Good to Be Back

It's really great to be back on this blog. I didn't realize how much I missed writing just for writing's sake. Life can get so crammed full of "important" stuff that the enjoyable, reflective part can be squished out...sometimes for a long while.

Things like taking a walk or having a date night with one of the kids can become, if we're not careful, items on our PDAs - special things that we have to make time for and sadly, that we easily delete.

Whatever happened to spontaneous living? I remember when I was younger and life seemed to stretch out before me like the Yellow Brick Road. Every day was an adventure, and every white cloud etched against the bright blue sky screamed of the Lord's living presence in our world.

Now I feel lucky if I notice it's a sunny day. Worry over dirty socks piling up, who needs a doctor's appointment, or when I need to be sure to schedule a trip to the grocery store occupy my thoughts. Of course, families are noisy distractions, and often when I finally have a minute to pause and reflect, along comes the 2:20 bus with the first kiddo back from school. Quiet Time with God is even something I have to be sure to schedule...

Telephones aren't my special friends anymore, either. Remember when you loved getting phone calls? Now I hate to hear it ring. Sure, cell phones are good for emergencies. But, really, is it necessary for everyone to have access to each other 24/7? Where's the romance? The mystery? The anticipation? We expect to get hold of people right away, and almost demand instant answers.

I think that my best responses are the ones I think about for awhile. The first things out of my mouth are rarely the wisest.

Maybe that's why God has our hearing start to go as we age. We get so darned distracted and worn out by all the voices clamoring for our attention that He has to turn down the volume so we can hear what He's whispering inside our hearts. Well, and so we don't go nuts.

Personally, I don't mind the quiet a bit.

Woo-Hoo!

Hi Again!

Super long time of silence. The kids and I have been through many, many changes in the past year. We've moved AGAIN, this time into an even smaller house, 1800 square feet, but it's on a really quiet cul-de-sac with lots of neighbor kids and ultimately, it's been positive all around.

We started out three years ago in a house that was a little over 4000 square feet on 11 acres. So it's been a "challenge" (as we stressed out people like to call these earth-shattering events in our lives).

One of the benefits of continual downsizing is that you get to sort through every little thing you own to make sure you have room for the essentials. For instance, the children. I mean, really, shouldn't they have a place inside the house? Aren't they a valuable part of the family?

Thankfully, we have two storage areas, so the boxes have some personal space, too. I estimate we have about twenty that aren't unpacked yet, but its only been seven months since we moved. Hey, I no longer need to search for things in those boxes, so I could probably have a "mystery box" sale on Craigslist. I could sell a box for $5.00 on the condition that the purchaser buy it sight unseen - who knows what's in them! Doesn't that sound fun!!

Apparently, I'd never miss the stuff.

Another benefit of downsizing is that we are getting even closer as a family. For example, we have 1 1/2 baths for seven people. Enough said.

Ah...but God is good! I'll expand on that theme in the days to come. Good to be back!