick hubby to that.

And so another New Year’s celebration is over and another year has begun. Wishing all my friends a happy new year, one filled with health, contentment and God’s blessings.