Works-for-me Wednesday...Backwards Week (#1)

As you can see, this is my first time submitting to works-for-me wednesdays and this is fun! I happened to come along at the backwards edition which means instead of me giving you an example of something that works for me, you give me tips on what works for you....

Here goes...

In my last post I let you in on the fact that I am cleaning out the Master Bedroom. In that bedroom, as well as strung throughout the house, are Boyd's Bears that I have accumulated through the years. We have had the bears for several years and I'm sure they are all retired and no longer being made versions.

My husband and I are working on making our home more simple and calming and find the bears are no longer need to decorate our spaces. We're doing more with wall color and furniture arrangement and less with stuff just sitting around, and with a 3 yr old I just don't have time to move them around and clean them all the time.

My dilema... what to do with them? Many, but not all of them have memories attached to them such as getting them as a special gift, or purchasing them on vacation.

I have two options...

1. Box them up and store them up in the shed where they'll be forgotten about until one day they're worth something, all the while and hoping the mice won't find them.
2. Sell them, piece by piece or altogether on ebay. I have no idea if they would be worth anything to anyone... this might involve a little research.

What would you do? I don't think I could get hubby to give me an honest answer because he'd be afraid to hurt my feelings, but guessing I think he would say just get rid of them, even give them away..... but my response "What about the one we got on our first trip out of the country together? (Although it was just Niagra Falls) or "What about the one ....?"

I have no idea how many I have... some are already in the shed (didn't have room for them when we moved)... this could be ugly.

House to Home Mission...

This week I'm going to tackle the Master Bedroom. I'm always trying to keep the rest of the house presentable in case someone would happen by. I often forget about our bedroom because we don't "live" in it.



I realize that our bedroom should be a haven away from the busyness and work of the day, a place we look forward to relaxing in at the end of the day. Somehow stuff just accumulates there. We don't have a lot of extra storage in our home (we live in an old farmhouse we're updating) and what we do have is full, so when something needs a place it often finds a spot in a corner of our room.

I've been collecting things to take to Goodwill or The Salvation Army and have a small pile of my son's outgrown clothing worthy of putting on ebay. On top of that is a collection of Boyd's Bears that I've decided I'm ready to part with... but do I try to sell them, or store them away in case they're worth something someday? I'm trying to minimalize my home to make it more relaxing and pleasing to the eye, but all that stuff is finding it's way to my bedroom.

I'm not even sure I want to see what's under the bed! I know my hubby has hidden some of the little ones old outgrown toys under it in an effort to see if they'll be missed. It's also served to house some of my freebie finds that I didn't know when I would get to trying out, one of which is a sticky carpet roller? if I remember right.... maybe that one will go into the donation pile.

When I get through all of the stuff I'm planning to shampoo the carpet. My mom purchased a carpet cleaner years ago and we borrowed it when we moved in and have asked her several times to take it back. She doesn't have a lot of extra storage either and just says, "I know where it is if I need it." I guess it's good to have handy with a 3 yr old running around the house now.

Then I'm on the lookout for a nice basket or hamper to fit a small corner inside the bedroom, right next to the bathroom. I've been using a very old basket there, but it's too big and has some broken slats in it I'm afraid might catch on our clothing.

I need to search through my candle stash and see what I can do to decorate the room with what I have on hand. I may invest in a nice floating shelf to put them on and need to get a frame for a picture that I've been wanting to hang in the room.

I now get to face the fact that there's no way I'll get all of this done today! I have to take small steps throughout the week to make it work. I find that if I tackle something head on and full force I never finish it completely.

My husband was home Monday and we completely cleaned and rearranged the living room.... well, almost. I didn't get through the magazines on the ottoman yet, and hubby didn't take the speaker down off of the television that is no longer in use, but aside from that it looks like a new room.

I have to face the fact that two working together are much better than one with a 3 yr old alongside... on second thought, maybe I need to take two weeks in the bedroom!

Today I plan to clean all of the bed linens, fluff the pillows and replace them... I really need to get another set! I'll also try and tackle the corner of the bedroom since that's what I'm dreading most. I'm going to do things in small bits here and there as to not get overwhelmed by it, and so the rest of the home doesn't suffer by my concentration there. I've had that happen before too... clean one room and the one next to it becomes a disaster zone.

