Tag Archives: planning

Lest we Forget

28 May

I am so grateful for the brave men and women who headed the call and left what was familiar and comfortable for a life of upheaval and uncertainty. Today I pause with reflective prayer to honor those who gave their all…the fallen brave who courageously breathed their last breath defending the country and the people they so loved.

To the families who gather around a grave rather than a grill-my prayer is that our Heavenly Father will fill them with grace, peace, and healing. That they would find comfort in each other and that the sweet memories of their loved ones will sustain them until they are reunited in Heaven. Thank you, for your great sacrifice also!

 

As you enjoy your 3 day weekend please remember and pray for all the brave men and women in our military. Pray for the mothers and fathers who will never hold their precious boys and girls in their arms again, for the wives and husbands who will never get to live out the hopes and dreams they planned together, and for the precious children who will never feel the tickle of daddy’s whiskers on their cheek or the soft embrace of their mother’s arms again. The burden is too great to let this weekend go by without a heartfelt sense of gratitude for the meaning behind our three day weekend.

 

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

 

Photo credit: Google Images

 

 

Copyright © 2016 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

Advertisement

Summer Vacation is Over…..

4 Aug

One of the reasons I love homeschooling is that it offers us limitless flexibility in our schedule.  I noticed a few weeks ago that my kids were starting to get restless-which means that they stop finding productive or fun things to do and instead come up with new and creative ways to annoy one another (anyone relate, lol?).  It was time.  Starting now also gives us an opportunity to get a head start and take some time off in the Fall and do some fun field trips with less of a crowd.

I am not one to prepare and plan ahead of time (you can read about that here), I am forever in a last minute hustle, I am getting better, but still. 

So after a week of preparations here we are at yet another first day of school! 

Introducing the 5th Grader!  She hopes to be an actress and singer one day.

Introducing the 5th Grader! She hopes to be an actress and singer one day.

 

Introducing the 2nd Grader, Jacob! He wants to be a Doctor when he grows up.

Introducing the 2nd Grader! He wants to be a Doctor when he grows up.

 

Hard at work! I love their eagerness and enthusiasm to learn!

Hard at work! I love their eagerness and enthusiasm to learn!

Who says you need to sit at a desk to learn?  The couch is perfect place to snuggle and read.

Who says you need to sit at a desk to learn? The couch is a perfect place to snuggle and read.

So, how do they REALLY feel about the first day of school?  Giddy with goofiness ;)  It's going to be a great year!

So, how do they REALLY feel about the first day of school? Giddy with goofiness 😉 It’s going to be a great year!

Three hours and then we were free to enjoy the beautiful summer day. We rounded off the day with breakfast for dinner and a trip through the sprinklers. A wonderful day indeed!

When does school start for you?  Any tips or tricks in making your day run smoother? I would love to hear from home and public school families….because both are awesome!  

Thanks for sharing in our day!

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

I would love to see what you’re Pinning!  

 

“Image courtesy of [digitalart] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net”.

 

 

 

 

Copyright © 2014 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks

15 May

I left here last seeking to manage my time better. It has been four months since I shared and my time has been fruitful, well, mostly.  I read once that a new habit needs a good three week commitment in order to become so.  Whoever came up with that time fame must not of had me in mind.  My silence has been the knuckle busting work of the Lord. He has His work cut out with this stubborn girl!

The past four months has been one of discipline and prayer.  Learning to re work your whole way of being is challenging and frustrating at best.  I had to learn how to make a schedule, to put things on a calendar, and the toughest of all was the art of saying no (I really like to say yes!).

I went into it really excited and motivated with what I thought were realistic expectations.  After a week I found myself slipping into familiar habits and clinging to every excuse as a free pass to slack off.  So I kind of retreated for a bit feeling the sting of failure.

What I love, is when something is the will of the Lord, He has ways of helping you to see things through His eyes.  It’s like the proverbial “aha” moment.

See, I thought that I had to schedule my day minute by minute in order to better manage my time.  One of the things that I love most is the organic spontaneity of life.  I love getting the itch to just go and so does my family but my new schedule didn’t allow for it. I failed because I had such tunnel vision on how this new life looked that I never considered that there were other possibilities.

Life isn’t about filling every moment with stuff -sometimes the Lord wants you to pause, kneel, and seek His face, and then rest in His grace and glory in order to be ready for whatever and wherever His will leads. His way ensures you never miss the really good things…….and sometimes the spontaneous things.

What steps do you take to better manage your time and life?  I would love to hear from you!

 

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing!

Rebecca

Come see what I am pinning!

Photo credit:”Image courtesy of [vectorolie] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net”.

Copyright © 2014 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

Trading Perfection for Progress

31 Dec

Happy (almost) 2014! This time of year is a symbolic slate clearer. The New Year allows us to reflect on the year past and look ahead at the year to come. We stop and contemplate the changes we want to see in our lives. I am sure most of us are pledging to give up something or start something. I heard that 82% of resolutions fall by the wayside and I am usually no exception! This year, like maybe some of you, I want to give up resolutions….not because I don’t think change is good but because it is usually something fluffy (to be a better person) or vague (to be healthier).  I wanted to approach this differently and give depth and substance to change.

Years past, I made my resolutions without considering that maybe the Lord might have some things in mind.  I have spent the month of December carefully evaluating the past year and spent some much needed time in prayer.  A few themes kept coming up but one really stood out and that will be my theme for 2014.

My theme is Time.  I am a fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl.  I am a last minute with everything…actually I always say I work best under pressure but the truth is, yes, whatever it may be gets done but the stress really zaps my energy and joy.  I vow almost daily to make a schedule and have a plan but when night rolls around I tell myself I will do it tomorrow.  So everyday my tomorrows get busier and busier and it is easier to just keep with the same cycle. I really feel the Lord is placing on my heart that I need to be intentional with my time and use my days wisely.  I started by taking a week to write down what I generally do in a day from quiet time (but because of poor planning doesn’t take precedence), homeschool, cleaning, cooking, errands, and all the other little things in-between.  With a shiny new planner I have a schedule in place (penciled in….of course) including a weekly meal plan.  The month of January will be trial and error (one reason everything is penciled in) and fine tuning.  I pray that this will lead to a life less harried and that joy abounds in all that the Lord has in store for me and my family.

I think it is important to remember that what I am after is not perfection but progress.  I think that is why resolutions in the past have fizzled and died within weeks of the New Year.  I need to let go of perfection and excuses…neither lead to progress but to continued failure.  A Cycle I am ready to get off.  I love that the Lord doesn’t want to leave me where I am.  He is working and stretching me to make me more Christ like.

Do you have any resolutions or themes for the New Year?  What are some ways you’re intentional in making progress?

I hope you are all having a wonderful celebration with those you love! My prayer for you is that this year you will grow deeper in your faith, that your marriages will be stronger and more passionate, that you will find great purpose in being a great parent, to be more intentional with your friendships, and mostly, to find ways to be a blessing to others. May God guide your paths, comfort you, and give you peace as you embark on a shiny new year!

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~
Rebecca

You can find me on Pinterest

“Image courtesy of [ satit_srihin] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net”.

Linked up with

rhm

Copyright © 2013 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

%d bloggers like this: