Bless This Tiny House

A Plan for Thankfulness

November 13, 2012

I’ve already forgotten about Goal #6 two days in a row!
So I’m going to whip up 5 right now.

1. Our big warm king size bed. It fits everyone.

2. Headbands. Without them I don’t think I’d be able to tolerate growing my hair out!

3. Watercolor Paints. These guys are occupied for hours

4. Coffee. I will likely be repeatedly thankful…

5. Thrift Stores. $1.50 for a cute girly coat hook and shelf yesterday!

And here’s the new plan:

I’m going to leave my blog page open and right each thing I’m thankful for throughout the day.

Ultimately, I want this to be a time of reflection in the evening after kids are in bed. This is just a part of the training process I guess. 🙂

Count Your Blessings Kickoff

November 11, 2012

It’s November. Thanksgiving is coming and I’m excited!

When I started this blog my intention was to eventually start recording five good things every day. This trains your brain to look for the positive. Great practice! Even better, great way to live life! At first it’s challenging and soon it becomes default.

So, here I go. I haven’t given this a thought all day until this moment…

Today I’m thankful for:

1. My mom! She took Sullivan for two nights so things would be easier around here and we could catch up and get some work done!

2. Thoughtful friends! A college friend, Scott, sent three old pictures of Ryan and I from our choir trip to England. We had never seen them before. What a different life that was!

3. Coupons! Coupons don’t come around very often when your family is allergic to so many things in mainstream foods on grocery store shelves. But two friends used the referral link I just shared two days ago and now my vitacost order is $20 down!

4. Documentaries. I love to let docs play while I edit pictures. So much information! Food, nutrition, sustainable living, birth, people, so many great topics. Today I went way off my usual topic and watched a doc on arm wrestling. So interesting!

5. Networking. I love ideas, sharing, and supporting others. Right now I’m brainstorming and considering sharing my blog within my facebook profile. I’ll think I’ll a little tweaking and filling in a bit first.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Mad Dash

November 8, 2012

I recently I made an attempt to win a car. A location in Minneapolis was revealed at 10:30am and I did everything I could to be the first person to arrive. Having ~~watched~~ researched the website reveal several other cities located in US over the previous 24 hours made an educated guess that the location would be either Cherrybridge and Spoon or the Mill City ruins. I started at Spoonbridge and Cherry but my second guess was right. At 10:30 on the dot I drove 2.2 miles and ran just under a half mile.

I’ve never actually ran a real race before. And I swear I never ever will again! I hit true fight or flight

mode people! Half way there I suddenly remembered the nasty asthma I had in high school when we ran the mile. The excitement over winning a car must have caused memory loss. I despise running! My lungs and body were totally frying out!!!

People starting popping up behind me! Running! And I couldn’t let them pass!!! Mill City Ruins and the Stone Arch Bridge cover a lot or ground and I couldn’t find the finish! I was in a total panic! Where is the end!? Wishing I had grabbed the bike from the trunk even though I’d have crashed the flight of stairs, wishing I wasn’t wearing so many layers (this was scheduled in 30 degree weather), wishing I had just started at Mill City. I finally found the finish under the stone arch bridge.

Pffft. I came in 2nd/3rd place. We could see ahead that someone beat us to it.

This event was happening in 47 US cities. And the one city that ultimately would win the car was announced two days later. The guy who who won the race in Dallas, Texas now has a new Ford Fusion. 🙂

I’m still coughing and my legs are still burning. Where is the swimming race to win a car!???

At least I tried. Really, I had a good time. I love the adventure and excitement.

I’m still avidly trying to win a car. It’ll happen. I’m hoping for big blessings here. 🙂

Pray for the sweaty people.

October 18, 2012

Ever randomly pray for people you don’t know?

I started doing it like a year ago. People walking down the street, the person who made my coffee, mommas with kids throwing tantrums at the grocery store. 🙂
Whenever I get struck with the urge to pray for someone I figure there must be a reason.

Today I stepped into the sauna at the Y and it was crowded! 5 people in a small hot room, blech. Sat down -way more awkward than a super crammed elevator! …where do you look!? Ick. I need a book or something. So I just shut my eyes and ta-da! I felt like I should pray for all those sweaty people!

I know I’m being prayed for. It feels good.

Wouldn’t it be cool i it were socially acceptable to say, “Yo, I just prayed for you.” Rather than just, “Have a nice day.” How many people need to hear that?

I tried it once. Actually, I asked someone if I could pray anything specific for someone. Someone I didn’t know. (It was an inspired thing, something I felt God wanted me to do so I didn’t back away. Even when I knew it was going to get weird!) It was awkward. I was awkward. Though I really felt that in this situation I did what God was calling me to do and I feel good about it, I think the better option for future scenarios would be to tell someone that I already have prayed for them. Or that I will. Hmmmm…

Sounds like a little goal. Goal #5. I don’t think I’ll pressure this one to be daily. Usually the urge to pray for someone hits me unexpectedly. I think I’ll go with that. Adding only that I’m speaking out to let that person know. And sharing my experience here with you!

<3

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16

I suppose I’ll share…

September 26, 2012

I like winning things.

🙂

I actually make it a goal. {Goal #4}
I’m a homemaker and obviously that does nothing to support our family financially. So I seek out ways I can make our lives more exciting and fancy for free! Like absurdly extreme couponing.

So far I’ve won an 8 day all inclusive vacation to Mazatlan and a $5000 diamond ring. Exciting and Fancy! Now I am attempting to win a car and a house. Seriously these are real goals. I’m actively pursuing them!

We don’t have a car payment and we can’t afford one. We’re on a plan to become debt free. (ehem, are you interested in buying a fancy diamond ring?} Our 20 year old van which was generously given to us by my husband’s parents just went kaput. The breaks went out and Thank God we hadn’t yet left the driveway. Now all the repairs that are needed are more than our budget can handle.

I’m totally okay with being a one car family. We manage our time with the car really carefully! And sometimes someone gets stranded somewhere for a few hours. 🙂

It’s not forever. We’re just waiting to find out what God’s plan is for us next.

And I’m asking, seeking, knocking and entering every car sweepstakes I can find. 🙂

Besides, God is able to make every blessing of yours overflow for you, so that in every situation you will always have all you need for any good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

Progress and Confidence

September 26, 2012

Goal #2 is not so easy.

Telling people “I am going to homeschool my kids” is getting easier. It’s just getting old for the people I tell everyday. 😉

It doesn’t really apply to the 21 days in a row rule. It would be weird if I could find 21 different people who care how I educate my children. But I really do say it every chance I get!!!

I’ve even brought it up with my kids and they are pretty excited about it!

Definitely gaining confidence and ready for the next step.

Run with it!

September 3, 2012

Goal #2 is going okay. I said it to my husband. “I’m going to homeschool our kids.” 🙂

Of course he already knew this. He knows stuff.

2 weeks ago I said, “I’m going to grow out my hair.” He said, “I don’t believe you.” So now I have to refrain from making a hair appointment and hide the scissors from myself to prove him wrong.

But with this I get to prove him right. 🙂

Today I sent it in a text to my sister. She called me later and I forgot to say it outloud! I’ll do it tomorrow.

Late last night I realized that I’d forgotten all day to say it! So I just said it to myself. Feels pretty good. Each time I say it I gain a smidgen of confidence. I have to learn to be proud to say it.

Just like saying “I’m an artist!” That took a lot of years. Now it’s easy. I’ve embraced it, I feel proud to say it, to be an artist, and have been successful with it.

Same dealio.
I just have to plow through my own walls. Forget what people think out it. Shed the feeling that I have to defend my reasons and prove myself. And just run with it.

“I’m going to homeschool my kiiiiiids!”

🙂

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. Colossians 3:23

Big Huge Monster Goal!

August 30, 2012

It’s sounds scary, I know. I’m scared!

And a little bit excited. (Oy, mostly scared.)

Yesterday I said, “I’m going to homeschool my kids.”
Those words came out of my mouth! Very, very hesitantly.

I had been saying wishywashy things like “thinking about,” “possibly planning to,” and “maybe part-time.” Yesterday I committed to it. Saying the words at least.

“I’m going to homeschool my kids.”

And that’s all I’m going to say here.

I need some time to embrace this. To own it.

OOOH! I just thought of a new goal!
And it’s not scary!!!

I’m going to say, “I’m going to homeschool my kids” every day for 21 days.

Goal #2!

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14

More Bibles!

August 24, 2012

My mom is reading my blog. 🙂 I think that she is also reading my blog to my Dad.

And I’m pretty sure she reads it to him over the phone. (He travels for work.)

I love my family!

Anyway. Dad enjoyed the idea of keeping a Bible in the car and suggested keeping Bibles all over the place.
!!! Great idea, Dad!

Tonight I ran out to Goodwill and found three kids Bibles! Apparently we didn’t have enough already anyway. The kids have actually been fighting over the ones I already got them.

Sullivan literally lost a privilege for not sharing a Bible.
(He survived and has since happily read his Bible during his turn.) 🙂

We’ll explore the new Bibles in the morning. I’ll share pictures!

I must say that, although Goal #1 went in an unexpected direction, it’s been very successful.

I have been reading around the kids more now (the original intention) and I think I’d like a woman’s/mother’s devotional book or something to give me some direction.

The craziness and interruptions make it challenging to focus and I have no idea what I read just this afternoon. Really, I’m probably getting more out of what I read to the kids!

Road Trip Plans!

August 22, 2012

My best new idea goals pop into my head just after pulling out of the Caribou drive-thru… 🙂

Here are the beginnings of today’s espresso-based plan:

-We’re going on a road trip!
-The kids are going to plan it!
-For homeschooling/experiential learning of course. 😉
-We’ll spend about 3-6 months mapping and outlining.
-The kids can decide where they want to go and who they want to visit.
-For each stop we plan to make they can learn a bit of the location’s history and what makes it special. We’ll research and get excited about experiencing each location and finding the landmarks.
-Hopefully we’ll have some kinda RV and skip the hotels. Camping and staying with family will be a more valuable experience.
-We’ll go in the summer. Mr. HusbandMan is a teacher, so we can enjoy ourselves and take our time.
-…Maybe we’ll wait a few years, how about when they can both read. Great idea! Let’s say 3-4 years.

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. Psalm 91:11

Update: This is definitely a goal. It’ll be Goal #3.

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