Just like us!

Life's gotten so nutty, time slim and too much going on! What's new?! :)

Tired of not sharing our happs with you!  So thought I'd be brief and take away from my 'wind down time' and show you a snippet of our past weekend.

Emma is just a little mini us!  Seriously!  I know I usually show her when she's like her Papa like here.. ;0

I couldn't resist laughing and snapping these shots tho, when I saw her like this!

It's mini mama!!  (when I clocked in and out for my '8 hours' a day ;0)
This call was on speaker ;0

Doesn't she look like she's really doing something here?!

And SERIOUS issue she's dealing with now...

(work connie woudl say, "don't you have something better to be doing with your time?! if nothing else - GET AHEAD!"

...all the while having fun ;0

Anyway, just thought I would entertain my audience of 3, even though we're losing 1 member tomorrow ;0  She'll see them when she gets back home, I suppose!

Nighty-night all!
PS to see all the fun I had snapping away, click here ;0

Waiting on God for Maximum Effectiveness

• Debbie Przybylski, Intercessors Arise
• Tuesday, March 06, 2012

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"We experience the adventure of intercession to the degree we have learned to wait on God. Everything about our human nature rebels against waiting. To those of us who were born in 'overdrive', waiting is not our favorite pastime. However, we discover that waiting on God in humility and faith because of who He is, and obeying His signals according to His timetable, are really where the exciting action is." Joy Dawson

How many of us rush around and have not learned the secret of waiting on God. In order to move with God's direction in the end times, we must learn this secret. The truth is that it is in waiting that we will accomplish the most for God. It is in waiting that He will give us His secrets to kingdom living. It is in waiting that we will live as overcomers and walk in joy, peace and contentment. How much time is wasted when we run down the wrong road?

Waiting on God in prayer brings forth his maximum purposes.

I am a very active person and over the last several God has taught me and my husband to wait on Him. All the world was rushing around us but He stopped us and disciplined us into waiting on Him. And now is waiting is often the place of joy because that is where God tells us His secrets. Many of you are learning the same lesson.

Waiting is going to be the key to our effectiveness. God is not looking for soulish activity. Anyone can do that. God is looking for those who can wait and let the flesh die so that the spirit can truly live for His purposes.

It is in waiting that the very highest direction for our life can come forth on a daily basis. What may look like a loss of time is really only time multiplied on our behalf. God is able to do things with a lot more efficiency than we are. The unnecessary falls to the ground and the very purposes and wisdom of God come forth in purity, holiness and power. "My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him (Psalm 62:5).

"Waiting is a discipline that has tremendous rewards. And yet vast numbers of Christians, including many who pray for others, seldom, if ever make it a way of life." 

What are you waiting for today in prayer? Don't give up. Make it a way of life. It is in waiting that we make room for God.

"The tests of our willingness to wait patiently for the Lord come almost daily for most of us.Waiting requires patience -- a willingness calmly to accept what we have or have not, where we are or where we wish we were, whomever we live or work with. To want what we don't have is impatience and mistrust of God. A spirit of resistance cannot wait on God. It is this spirit which is the reason for some of our greatest sufferings. It is here and now that we must win our victories or suffer defeats. Spiritual victories are won in the quiet acceptance of ordinary events, which are Gods 'bright servants' standing all around it. Peace does not dwell in outward things, but in the heart prepared to wait trustfully and quietly on Him who has all things safely in His hands. Can I not then wait patiently? He will show me the way." Elisabeth Elliott

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. ... I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry” (Psalm 27:14, 40:1).

Together in the Harvest,

Debbie Przybylski

Intercessors Arise International

deb@intercessorsarise.org

http://www.intercessorsarise.org

got this link from a crosswalk email this morning.  Praying we all remember to have a little patience as we wait on the Lord's PERFECT timing on whatever we're waiting for!  Have a good week ;0

Freebie!

Ah...I haven't shared yet (b/c i'm 3 months behind now on catching you up on life with the Boyd's;0) BUT we have a new play area for Em...and I HEART these for it!  HAD to share! (remember if using photoshop, you can open these up in psd's and replace color to go with your room!)

go here to download!

I love creative people that share!!

Go Get It!

New Music From Mary Mary – “Go Get It” « CBS Atlanta

I HEART Mary Mary!  They have a great new song they just released.  Click on the above link, then click to listen.  ENJOY!

To nap or not to nap...THAT is the question

Let me introduce you to me right quick :)  I am very much schedule driven.  I thrive off of organization, time lines, to-do lists, etc.  When I read/heard about baby wise, I was in heaven!!  Having my baby on a schedule OF COURSE made THE MOST sense for me.  AND the fact that Em THRIVED (still does!) off of being on her schedule was music to my ears.  She needs her sleep, and that has been the most important part of keeping on schedule.

As I shared in a previous post, the thought of going on vaca and being in other's homes, with things being out of our control was a little scary for me.  I prayed about it A LOT.  Asked for A LOT of prayer.  I came to grips with the fact that, while I was gone, I needed to of course feel Emma out for her (sleep) needs, but mostly needed to be easy going about it.  If she was OK, let it slide, put her down when we got back home, were gonna be driving, or whatever the case may be.  THAT WAS HUGE for me :) But I was ready, and away we went!

