Do I need this?

Earlier this week, my good friend Hip Mom wrote an article about the progression of modern conveniences in women's lives. I thought this was a really good thought provoker and decided to answer her question to her readers right here so as to challenge others with it as well. Here it is...

Is there a modern convenience you can’t live without?

Hmm, well let's see...
When I think about this question and go down the list of things I have and love, I do find myself saying that I could live with out the item if I had to. There are not many things I feel like I need to have. However...

I really can't imagine my life without a washer and dryer. Seriously! How in the world would I ever get ANY laundry done? It would go from once every couple weeks (he he), to once every couple months...yep, definitely "need" that! My family gets annoyed with me enough as it is with the laundry issue.

TV? I prefer to have it off at all times. I love silence. So I know I don't need that.

Vacuum? That would just stink to not have that...I would want one of those, because I am not sure how I would get all the little bits of junk out of my carpet...although I suppose I could just get rid of the carpet and sweep instead!

Car? That is a tricky one. I think I couldn't live without it but I suppose if I didn't have one that could also result in less running around and better planning ahead. Plus, it would facilitate more exercising!

Electricity? I think this is one thing I would not want to lose. Because if I did (and have), I would not be able to do laundry or vacuum. But really, if it were a life or death situation...I can do without. But definitely wouldn't want to!

Hip Mom mentioned she kept wanting to put the bible on her list of things she couldn't live without but decided that because it wasn't a modern convenience it didn't count. I thought about that and decided it did count. There was a time in this world when the bible was still being written. The people of this time could only learn of God's greatness by word of mouth. It was a confusing time for many as they figured all of this out, to put it simply. So the fact that at one point in time the bible did not exist, there were many who were at more of a disadvantage than we are today. We can use it and scour it and follow what it has to teach to us. It is the rule book for life. You can find an answer to ANY question in there! It is indispensable. That being said, I certainly, absolutely, CAN NOT live without my bible. No exceptions!

And besides, if I lost everything in my list above and still had my bible...my life would still be as rich as it is today. Probably even more so if all I had left to do was read it!

How about you? What's on your list?

What did you say??

Have you ever fallen into the bad habit of putting yourself down?? I have. I do it all the time. I have incredibly high expectations of myself. I tend to set unrealistic goals of all sizes because I feel like there is no reason why I can't reach them. And then when I don't, I begin to sing a song that sounds a little like this...

sigh....I am such a loser!
I can't get anything done...
Why am I so incapable of accomplishing anything??
ugghhh...I'm such a failure...
My five year old could've gotten this done better than I did (in fact I paid her a dollar to do it!!)
I hate how this outfit looks on me.
This paint job stinks.
I can never cut the grass in lines as straight as I want them (I know...obsessive compulsive...)

OK, you get the picture. The problem I am realizing in this self discovery journey I have been on lately is this... Whenever I talk to myself it is usually negative in some shape or form. Why do I do that? It doesn't help the situation. It makes me feel worse sometimes. It makes me feel defeated as well. I have discovered that I do this so often and I think I do it and not even realize I am sometimes. This is SO bad!!

One thing we need to realize in our lives is that we were fearlessly and wonderfully made. Every single part of us is incredibly loved by our creator God. Shouldn't that be enough to make us love ourselves? To know that God accepts us any way we are, all the time? That He is there to provide us the encouragement we need when we are struggling and feeling worthless? If I were worthless, I wouldn't be here! There is a plan for me! There is a plan for everyone! It is our job to try to uncover that plan and live our lives accordingly.

"OK, but what if I don't believe in God", you say?? Here is what I am learning and a different way to think about it...

What you think, affects how you act.

Think about that for a minute...what you think, affects how you act. I thought about that for a long time today and discovered that for me, that is so true! Maybe one of the reasons I feel stuck sometimes is because I am telling myself I can't do it and won't move forward. I realized as well, that I am hungry for love. My love...towards me. I don't love myself the way I should. I want to be better about that. I am going to flip the tape over, and make a new version of the song that I sing in my head...

You are beautiful!
You are so smart and clever!
Way to go...you worked so hard!
My hair looks great like this!
I am a good mother!
I am an amazing wife!
I have so much to share with and teach others!
I have great design ideas!
I am perfect the way I am!
I really am funny and interesting!

Just writing that list put a feeling of warmth inside of me because I know I am all of those things. It's when I tell myself I'm not, that my world begins to crumble around me and I feel defeated. Hopefully now, I can hear and sing that new song in my head ALL the time.

What negative mental tapes are spinning around in your head??

Try taping over them.

Long Term Planning

As the new school year approaches and summer begins to wind down, I am finding my schedule filling up fast with odds and ends like well-child check ups, haircuts, remodeling projects, orthodontist appts., tree removal and yard clean-up, and the final family get together's. I have been bummed all summer, so far, that I have not been able to nail down a routine. There has been so much going on that has "kept" me from doing anything on a regular basis. As a result, I am feeling a sense of defeat when it comes to acheiving some of my personal goals. So much so, it has made me angry enough to do something about it!

Last night, I sat down at 11:30pm and planned out the menu for the rest of the week and made a grocery list. Today I went to the grocery store (without kids...hooray!!) and purchased everything I needed to execute on that meal plan. Tonight for dinner I made Super Stuffed Tortillas (recipe below). When planning this meal last night, it didn't particuarly sound like it would knock my socks off. But, I had all the veggies it called for begging to be used up in my fridge, so I put it on the menu. It was SO good! Who would've thought!?! While preparing it I was reminded of how much I love to cook. And while eating it, I was reminded of how satisfying eating healthy really can be. I am feeling incredibly full and content right now....with no desire for that regular ice cream sundae I have gotten into the habit of eating this summer a few times a week....gasp!

It amazes me how following through on something as simple as feeding myself a nourishing meal can actually motivate me to do something else that has a positive benefit somewhere else in my life. My next project that I have decided to tackle this evening is to put together an exercise schedule for the rest of the summer. That way, I will have no more excuses that I ran out of time or that my day was "just too busy". And on the flip side...if it's scheduled on paper...then I can't put anything else in it's place! I am actually looking forward to this project. I think at the same time I will plan a few work days in there to prep for going back full force in the fall. Now if only I can figure out a way to stay on top of laundry...it is just SO boring...and there is always SO much!

Try the recipe below, it really was very good. Stay tuned to see how my long term scheduling works out!

Super Stuffed Tortillas

1-2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 large onion
1 green pepper
Saute garlic in 2 teaspoons oil for 1 minute. Add onion and pepper and saute until crisp-tender.

2 cups corn
1 small-medium zucchini (sliced)
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
Add and continue to saute until all vegetables are tender but not browned.

2 cups cooked black beans (I used canned)
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
6 tablespoons salsa
Add and cook until there is no excess moisture. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper, green onions or chives, and fresh cilantro to taste.

corn or flour tortillas
cheddar cheese, feta, or queso blanco (shredded or crumbled)
Preheat a frypan with a bit of oil and place a tortilla in pan. Add cheese in center of tortilla and add 1/4 - 1/2 cup vegetable filling. When the tortilla is crispy, remove, and fold in half. Or place a second tortilla on top, flip, and fry crisp.

Enjoy!!