Just so you know…I’m posting this not because I want to but because I feel guilty for not posting since August 22.

That is so. stupid.

Anyway, I also feel like crying right at this moment and I have no idea why. I think it’s because there should be much more to life than whatever it is I do in life. Seems like so much is wasted—time, money, resources, etc. This picture wrenches my soul, as does a thousand pictures like it which tell of millions of people right at this very moment who are fighting for the very basic things in life. Meanwhile, I sit here on my nice, cushy bed, typing on my nice, fancy computer, in my nice, comfy home, while my children sleep soundly in their nice, warm beds, after eating more than enough food (and probably throwing half of it away), and whose only worries for tomorrow are whether or not they’ll watch a little TV in the morning and who they’ll play with in the afternoon. We just received our property tax bill in the mail for an astronomical amount of money that goes toward who-really-knows-what exactly, our closets are bulging with clothes because (heaven forbid) we wear the same thing twice in one week. My to-do list mainly consists of tasks that are mundane, robbing me of time and money better spent elsewhere; tasks that will have to be completed again in a day/week/month; tasks that are mostly aimed at simply maintaining stuff I really question whether we need anyway. Tasks like mowing the lawn, washing the car, painting the house, cleaning the playroom, etc. And on and on it goes.

When there are people desperate to find an ant on the ground so they can at least say they’ve eaten something today, it just doesn’t seem right that I live in such abundance, basically becoming nothing more than an expert navel gazer. There is definitely something so very wrong with that.

I’ve been on an organization kick lately. (It must be all the back-to-school prep.) As a rule, I’m a huge fan of efficiency. I’m constantly trying to think of ways to make my life more streamlined and fuss-free. Here’s a sampling of my line of thinking:

1. Nonessential walls in houses are dumb. I don’t like walls because if you have them, you have to fill them. With stuff. And I don’t like “stuff.” Just more in life to keep track of.
2. However, there is a fine line here. I like streamlined, but I don’t like cavernous because cavernous usually means echo-y and I hate echo-y. My dining room is echo-y because there ain’t much in it. Someone was visiting once and he asked me how long we had lived here. I said three years and I don’t think he believed me. He thought we had just moved in and hadn’t finished unpacking. Nope. That’s all there is. And it’s echo-y. What can I say. I just try not to talk on the phone in that room because I don’t like the idea that I sound like I live at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
3. I don’t like bookshelves. Not because I don’t like books—books are fine—I just don’t like bookshelves. I don’t like them because they’re a royal pain to clean and equally hard to keep tidy. The only surefire way to keep them tidy is to not touch the books they hold. And what’s the point of that? Bookshelves with glass doors is definitely the way to go if you must.
4. This I like. I’ve always thought the fanny pack was a great idea—too bad the traditional fanny pack, while functional, is not exactly fashionable. As far as I’m concerned, not having to carry a purse is freedom indeed. Well, now there’s a solution…almost. I say almost because this pretty little thing costs a pretty little penny. Maybe I’ll just have to make my own.
5. The computer has got to be one of the finest inventions man has ever seen. (Second only to Cold Stone Creamery.) Imagine. Every single piece of information you could every want or need right at your fingertips and you don’t have to file a thing. I stand in awe.
6. My personal multitasking record: I was shopping at Walmart once with all three kids. Then the baby got hungry. Then my sister called. So there I was, walking through Walmart pulling one kid in the cart, keeping track of one kid tagging along behind, a baby in one arm, nursing, talking on the phone propped between my chin and my shoulder, smiling at the Walmart employees staring at me and throwing things in the cart as I went.

Now. What’s your best streamlining idea?

3 1/2-year-old son: “You’re a genius, mom.”

me: “I am?”

3 1/2-year-old son: “Uh huh…because you can do all the things I want.”

Hey, are you a pastor’s wife? Do you have a blog (or similar site)? Wanna get your name on the super duper Pastors’ Wives Blogs list? Let me know.

Ya know, sometimes you just need a little boost; just a wee bit of encouragement. Well, today is my day.

