Mistletoe Monday and Menu

So.

I hopped online this morning to get caught up on some of my favorite blogs, and to post my always-fascinating menu, and came across some great stuff. It all started with this post at Laura's which was a follow-up to this post about not being "enough." Not getting "it all" done. Wow, that's a biggie for me. I am currently in a season of not getting it all done... of feeling like I'm not enough. I've even wondered if I'm somehow suffering a mild form of Post Adoption Depression. (But, that's another post! :) It was interesting that I happened upon those posts this morning after kissing my husband goodbye for work, then walking with my coffee past all piles which are waiting to be tackled... Gifts waiting to be wrapped reminded me of the beautiful gifts and wrapping techniques I've seen on blogs. The Christmas card pile reminds me we have yet to even take our picture, muchless mail them. The tub of decorations on the stairs reminded me that I haven't finished decorating the house. (So much for the Christmas Tour of Homes!) Yes, as I padded my way through the house on my way to the computer, I was mentally imagining how "together" everyone else must be compared to me and really doing a bang-up job of #17 on my list of Ways to Make Yourself Miserable.

Which made those posts I read all the more timely.

Laura's first post addresses being "intimidated" by reading certain blogs. I call this "blog intimidation." As I read through some of the comments and the excellent links she posted, I was reminded of something I wrote back in July of 2007 for Christian Women Online. As we begin the Monday of the last week before Christmas (gasp!) I thought it was worth a re-post. I know I needed it! So, here it is...

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sometimes Good Enough is Good Enough

Reading blogs can be so inspiring, can't it? It can also be thought-provoking, relaxing, entertaining, and even... intimidating. Yes, intimidating! It's easy to read blogs from so many different women, each expressing one or more of her gifts, and come away from it feeling like you're not doing enough. Your closets are not as clean as hers. Your weekly menu (if you even know what it is yet!) is not as creative as hers. Your scrapbook pages (okay, you don't scrapbook, but even if you did) don't look like hers. Just look at how many pounds she's lost! Oh, my goodness, she's read that many books this year? I've never read that many in my life! Oh, and she sings. Of course she does. And on and on it goes. Different blogs, different women, but it's so easy to make it into one Composite Super Woman to whom we just don't measure up! We do it in real life ("irl") too, don't we? (Sometimes I think we put the "irl" in "girlfriends!") I've fallen victim countless times to one of my biggest enemies- comparison. I think all women are prone to it at one time or another.

I'd like to share with you something I read this week from the book I Can't Do It all! Breaking Free From the Lies That Control Us by authors Tracie Peterson, Allison Bottke, and Diane O'Brian. (This excerpt is written by O'Brian):

"You see, I made the decision some years ago that I would spend my housekeeping time more profitably if I concentrated on things I did well- cleaning, organizing, sewing, washing, mowing, shoveling, ironing, mending, and repairing. Cooking wasn't my strong suit, so I kept that at a minimum. My family has been great about it. It's not like we live on fast food. We eat well even though I don't make big efforts in that direction. Realizing that it's not one of my gifts, I released myself from the expectation of being a great cook. We just don't have time to do everything with excellence. The sooner we learn that, the sooner we can break free from the lie."
"We all must make our individual decisions based on God's leading for each of us. Not only should we not attempt to do it all, but we should not feel a sense of guilt when we can't do what others expect of us. Sometimes we put those expectations on ourselves. The truth is, many of our friends would trade a skill they have for one of ours." (emphasis added)

We don't have to be good at it all. Sometimes good enough is good enough in certain areas. We can choose to focus on what we do best and release ourselves from unrealistic expectations. Let's lighten up on ourselves and be who God created and gifted us to be!

