Goals

Goals from two weeks ago (didn't do this last week)

1 hour walking with Nicole

1 hour on air climber

1 hour zumba

1 hour yoga or pilates

1 hour step aerobics

run 5 miles (okay, this was really ambitious. I did the first two miles without a problem

and even made good time. But the second two miles, I was pushing Benji in the stroller, and I was going up and down hills, both of which make running significantly harder. So I half-ran, half-walked the last two miles, and I will be satisfied with a total of 4 miles ).

check saving sites daily (moneysavingmom.com, southernsavers.com, freebieshark.com, swagbucks.com)

write a blog post about Martha

finish Shepherding A Child’s Heart (chapters 14-19)

read chapters 2-8 of Jungle Doctor to Ethan

call Christie, Bridget, Silvina, and Karen to catch up

finish reading the book of Revelation

read 2 chapters of The Lamb’s Supper

read new Bible study chapter

read and do workbook pages for Bible study

do birdseed craft with boys

do painting craft with boys

do this: http://www.couponsavingsclub.com/facebook-couponsavings-campaign&channel=13306&network=10&campaign=iq37&page_position=SCLUB_CJFB&creative=CJBN300X250FB500KB&call_to_action=fb&site=3125087

pay credit card bill

call Verizon: can we make our monthly payment lower?

record last video of home videos!

research Saint Elizabeth

calls stamps.com and get a refund!

research karate or soccer for Ethan

label photographs and put them in the photo album

clean inside and outside of car (well, get Chad to do it)

buy movie tickets for The Hunger Games!!!!

get cash out of the bank on the 1^st or after for the next 2 weeks

Goals for this week

Dust the house

make bank deposit

PUT AWAY LAUNDRY!!!!

donate blood at Ethan’s school

clear desk

record last video of home videos

pay more on credit card

see The Hunger Games with friend Alicia

read new Bible study chapter

read and do workbook pages for Bible study

do birdseed craft with boys

finish reading The Lamb’s Supper

finish listening to The Help on audio (only 3 hours left, and I can barely put it down!)

read chapters 5-8 of Jungle Doctor to Ethan

check saving sites at least every other day (swagbucks.com, freebieshark.com, southernsavers.com)

50 mins air climber, 10 mins hula hoop

50 mins circuit training, 10 mins abs

run 4 miles, 10 mins abs

50 mins zumba, 10 mins abs

1 hour yoga or pilates

Martha and Mary

Usually it's "Mary and Martha," so I'm switchin' it up. I've always been a little upset about the story of Martha and Mary in the Bible. Take a look: "Now as they were traveling along, he entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to his word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to him and said, 'Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.' But the Lord answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things, but only one thing is necessary; for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her' " (Luke 10:38-42).

I'm completely sympathetic to Martha here. Of course she's irritated. Someone has to do the cooking, someone has to get everyone a drink of water, someone has to do the cleaning. Mary is just sitting there, not doing any work, knowing that Martha will take care of it all because that's what she does.

Then I feel guilty. I'm supposed to be more like Mary, right? After all, Jesus himself says that Mary's doing the better thing. But I can't just sit at the feet of Jesus all day; my kids would go hungry, they would wet their pants, laundry would pile up to the ceiling, and the boys would probably tear the house down.

Look at the great things that Martha did. In the passage above, it says that she "welcomed him into her home." That's a wonderful act. When Jesus spoke to her, he did so with kindness and compassion; he loved her immensely even as he chided her. In John 11:5, it says "Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus." Hmmm ... Mary isn't even mentioned by name in this version. In John 11:20, (Lazarus is dead, and there are mourners in the house of Martha and Mary), it says, "Martha, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet him, but Mary stayed at the house." Martha left a houseful of guests and went out to meet Christ so she could be near him as soon as possible. She also has incredible faith: "Even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you" (John 11:22) and "Yes, Lord, I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God, even he who comes into the world" (John 11:27). Mighty powerful words to speak for someone who isn't doing "the good part." Finally, in John 12:2, Jesus visits the town of Bethany a third time, "So they made him a supper there, and Martha was serving." And that's the last we hear of Martha in the Bible.

Let it be clear that I am NOT discounting Mary. I'm sure she was great. She anointed the feet of Jesus with very expensive perfume (John 11:2 and 12:3), was obviously humble, eager to soak up everything Jesus had to say, and she had immense faith. She also may have been the more well-known sister of the two ("Many of the Jews who came to Mary and saw what he had done, believed in him" John 11:45). Perhaps she was prettier and had a less brusque personality. I don't know.

