Four weeks from yesterday my daughter's sophomore year in high school will begin. Seriously, y'all? I'm beside myself wondering where the time has gone. For example ... This summer has flown by and in the few weeks we have left the chaos won't slow down. It seems like the older my girl gets, the fewer days we have for just doing nothing. When I look at the calendar marked up with days away from home and the days we are home with their doctor appointments and church activities, I have a ... [Read More]
What Does Your Ideal Day Look Like?
What does your ideal day look like? I've been thinking a lot lately about what my ideal day involves. I'm trying to train myself to look beyond the schedule and the to do list. Not because those things aren't real and don't matter — but because they need to be tools, not the focus. Today I'm at Not Quite Amish sharing the five components of my ideal day. And over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing more here about what developing your ideal deal and the role each of the areas I identified ... [Read More]
Time Management or Time Maximization?
Some days I make my to do list and when I'm done I just want to go back to bed. I tend to put off those little things like making doctor appointments, scheduling photo sessions, and picking up prescriptions until the very last minute. In fact, today is one of those days where I'm going to have to force myself to do a bunch of those types of things. I hate all of that. {If anyone wants to volunteer to manage this sort of thing for me, I'll pay in hugs and banana pudding. I kid. sorta.} Then ... [Read More]
Slowing Down When Life Is Busy
Lately I've sort of felt like I've been meeting myself coming and going. We're in the beginning weeks of the busiest time of year at the Underwood Abode. From the time school starts until the National Championship football game, it's full speed ahead. You'd think after years of it being this way, I wouldn't find myself so shocked when it all starts. But here I sit, two and a half weeks into September, thinking, "Oh my word! I'm tired already." My body and soul need space and quiet and rest. ... [Read More]
A Monday Morning Choice
It's 8:06 a.m. as I type this. I have a major writing deadline at noon today. My house is a wreck. The laundry is out of control. My back is aching. The storm last night left a HUGE mess in my backyard. And my quiet time this morning was less encouraging and more convicting. I hate it when Monday barges in like she's the boss of me. Every part of my flesh wants to whine and put on Facebook how overwhelmed I am, how badly my week is starting, how tired I feel ... But there's this: . . . ... [Read More]
When Life Brings the Unexpected
Life often brings us the unexpected. We face situations and experiences that don't make sense. Healthy people get sick out of the blue. Long-term jobs are eliminated. Well-behaved children make crazy choices. Tornadoes destroy cities and families. Life isn't fair. And some days, it feels particularly unfair. I've been reading Tricia Goyer's book, Plain Faith, and I love the story of Ora Jay and Irene and their journey toward hope. The book arrived the same day I got out of ... [Read More]