God, thank you for the ways in which you have gifted me. Forgive me for envying the gifts of others. If there are any areas in which you want to grow or increase my gifts, I invite you to do so, for Your glory. But, help me not to neglect the gifts I have and waste the moments available for me to use them by spending unnecessary time feeling guilty or inadequate. I can do all things through Christ... all the good works You prepared in advance for me to do, with the set of gifts You have so graciously given me. Thank You, Father. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

We have some mistletoe hanging in the arch in our entryway (sometimes I like to call it the "foyer." It makes it seem so faincy.) I've decided to let it remind me of KISS. Yes, I know we've all heard it: "Keep It Simple Stupid." Only, I'm not stupid, and neither are you! Keeping it simple is one of the smartest things we can do! So, I've decided it stands for "Keep It Simple Sister." What is "simple?" To me, it means releasing myself from the expectation of doing some of those things that I'm not good at or simply don't have the inclination to do right now. To focus on what my gifts are, what energizes me, and do those things with excellence like the quote above says.

That's my new reminder for this week. For this Christmas season. For 2009. This could be Freak Out week. Or it could be KISS week. I can decide that right now, on this Monday morning.

So, here's my "Mistletoe Menu" for this week:

Monday: leftover fajitas from yesterday
Tuesday: baked chicken (baked with Ginger Sesame dressing- yummo!)
Wednesday: dinner at a friend's house- can't wait!
Thursday: adoption ministry Christmas party- fun!
Friday: baked potato soup


To share your menu, or to be inspired like I was today, visit Laura at Orgjunkie.com.

Make it a "Mistletoe Monday" and remember to Keep It Simple Sister!

Menu Monday: "I've Been Expecting You"

Another Monday! And the last day of another month. I don't know about you, but I can hardly believe June is already drawing to a close. This weekend will be 4th of July weekend and then all of the back-to-school stuff will be out at Target. Ack!! A friend of mine said she saw Christmas wreaths at Hobby Lobby the other day. I'm glad I didn't see that. My head just might explode.

Each summer I pull familiar books off of the shelf and read through them at the pool or when I get some "down time." I love it because these are books that God has used to speak into my life, written by authors who have shaped who I am as a wife and mother. It's so great to read through them again and refresh myself on some of the advice and do an inner "check up" and see how I'm doing. It's handy because they are already highlighted (high-lit?) by a much younger woman, dealing with younger kids and different issues... but the truths are true nonetheless.

This summer I'm reading back through A Woman After God's Own Heart, by Elizabeth George. Last night as I was winding down, getting ready to go to bed I read through her principles regarding home management. The third one is what I read last night, but I'll list the first two:

1. Understand that home management is God's best for us.
2. Decide to take home management seriously.

and

"Third, live as though you will be held accountable for the condition of your home and the use of your time because you will! In fact, when our husband (or anyone else) walks in the door and looks around the house, we have just revealed what we've been doing in response to God's call to us to manage the home. What do people see when they enter your house? Do they find calm- or chaos? Peace- or panic? Palace- or pigpen? Evidence of preparation- or procrastination?"

Ouch. that last sentence is what gets me every time. Preparation or procrastination? I have shared before how I tend toward procrastination. I always have. I love to plan and think ahead, but I don't always kick it into gear and execute those plans. In recent years that has been something at which, by God's grace, I have gotten better. Meal planning has been in that category for me. I had to go from procrastination to preparation in the kitchen. And it has made our life so much better!

She then uses a great example: a hotel. George says, "Think for a moment about the feeling your get when you enter a hotel room. What greets you? Order. Quiet. Cleanliness. You can still see the vacuum tracks in the carpet. The bed is made (and remember it occupies 80% of visual space of a room!). The last sheet of toilet paper has been folded to a point. No TV or stereo blares. Order reigns. Someone has done the work of effective management, and their efforts make the room a sanctuary."

I am hardly an example of someone who's home is always a "sanctuary," believe me. Especially during the school year. There have been many days when my husband has come home to piles of laundry, me with my hair piled on my head and wearing either all or part of what I slept in the night before, and an exploded science project still awaiting cleanup. So, anything orderly I post on here needs to be seen as an example of God's grace being sufficient for me in my weakness!