What I do know is that I'm still far more sympathetic to Martha. I really like her. She's not a perfect lady, but she humbly accepts Jesus's chastisement, she does the dirty work, she's very hospitable, and she works incredibly hard in the background. She's no foreground kind of woman, no dainty lady with a pretty white dress on. She was probably the backbone of her family, dressed in drab gray with a greasy apron on, sweeping dirt off the floor, and shooing a chicken out of the kitchen. (And she's a patron saint of cooks and cooking. Pretty cool since I myself love to cook [and eat]).

While sitting at a table with some friends recently, I said, "I really sympathize with Martha, but I need to be more of a Mary." An older man said, "Why not be both? We need to have balance." I'd never heard anyone say that before. What a novel idea!

Is that it? Are my children the Jesuses in my life? Is the laundry, the cooking, the shopping, the paying bills ... are these the ways that I sit at the feet of Jesus? We are called to serve Christ, every moment of every day. That doesn't mean moving to a foreign mission field and setting up a clinic (not for me anyway). That means living your faith wherever you are, whoever you come into contact with, in everything you do! Does that mean that while I'm being a Martha, I am being a Mary too?

These are not rhetorical questions. Please help me figure this out!

I end with a quote from this article about Martha (which I recommend you read): "Wouldn't it be wonderful if the most important thing that could be said about us is 'They served'?" (John 12:2)

Last week's goals

This is my third week doing this, and I'm lovin' it! I'm pretty sure this will become a weekly thing.

Goals for this week

1 hour walking with Nicole long story; I only did 15 minutes

1 hour body pump class with Sonoma DONE

1 hour zumba DONE

1 hour yoga or pilates DONE

1 hour step aerobics DONE

check saving sites daily (moneysavingmom.com, southernsavers.com, freebieshark.com, swagbucks.com) DONE (well, I did at least every other day, and that’s good enough)

write a new blog post DONE

read and think about chapters 6-13 of Shepherding A Child’s Heart DONE

finish reading Jungle Doctor to Ethan, start new book DONE

catch up on reading friends’ blogs DONE

read the book of Revelation (in preparation for reading The Lamb’s Supper) nope, got through 10 chapters

And here are this week's. But now that I've written them all out, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed...

Goals for this week

1 hour walking with Nicole

1 hour on air climber ??

1 hour zumba

1 hour yoga or pilates

1 hour step aerobics

run 5 miles ??

check saving sites daily (moneysavingmom.com, southernsavers.com, freebieshark.com, swagbucks.com)

write a blog post about Martha

finish Shepherding A Child’s Heart (chapters 14-19)

read chapters 2-8 of Jungle Doctor to Ethan

call Christie, Bridget, Silvina, and Karen to catch up

finish reading the book of Revelation

read 2 chapters of The Lamb’s Supper

read new Bible study chapter

read and do workbook pages for Bible study

do birdseed craft with boys

do painting craft with boys

do this: http://www.couponsavingsclub.com/facebook-couponsavings-campaign&channel=13306&network=10&campaign=iq37&page_position=SCLUB_CJFB&creative=CJBN300X250FB500KB&call_to_action=fb&site=3125087

pay credit card bill

call Verizon: can we make our monthly payment lower?

record last video of home videos!

research Saint Elizabeth

calls stamps.com and get a refund!

research karate or soccer for Ethan

label photographs and put them in the photo album

clean inside and outside of car (well, get Chad to do it)

buy movie tickets for The Hunger Games!!!!

get cash out of the bank on the 1^st or after for the next 2 weeks

goals

I'm a list person, people. I love me a list. And more than that, I love to cross things off my list. There is an immense sense of satisfaction in crossing it off. I decided that I need to start writing down the things I want to get done each week and maybe even blog about it, so that it will encourage me to complete them all.

So here are last week's goals.

1 hour zumba DONE

45 mins Cardio Max workout video, 15 mins hula hoop DONE

1 hour stair stepper DONE

1 hour step aerobics DONE

finish Where is That in the Bible? DONE

check saving sites daily(swagbucks.com, moneysavingmom.com, southernsavers.com, freebieshark.com) DONE

write a new blog post DONE

read RCIA papers DONE

pick up rings at the jewelers DONE

Have an indoor date with Chad DONE

Get a upromise card from Publix DONE

get out cash for the second paycheck DONE

watch old and new episode of Once Upon a Time DONE

not completed:

1 hour yoga or pilates um no, just plain too tired. I got through about 15 minutes, then went to take a nap instead

finish reading “Jungle Doctor” to Ethan no, we still have 5 chapters left

catch up on reading friends’ blogs not done

read and think about chapters 1-8 of Shepherding a Child's heart only got through 5 chapters

What are some of your goals for this week?