Grace on a Mission

This website is about missions in life. Being a wife and mother my main focus is my family, which means my home and everything that has to do with taking care of them. I'm always on the lookout to find better ways to do things, whether it be cooking something new and exciting, finding a new craft or game, saving money or having fun.... or having fun while saving money :)

I intend to share with you some of my journeys as a SAHM as I try to make life more fun for my family as well as more affordable. I hope to share thoughts, recipes, pictures, shopping finds and faith stories and yes, even a few failed attempts along the way.

It is my hope to share the reality of Christian life together as we walk through this crazy, mixed up world we live in, and try to make sense of where we should fit in it all.

Blessings...

My Weekly Mission...

I'm going to start a big mission every week to better allow God to work through me, and to help me open my eyes to see where he can use me. I want to see what God has in store and where else I could do things better.

I often think of ways that I think maybe I could be called but find myself never acting on it. I feel like this could be a way to help me to focus that energy on a weekly basis and help me to decipher what he wants me doing for him.

This week I will focus on finding someone that needs something, as the last post was titled, "It's not about me!"

I have to admit that I don't often like ask God to show me what I need to be doing. I'm usually afraid to ask because so often I know he will take me out of my comfort zone. I hope that I'm ready for the challenge and that I am able to follow through with it.

I will post back when I feel that I've completed this mission and let you all know the results. If you would like to join in my missions, let me know, I would be glad to hear from you. If I get a good enough response, I will look at setting up a link system so we can all check out everyone's results.

God Bless...

It's not about me! -Cafe Chat

The catchphrase “It’s not about me” has become quite popular in our current world today. What does that phrase mean to you in your personal life? Explain.

I think in today's culture it's very difficult to not be worried about "me". In this fast paced, get it now, pay for it later, throw it away society, we tend to not worry about the next person and just live for the moment.

Since I've become a SAHM I realized that there is so much to life that is missing when you don't worry about anyone but yourself and your immediate family. There are so many needs just outside our doors that we don't even notice because we're moving too fast and feel like we only have time to care for ourselves.

We've also been trained in this today's culture that you get what's coming to you. Sometime's there's something to be said for that, maybe the lack of effort or drive to get things done. Yet other times there are circumstances that are unpreventable whether it be health, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or other challenges.

It can be hard not to judge people if they are in a down situation. It's too easy to say that they could just try a little harder, or just move on from the situation, but it's not often that easy.

I think we need to be careful to watch for those around us that are hurting or in need and reach out to them. Those people in need may be us one day and we may be the one that is grateful for something as simple as a smile, a nice gesture, or a listening ear.

Since I started writing here, a song has come to mind and is stuck in my head. The song is from Alabama entitled Angels Among Us. The song speaks of angels that linger among us to help us through our darkest hours, from a kind word from a stranger, to a phone call from a friend, they're here to show us how to live, teach us how to give and to guide us with the light of love.

I can't help but think that we can be that "angel" to someone in need if we willingly listen to God's lead. I believe that God places those people in our lives that need us and that we are the one's he has chosen to do that job. If we don't do that job, it doesn't get done because it was our assignment from him. We are his arms, feet, mouths, and ears while we are walking the earth.

I'm prayerfully taking the challenge to look outside my family this week to see if I can find someone that need's something I can provide whether it be something as simple as a smile or a hug, or something that takes a little more of my being time or finances. I hope to be able to share with you what I feel God puts in my upcoming week.

I challenge you to do the same as you feel called to help in God's Kingdom and if you care to share anything God calls for you to do it would be awesome to hear about it!

So all in all, I think the phrase 'It's not about me' to me means that I am important, but overall it's about God and his Kingdom work, not me.

Lord lead me on....
God Bless!

In the Beginning of "Grace on a Mission"

My title and what it means to me... and no, my name's not Grace :)

It's hard to know exactly where to start! I'm a recently converted stay at home mom, I say converted because I was working nearly full time and loved it. I loved how it made me feel important and needed in my family. I didn't see much reason for change except that I was always longing for more time with my family, being that I had a two year old at home and he was always doing something new and I felt like I was missing out sometimes.

I went to work one day and asked if I could work a few hours less each week to have more time for my little one. I then went to a Christian women's retreat and began to think about my life a little more. I wasn't sure how to make it work, but I knew I wanted to see more of my boy growing up. I prayerfully thought about things during that weekend and knew we could financially survive if I stopped working, I just couldn't imagine it.