But, through all of the chaos that ensues at our house (or at anyone's house who's in the business of raising a family in the home all day every day) there can be preparation rather than procrastination. When my cute husband gets home there may be piles here and there, but also a single candle lit on the kitchen counter and some sort of dinner either ready or almost ready -- evidence of preparation. Something that says, "I've been expecting you."

I love thinking of the hotel example. I LOVE walking into a hotel room (okay, a nice one) and taking it in... the feeling that someone prepared for me to be there. I've been working on doing that for my family. I heard many years ago, "Treat your family like guests and your guests like family." We may not go so far as folding the toilet paper to a point, but there are big and small ways we can prepare for our families and give them that feeling each day. The feeling of being anticipated, expected, and desired.

This morning I've got muffins ready for my kids and the devotional book ready on the table. That says to them, "I've been expecting you." I've got my menu planned for the week and the ingredients in the pantry. That says to me when it's time to prepare the meal, "I've been expecting you." Each evening when the meal is on the table for my family, they will know I was anticipating them. Every morning the coffee pot comes on (because we made it the night before!), I can come in early for a great cup of coffee and that says to me, "I've been expecting you." I can take that cup of coffee, grab my Bible and have time with the Lord Who says to me , "I've been expecting you." In our home we are in the midst of preparing our home and family for our precious new son whom we are adopting, and in many ways my entire life right now is gearing up for one big, "I've been expecting you."

Isn't that what meal planning is? A way of saying to our families, "I've been expecting you?" And it doesn't have to be that hard, really. Think back to the hotel example. I love staying at one that's got the continental breakfast bar waiting in the morning. All it really is is cereal ready to pour, fruit that's already been cut and washed, juices available and bagels cut in half. (Oh, and coffee, don't forget the coffee.) It's not expensive or time-intensive, but we can do the same for our families. Just have it ready and show them that we've been expecting them. I think any area of our homes in which we can do that (laundry, craft activities, games, etc.) will really bless them. The kitchen is a great place to start!

So, here is my menu plan for the week. I just joined a great farmer's market co-op for the summer, so I've got some wonderful summer fruit and vegetables to use this week. To use some of the plums I received in my basket, I found this plum pie recipe that I think I'll try. Yum!

Monday: grilled pork chops with grilled lemon-pepper zucchini
Tuesday:Mexican Stack Dinner
Wednesday: Georgia Peach Chicken Sandwiches
Thursday: YOYO ("You're on you're own"/leftovers)
Friday: Summer Squash Chicken Alfredo (unless we make other dinner plans... I may bump this to next week)

Since Laura is on vacation, MPM is being hosted at Heavenly Homemakers this week, so head on over there to read more menus and some great homemaking tips. Have a terrific week and a fun Fourth!

Not Feelin' It

You know, that "cleaning-and-organizing-are-so-addicting, one-project-fuels-the-next" feeling that supposedly comes from getting organized. I'm SO not there. I posted on my homeschool blog that we're taking a much-needed two week break from school so that we can work on the house. The two weeks is so that it won't be such a push, and so we can work at not-so-breakneck-speed. Also because my husband is taking off some days next week and I can work a bit on some things ahead of him, "clearing him a path" in a way. But, I'm not lovin' it! I look at the projects in front of me and think... yuck. I wish for one second I could have a little of what Laura (the "organizing junkie") and others like her have- something in me that thrives on organizing and cleaning, that gets a rush from creating order out of chaos. I really just want it... DONE.

Now, we're not total slobs, we do have systems in place. The kids dutifully do their chores each week and everything has a spot. But I am finding more and more... THINGS! Too much stuff! So, I'm sorting, prioritizing, donating, selling, labeling, thinking, and perhaps a little bit of procrastinating. Last week I told my husband, "I've been reading some really great books on organizing." His (ever-witty) reply was, "Does one of them say, 'Put this book DOWN?' " He knows me so well. I would rather read about it, talk about it, strategize for it, make lists of it, pray about it and sing "Kum Ba Ya" around it than actually, well, get to it!

So that's what I'm doing this week. Waiting for the mood to strike, working while I'm waiting. I hope it strikes soon!