This is your house

This is your house:

This is your house with kids:
and that's not even very bad. Usually it looks more like a tornado came through.

Puddle Play = Strange Happiness

It rained for three days. Then there was a huge (as in 6 inches deep huge) puddle in front of our house by the road. On Monday afternoon, on the way to get Ethan from the bus stop, Benji looked longingly at it. I took about 3 seconds to think about and decided the mess would be worth it. "Benji, go stomp in that puddle!"I said, and he did.

The bus arrived, and Ethan got off. I encouraged Ethan to play it in too. He put down his backpack and ran in. They kicked the water around and chased each other through the water. Fiona got heavy, so I put her down next to a tiny puddle on the cement. I half-smiled as her pants and socks get muddy and her diaper bulged with water.

As I watched Ethan and Benji playing so happily, I felt something strange that I wish I could feel more often. My body couldn't help a genuine smile and a sigh of happiness. I felt completely happy for a moment. The kids were experiencing bliss, and by watching them experience it, I had it too. Pure bliss.

I even called my mother and said, "The boys are playing in a giant puddle, and it reminds me of my childhood. I have so many fond memories of playing in rain water and taking a shower under the gutter with my swim suit on. I'm so glad you weren't the kind of mother who said, 'Don't play in the dirt!' 'Don't get wet!' 'You'll ruin your clothes!'" We had lots of fun as kids, and didn't feel squelched in our playtime, and I still treasure those memories today.

I have tried for a long time to see particular moments as special moments, and then savor and treasure them. And I savored this one. I sighed again, and laughed at the boys, and how could I forget who allowed this: "God, thank you for this moment."

Once the laundry is clean, you can get it back, but missing a chance to create memories and have real fun ... ya can't get that back.

So, here's to lots more chances to savor sweet moments with our kids while they create a fond memory.

If you have a particular memory of your childhood that you treasure, or if you've recently created a new one, share it.

A Day in the Life of a Supermom

List of things I did today:

Cleaned up Benji and the bed after he wet the bed (6:40 am)

Played with the kids while still lying in bed

Got up and got me and the kids breakfast

First cup of coffee (7:30 am)

Cleaned up from breakfast

Did a little internet-ing on moneysavingmom.com

Took Fiona to the doctor (ear infection!)

Scoped out CVS Pharmacy next door so that I can start playing the drug store game soon

Picked up Fiona's prescription at Walmart

Came back home, got Benji and myself a snack

Started a movie for Benji

Tried to put Fiona down for a nap (unsuccessfully)

Started a load of laundry

Changed a lightbulb

Second cup of coffee while checking email (10:45 am)

Worked out 30 minutes (stair stepping and aerobics)

Put wet clothes in the dryer

Got Benji some lunch

Worked out another 30 minutes

Put Fiona down for a nap (12:15 pm)

Shower, contacts, and hair (12:30 pm)

Played trains with Benji for 30 minutes

Cleaned off back porch and organized the recycling while Benji played in a puddle

Cleaned off Benji after he threw up during a coughing fit

Cleaned vomit off back porch (1:30 pm)

Ate lunch

Got Fiona out of bed (1:35)

Read stories to and played with kids

Started putting away laundry that was already clean

Got Ethan from bus stop

Picked up Benji's friend Zae to come and play

Put into dryer clothes that got wet while walking back from bus stop

Finished putting away that clean laundry

Caught up in Fiona's baby calendar

Got the kids a snack (3:30 pm)

Played with kids in the back room

Cleaned the back bathroom

Straightened and vacuumed boys' room, my room, and Fiona's room

Blew bubbles with kids on back porch (5 pm)

Made dinner

Ate dinner

Cleaned a little in the kitchen

Put kids in bathtub and bathed them

Straightened and vacuumed living room

Got kids out of tub

Cleaned the kitchen

Made the boys finish their dinner

CHAD CAME HOME!!! (7:30 pm)

Finished this blog post

Chad put boys in bed and is now rocking Fiona, aaaaaaaaaaaaaah

Done.