do one thing days. or also known as the day when the to-do list threatens to takes over.

Which would be today.

My to-do list now has categories, subsections, pages, highlights, urgents, a long running to do within the week area, and extra notes. Laundry was at the top, but I quickly bumped that and put family. I'd love to squish laundry at the bottom, but due to the lack of socks and underwear around here laundry will get one of the coveted upper slots. I feel a folding party in the future.

And now, because I live what I write, today my post will only consist of this short mention of the ridiculous to-do list, a cheer for all of you and all of your to-do lists, the words that you can totally do today and a reminder that what you do matters, and me looking at the list in front of me, doing one thing and doing it well, me pausing for just a bit so that I don't miss the beauty of fall outside my window, and the decision to live seeking joy. Even with the massive to-do list.

Here's to all you do - the cleaning, list writing, laundry folding, kitchen cleaning, dishes drying, potatoes chopping, cereal pouring, diaper changing, vacuuming again and again, window washing, book reading, phone calling, email responding, nap time tucking, toy picking up, smiling in the midst of the crazy super full to-do list days of motherhood. I'm right there with you.

One thing. Do one thing.

That's my motto.

Starting with them.

to read about my to-do list strategy read starting at the top.
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sticks and stones may break my bones

sticks and stones may break my bones
but words will never hurt me....

She was just a girl. Little, in fifth grade, with uncontrolled frizzy hair and a freckly face. But, despite that, oh so awkward stage, she felt good that day. In fact, she felt amazing and full of confidence. She had on these cool pants - floral pants, very 80s pants, with a bright bold pattern splashed about everywhere. And she had on her white sweatshirt - cute with the 3/4 length sleeves and the trendy emblem on the front. In her mind? Perfection.

She got permission to look at the nailpolish in Target while her mom and dad looked at the shampoo in the next aisle. She looked - at the reds, blues and the pinks - feeling as if nothing could stop her right then. To her, it was the perfect growing up type of afternoon. And just then, three boys, teenagers probably, came around the corner, saw her, the anonymous girl, and decided to yell something at her.

Hey Ugly.

She looked up, the once confident little eleven year old in her favorite outfit, and saw them. Laughing. At her. They ran off and left her standing there in the midst of pointless nailpolish. Who cared about luscious pink and cherry reds now. Now, she hated her clothes. She hated those pants with the purple flowers splotched about. She hated her hair. She now thought she was ugly.

And she lived with that. For years and years and years.

Hey Ugly.

She grew. Got married. Had children. Yet, still in the background of her mind were those two little words. Hey Ugly. She let them grow and grow and grow. Then it developed into more and more more lies about herself that developed from one little lie yelled at her in the midst of an early years Target.

You're not good enough.
No one likes you.
You're dumb.
You can't do it.
You'll never do anything.

All from Hey Ugly.

Until, one day, that little girl, who was now an adult learned the truth of Hey Ugly. She learned that she was not ugly, but rather a daughter of the King. She learned that those kids, those boys, probably never thought again of the words that they yelled at that little girl in Target with her fabulously cute, but never worn again, floral pants. Or how those words could define a life. Until the girl, now an adult, decided to no longer live with those words defining her life. She instead began to live knowing that she was beautiful - In the Lord.

She learned about the power of words. She learned how callously and carelessly they are thrown around - little phrases here and there and when these words are left unchecked they grow into lies distorting the truth of self. She learned that as a mother that she needs to absolutely guard the words that she tells her children. She learned that she is not an emotion. She is not angry, sad, mad, scared, fearful and all of that. She is much more than emotion.

And she learned to forgive and let go of the hurt from those boys that decided in their world to be funny and yell at a little girl Hey Ugly.

She wasn't ugly. She just believed them.

But, not anymore.

She learned how those are lies of a culture that are destined to hold people, to hold women, to hold moms back. The lies don't define a life. The lies don't define worth. They don't define value. Or potential. They don't define beauty. They don't define capability. Instead she learned that truth defines.

And now, she's sitting here, behind a laptop writing to you.

