(enter the wide-eyed emoji face that I overuse on my iphone, that's the one I use when I am thinking "yikes")
wow. it feels like it's been forever since I sat down and just wrote, just blogged.
like, actually blogged, not just sharing pictures.
which, don't get me wrong, I love sharing pics and it's a great way for family and friends to "see" what's happening in our life if they aren't around in the day-to-day.
It's been a while for a variety of reasons.
These past few months have been CRAY.
As you've seen from the previous picture-filled posts, we celebrated both our girl's birthdays, with Christmas in between...oh, and we threw a NYE party (kids included). oh, and the girls switched to new classes at school. oh, and I'm trying to get into a routine of being healthier. oh, and my hubby's been super busy at work. oh, and we've traveled some.
oh, AND....
you get it.
just LIFE.
(above pic is me on my first day of half-marathon training...cannot wait to share more about this.
God is already using it to refine me...physically and mentally!)
but the biggest "oh, and..." is this:
The Lord has recently spoken some things to me, to us as a couple and a family,
about the ORDER of things in our life and in our home, and in everything really.
And part of what He is asking of me is to really weigh the value of and ask His guidance on the things that are before me to do, and then to prioritize them.
I know, so many of us start the new year with a fresh desire to prioritize our days and our lives,
and while the "new year" is part of this for me...it's more than that.
It's that HE spoke it.
HE is leading my hand and my heart to align my days exactly how they need to be.
So all that to say...blogging has obviously not been a priority.
Y'all know me, and you know I love this blog world, this beautiful, crazy, connected, encouraging blog community I have here.
And you know I love to share my life and my heart.
And y'all know I am pretty open when He leads me to be. (you have walked through a lot with me here in these pages of my story).
So you KNOW this is important to me.
It just hasn't been the most important lately.
It hasn't been something that I have been able to fit in without wearing myself out.
And part of this ordering thing God is speaking, is that He is asking me to check myself with those things, those "extras" that take away from the energies He has already allotted to me in that moment,
to do what is before me, in that moment.
Am I making sense?
(those are my little stinkers sneaking down the stairs together the other night...another thing we've been up to lately is moving our girls together into one room...quite the adventure!)
There's so much to "get in order" that it can feel overwhelming if I let it.
And while the closets, the attic, the shed, my kitchen cabinets, and those kinds of things are definitely on the list (and are already undergoing major organizational changes!!)...
I'm also talking about getting the more important things in order.
My love, my time, my heart, my health.
Learning to serve my husband better with my time, and with my efforts as the keeper of our house.
Learning to spend time playing and just being with my little girls.
Learning to cook well and exercise more.
Learning to plan ahead and prepare so that my time can be managed as best as possible.
I'm not a perfectionist, but sometimes I wish I was because it might be a little easier than having to work at it so much to be more organized.
But I do think it's something I am supposed to learn.
Not perfectionism...just order.
Part of listening to what God has put in my heart
has been getting up earlier than my family to start my day in peace.
I don't make it up every single day, but it is becoming a majority, which is a huge success for this girl who loves her sleep!
Rising before my home is awake is really amazing.
I plan to share more about that this week.
(you may already know about this by my #risetorest Instagram posts)
It truly has been life-changing.
Not to mention, it's just nice to have a cup of coffee or a shower in the quiet, before the chaos starts!
So all this to say...
Things HAVE to be in order for me right now.
He says in Psalm 37:
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart".
I feel like this applies to me, to my prioritization right now.
Because if I can honor the things, the time, the resources, the tasks that He has put before me each day,
then He WILL allow my heart to be full...
and He WILL allow me special energy and extra time to do the things my heart desires.
Like blogging. :)
I feel like He is wanting me to realize that He CAN and WILL give me this desire.
and the time to make it happen.
And like I said, while it's not the most important thing, blogging is important to me,
this community is important to me, and sharing my story and His heart right here is important to me.
And I know that desire is important to Him too.
I love this little space and I love you guys.
So...you'll see me around, as He leads. :)
- - - - - - - - - -
(I'll leave yall with a few pics to "catch up" a bit):
Can you see her name up at the top?!
She totally surprised me one day while we were practicing letters and just wrote her own name!
Proud mama.
Me and my now 4-year-old.
She's growing up WAY too fast now.
Me and my now 2-year-old.
She's also growing up WAY too fast now!!
TIME FLIES!!!!