Time went by and nothing happened for a short time. Then on my day off one of my supervisors from work called and asked me to work more hours... What? How could that happen? Didn't I just request to work less? Maybe the message didn't get through, I thought. I had asked the office manager for the fewer hours a few months ago and she said she'd see what she could do, maybe she didn't let my supervisor and my boss in on the info?

I asked my supervisor a few questions and it seems it was an all or nothing proposal. My boss wanted me to work full time or on an as needed basis. I was shocked! I'd been there just shy of 6 yrs and done everything she had asked of me. What was I going to do now?

My husband and I had been talking about things and I knew the answer but couldn't believe how quickly it came out of my mouth. "I'm sorry." I told her. "I can't do that." She knew how I felt and told me she hadn't even wanted to make the phone call because she knew what my answer was going to be. She explained that the boss, the office manager and herself all wanted me to stay and wished they could do it another way. I asked about job sharing or other alternatives but none of the answers worked.

They asked me how long I would work in my normal capacity. They wanted me to stay until they found a replacement. I told them they could have their two weeks and then I would go. I didn't want to see what my replacement would be or how they would change my job, so it was just easier for me to step away.

My husband was secretly happy that this meant I would be staying home. I think he had dreamed that someday I would be at home making our house a home and being the nurturer that I was but didn't have time to be.

Now I'm on my mission! My mission to make my house a home in every way, from cleaning, decorating, and having good eats. To being the wife and mother to my family that God intended for me to be before I am anything to anyone else.

Sometimes that mission means giving up things I wanted for things better for the family. Sometimes it means doing everything I can to keep the grocery bill down so we can afford to do a home project or put money into savings. Sometimes it means taking care of me so I feel good about myself and can more easily conquer my day. I'm always on the hunt to make all of these things easier and more fruitful for my family.

I call my website "Grace" on a mission because I learned a very important thing on that women's retreat I spoke of. I learned that even I'm important to God! His grace is sufficient even for me! Now I don' t know about you, but I'm guilty of feeling down on myself sometimes and I needed a visual reminder that his grace is there for even me. Now every time I log on here I am reminded of that grace... abundant grace for you and me!

I chose this page with the picture of a lighthouse as well to be symbolic of Christ being the guiding light. It reminds me too that he is always there to guide me if I just keep my mind open and just look for him in my life.

I hope my site can be inspirational to you as I'm just an every day, average, Christian mom and wife trying to make it all work in this crazy, mixed up, nutso world we live in.

Me time... how important it is!

In today's culture women have so many high ideals to try to live up to. Many of us have found ourselves contributing financially to the family as well as still trying to take care of everyone else's needs and desires. This often times leaves us feeling needed but not worth anything because we are the ones primarily giving of ourselves, we have little time or effort left to take care of ourselves, and there's no one taking care of us.

Think about that a little. How do we expect to do a good job with a happy heart when we are burning the candle at both ends? God expects us to care for those around us, but we need to be sure we are cared for as well. This is something I have personally been working on and I have found so much truth in.

My husband has so lovingly told me for a long time that I need to stop running all the time and enjoy a little time everyday for myself. Have I been good about doing it? Well... not really. Not until recently that is.

I used to think that "someday" I would have time to stop for bubble baths, a movie I'd wanted to watch, a good book, or a day out with my girlfriend. I figured I would have time for it when I was done with college, then it was when I had good job, then after I had a baby. I was always trying to make excuses for not taking care of myself and allowing myself some down time. I found out that that extra time never just happens, you have to make it happen.

I've been trying to make a small space in my day where I sit down for even a few minutes just for me. I might have a cup of coffee, read from a devotional or my Bible, or listen to some good Christian music or my favorite show on the radio. I find that I have to truly make an effort to do this, but it is so rewarding.

I've found that on the days where I've spent just a few minutes for me, aside from devotional time, the day goes much smoother and I am much kinder at the end of it all.

How hard it is to tell yourself you deserve a little "me" time. I struggle almost every time I stop for it. There always seems to be so much to do and not enough time to do it, but I'm always so much better off if I can just make it happen. My husband can usually tell a difference too.

Try it, you just might be a better person for it. :)

How do you take a little time for yourself? Do you?