I distinctly remember watching Oprah once—it was one of those makeover shows. There was a famous makeup artist on there. After he gave one woman a complete makeover, he was describing to Oprah what exactly he did. Of all the things he said, the one line I remember went something like this, “And honey, I plucked enough eyebrows to fill a small pillow.”

I immediately ran to the mirror to take a gander at those furry little (not-so-little in my case) creatures perched atop my eyes. And yes, what I had always known to be true, was true indeed. The bushy brows, a gift passed down from my generous father.

Out came those tweezers and thus commenced a very long and painful quest to fill my own “small pillow.” And the quest continues to this day, about 10 years later. Gotta keep those things in check, you know, lest they take over my face.

But behold, MY QUEST IS ENDING. And for all of you out there who battle the same beast, I offer you the option to also Throw Your Tweezers Away.

Hallelujah.

I surf the internet. A lot. I like it because I never know where I’ll end up and there is no shortage of interesting things to discover and learn.

Every once in a while I go on a surfing binge. Twas the case for the last two weeks. Lots and lots of surfing. Lots. These binges always seem to coincide with weeks that are particularly challenging in the way of childrearing. I guess it’s because surfing the internet provides the illusion that I’m running far, far away.

Anyway, I thought I’d share with you some of the places I’ve been…

Remember the Milk. It’s a very handy online to-do list/task manager. Now if only I could actually DO the things I need to do…

A Nation of Wimps. An interesting an thought-provoking article.

DesiringGod.com. This site is chuck full of good stuff. I especially like John Piper’s Magnifying God with Money series. (Here’s Part 1A to get you started.)

The Evolution of Mom and Preparation for Parenthood. Ain’t this the truth.

PocketMod: The Free Disposable Personal Organizer. Now here’s a clever trick. And a great tool for that budding author in your life too.

LifeHacking Your Grocery List. Wanna take control of your menu planning and make cooking a whole lot easier? Look no further.

Tumbleweed Tiny House Company. I’m going to live in one of these someday.

Dealing with Bullies. A much-needed resource in our family lately. Unfortunately.

Make-a-Flake. Rather useless, but so very, very cool. The things people think of.

There. Now you know some of what’s been going on in my life.

That Elisabeth Elliot. She can be feisty you know. Yesterday she told me to shut up.

Yep. Elisabeth Elliot. She told me to shut up. And it wasn’t just a polite, “Oh, please do shut up.” What she said was, and I quote, “Simply shut up for a change.”

I didn’t really have a box to put that in. I’m not sure why. But I’m cool with it. And then, randomly, I began to wonder what the worst thing Mother Theresa ever said was. I’d be interested to know. I’m not sure why.

Anyway, back to my point.

I get Elisabeth Elliot’s daily devotional delivered to my inbox every day and more often than not, I’m left with an excellent little morsel to chew on. (Shutting up was yesterday’s morsel.)

For the last several days she’s been talking a lot about holding your tongue, being quiet and things of that nature…basically, stuff I’m not very good at. In today’s devotional she talked about how we’re often faced with tough decisions, but we allow ourselves to get so busy that we’re distracted and consequently, don’t devote ample time to listening to the Spirit and seeking God’s direction.

Frankly, I don’t know what she’s talking about. This never happens to me.

OK. Whatever.

Anyway, she offered a very practical tip to combat the problem. I’m all about practical so I thought I’d pass it on to you in case you are too.

When it is impossible to break away physically to a place of solitude for a day or so in order to think and pray over a hard decision, there is one thing which I think helps—do not speak about the decision to anyone but God for forty-eight hours at least. Just hold it before Him alone. Keep your mouth shut for two days. Pray. Listen. Seek his counsel.

48 hours. Sounds easy, but the more I got to thinking about it, the more I wasn’t sure. 48 hours is a long time in my world…especially to keep my mouth shut about something.

But this would be good for me so I’ve decided to give it a whirl.

OK.

I’ll shut up now.