She's telling you that you are not ugly, worthless, pointless, never going to measure up, a failure, don't matter, and all of that lie filled chatter that can run through our minds. Rather, you are beautiful. You are worthy. You are full of potential. You, right now, in your home with all that you are doing and have to do, with those old lies that no longer need to run through your head, you are absolutely beautiful.

Do not ever forget that.

Do not ever listen to the Hey Ugly cries of this world.

You are more than that.

You are a beautiful daughter of the King.

She's telling you, she's imploring of you, to listen to that finding joy truth instead.

*****
this post is  a small portion of the keynote that I gave at the 2:1 Conference 
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thinking. deep thinking.

Every since arriving home from the 2:1 Conference I've been in this state of catchup - catch-up on laundry, on cleaning, on rediscovering the floor in the little boys room, on reorganizing the garage, the schoolbooks, on and on and on. Honestly, deep down, it's felt like too much. Well, seriously, it is too much. Too much stuff. Then, in my facebook feed a fellow blog that I follow shows up {a moment cherished} and has this one word in it's title that catches my eye. Seven.

Curious, I sit down, in front of the computer during a time when I don't normally use the computer. {Yes, I have boundaries and limits on media time. I want my children to see my face, not the top of my laptop lid...grin} I sat there and started reading - the little were downstairs playing, olders on the swings, and the real olders cleaning up the kitchen - and I just read.

I read her words about this book 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess and then clicked to the author of that book, Jen Hatmaker's blog. Convicted. Totally convicted.

I'm living in excess. Too much, too much, too much. I've become immune, numbed to this constant culture of needing. And all of that numbing, that gathering of things, I've realized pulls away from me as a parent. I have to clean and manage rooms bursting with too many things to do. Oh, I can hear the argument in my brain, but you might use it someday or how will you replace it or it was a gift. Yeah, yeah, yeah, all true. But buying these lies has gradually begun to suffocate all the freedom out of the room, in our time, and in our family.

Instead of being intentional and interacted many times I've found myself intentional about cleaning. Sorting. Organizing. Complaining. All of which pushes me, the lone mom, into overwhelm.

Overwhelm, as an emotion, tells me that something needs to change. That stuff? Excess. I don't think it was a coincidence that I pulled up the very inspiring blog a moment cherished this evening and then proceeded to read in a very calm and quiet house Jen Hatmaker's blog. And it was convicting - so convicting that several times I'd stop reading, get Todd's attention, and then read aloud what I read.

I don't know what I'll think of the book, or where it will lead, and all of that.

I do know that I am going to be ordering the book. And I do know that I will begin to intentionally remove stuff from our home. Creating breathing space. I don't think I'll follow everything - living without gluten is already such a discipline - but who knows, who knows what might really happen.



Here's the book link. And please know {in full disclosure} that I'm an amazon affiliate so if you purchase the book I'll get some pennies, but also know that those pennies help fund this blog, which I love to write, but stay up late many many nights doing it. So I truly do appreciate that help.

And that's it for today. Have any of you read Jen Hatmaker's book Seven? Thoughts? Opinions? I'd love to hear your impressions as well.

I do know I'll be doing a little bit of decluttering today....

rachel

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shoes

Today our homeschool group made over 1800 sandwiches for the homeless.  A man, Mr. Law, from the organization 363days came and shared how he has given his life to providing food for those in need.  When he spoke -- it was with urgency -- for families desperate for food.  And blankets. And socks.  And hats. And shoes.

Shoes.

It hurt my heart.

Just earlier today I complained that there were too many shoes in our entryway.

Later today I learned how two little girls take turns going to school because they share one pair of shoes.

Tonight I'm grateful for shoes and am determined to give away shoes.

I cannot believe how quickly I complained about too much when there are those around me with so little.  How selfish I've been.

I need to change.
I can change.
I will change.

**********

To learn more about the 363 Project feel free to watch this segment from our newscast.  Mr. Law, the founder, came today -- after being awake all night -- to speak to our families.  He took time to get down on his knee and thank my five year old Caleb for the fourteen cents that Caleb pulled from his pocket and gave to him. "For the little kids," my Caleb said.  This man lives his life serving others -- not for glory or recognition -- but out of love, and concern, and purpose. I need to learn from his example.  And follow it.

bread

Last night our church -- Living Hope -- gathered to make sandwiches.  Pieces of bread, with meat and cheese in the middle.  Over 60 of us worked side by side, for an hour, putting together these sandwiches.  A little over 1200 were made.  All delivered to the homeless in Minneapolis.

It was awesome.

There is a joy in serving that is forgotten in times of not serving.  There was laughter as the sandwiches were moved down the line.  There were stories.  And prayers.

Hannah and Chloe made sandwiches.

And as we were leaving they told me, "I can't wait until we can do it again."

I could teach them about service.  I could tell them how people need these sandwiches.  We could talk all day.  But really understanding service takes doing. It takes giving of one's self, one's time, one's agenda. And that is what we did.

God is good.  He is so, so good.

 picture taken by my friend, Joshua Skogerboe 

Sanity for the vehicle

My family is in the truck many times per week.  Driving to ballet. Driving back.  Driving to homeschool classes, grandmas, or church.  We are moving moving moving!

Let me just state this -- it is hard.  Hard to load everyone up (especially in the winter), hard to keep them happy, hard to keep going.  So what keeps me going?

My Car (or truck or van) Sanity Tips

1) A beverage of choice for mom.  Mine would be coffee.  However, many times I'll just take water with.  It helps me think and calm down especially if there is a great deal of NOISE.

2) Books on CD.  Our family's favorite?  Anything narrated by Jim Weiss.  Just today we were listening to tales about giants.  Brennan, my six year old, loves these stories.  His favorite?  A tall tale about Finn McGoul from Ireland.

current choice

3) A clean vehicle.  Seems obvious, but I'll tell you -- if my vehicle is a mess it makes the crabbiness level in me rise several notches.  I've made it a point to clean out the trash whenever I get gas for the truck.  And I try to vacuum it out every two weeks.  Clean truck = happy mom.

4) For really long trips?  The Nintendo DS or a Leapster.  I know, I know, I know.  That advice coming from  me?  But truly, a half hour of media really saves me.  It is just too crowded to have them go hysterical. Or me.

5) My misbehaving trick?  For every minute that I have to use disciplining it equals a minute of sitting with me in the truck when we arrive at our destination.  This truly works.  After all, who wants to arrive at Grandmas, or Dairy Queen, or the park and have to sit in the truck with me?  Not that I'm not great, but you get the picture.

6) The old classic games.  ABC game (where you find the letters), I Spy, or where we make stories based on where we're driving. The busier, the better. I've also been know to resort to the Let's Go the the Old Red Barn and see who can stay the quietest the longest game. When in need, it works.

What car tricks do you have?  I'd love to hear.  I'll take any advice. :)

Oh yeah.  One more thing.  I've been known to pull over and pray.  That always helps.  And gets the kids attention that maybe they should settle down just a bit.

the real important

Todd's dad with Brennan Summer 2007


Man's days are determined;
       you have decreed the number of his months
       and have set limits he cannot exceed.   (Job 14:5)

After writing the Gratitude Challenge and reading my daughter Hannah's post on puts it into perspective.... I've been convicted of the gift and wise use of time.  It's all to easy to live life thinking and putting off the needs for the day.  And I'm not talking laundry.  Or dishes.  Or a spotless house. I'm talking of -

reading that story to your two year old
hugging your nine year old
telling your fourteen year old that she's beautiful
sitting next to your husband and really listening
calling your parents and telling them you love them
being grateful even though everything isn't perfect
praising for the small things
racing across the back yard with your six year old
teaching your twelve your old how to make dumplings
laughing with your four year old
simply rocking your baby
sitting at the feet of the Father

That's my list of the real important.  It's amazing how quickly I look to the unimportant and make it so vitally important.  Keeping a posture of gratitude for time  shifts my thinking.

What's on your list of important that gets pushed aside?

My Sunday challenge for you?  Read the verse in Job -- take it to heart -- and do the important first.

The real important.