Phase I started in Indiana, and thankfully did not last long ;0 BUT it was crazy while it was happening!

I think that with all the places we were going to, none of them familiar, Emma started to go through a little attachment/separation anxiety phase with Mama.  I was the only normal, regular, consistent thing in little Miss' life over that 25 day period.  Even Papa was in and out since he was working while in Florida, then had to come back home for a bit before joining us back out in Indiana.

She has been a pretty good sleeper, generally speaking, through her whole little life.  Once she goes down and passes out she's out for the scheduled time 1-2 hours, or at night 10-11 1/2 hours.  BUT in Florida, she started waking up 2-4 times a night, ending up nursing and falling asleep with me in bed (we have NOT been co-sleepers AT ALL - this was the closest to it we got) then I'd put her back down until the next time she woke up.  It made for a pretty zombiesk first week of vaca for mama :)  When Tyler got there, and I was so exhausted was contemplating calling the trip quits early, he had the great idea of sleeping in the living room to see if that helped.  Smart man ;0  Thankfully (VERY! - can't imagine missing the rest of the trip!) it worked.  But it made me feel so awful to take up MORE of Thomas' and Steph's space!

When we got to Indy, we were able to be in a room that had a wall where we could separate where we were sleeping vs. Em's sleep space.  SO that was not an issue there either.  HOWEVER...for some reason, our PHASE - Emma started not wanting to be put down for a nap - would scream her little heart out - and started to CLIMB OUT OF HER PACK AND PLAY!!!!!!!!!!  SCARY for me for many reasons, but mainly because of the very steep staircase that I very vividly imagined her tumbling down.

I became monitor obsessed, to say the least.  (thank you Matt for lovingly pointing it out ;0).  Not resting until I could hear her sleeping or snoring.

We thought that once we got home, and she was back in the 'norm': in her crib, her house, surrounded by her things she'd easily be pacified, no longer freaking out about being put down for a nap....and I was also looking forward to being back on a schedule!  Sigh.  A few days after returning home, it was my usual schedule, Tuesday morning Bible Study and my mom stays home with Em because she's got a nap in the middle of it ;)

Since things were not yet all good in the crib hood, I was continuing to be a monitor freak - BUT I was learning what kind of screams were the ones that lead to her attempting to climb out.  BUT - I kinda forgot to tell my mom which to watch out for and just to listen intently until she was sleeping (be monitor obsessed, ahem;0).  I think you see where this is going....

(here you can also see that in her frustration, she'd taken her socks and jammy bottoms off ;0)

Yeah, so I forget the whole story, but my mom was going to check on her and this is what she saw!

About 3 weeks after being home, she finally stopped trying to get out.  We tried to tell her to just say 'mama all done' when she wanted out ;)  which posed actual napping issues for a few days, but not too bad.

As far as being back on schedule, about mid January, she finally settled back in to a new schedule.  About 3 weeks ago (Yes early Feb - BEEN WORKING ON THIS POST FOR A COUPLE WEEKS) I finally started to feel normal myself getting things done, etc.  Like always, now that things are feeling 'good' PHASE II enters.

Phase II just came about this week, and today's the first official day (AGAIN, ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO NOW).  Emma is all of a sudden not fighting through the end of her 'awake' time, clearly showing signs she's ready to nap.  Usually if she didn't take her PM nap, it was discipline city with spankings left and right until bed time.  Yes, we spank.

At 2 days shy of 19 months, she's dropped from 2 to 1 nap a day.  Sigh.  My baby girl keeps growing up.  And my 'me time' keeps shrinking down ;0  Perfect timing as I have 3 invites I'm scheduled to design over the next month, and now have less time to spend on them.  Time for mama to find a new schedule for herself!  Yes, I would like some cheese with my glass of wine ;0  Good thing the Lord's weaned me from my naps over the past few weeks, now it's just a matter of finding the time to get things done when I already thought I didn't have enough time.  Suggestions?!

Oh happy day!

***TWO WEEKS LATER***
For about 2 weeks, she couldn't always make it until noonish to go down for her 1 nap a day, so it was rough sometimes going down for a nap between 10/11, sleeping for about 1.5 hours, then putting her down to nap around 3 ish, but she wouldn't actually sleep.  As of 3/14, we are back on a 'schedule' of going down for a nap between 12-1 and sleeping for 2 hours on average.

I was really sad about it.  Feeling like I had a huge loss of productivity time.  I prayed through it tremendously for the first week, and about mid last week I started to feel like it's OK.  I'm enjoying this much better.  Timing wise, I can take my time in the AM getting situated to run errands, which we can leave for about 10 and still make it home on time for nap without having a fit;0.  It's definitely been bittersweet BUT I'm loving this freedom and extra time with Em!  And the to-do list...well, there are definitely days when I don't get very far...but leaving it all up to the Lord.  Days like the last couple of days I'm more productive now than ever.  LOVE.

OK, enough about me!  Just wanted to share about Em, my learning through it (and yes, getting back on schedule), and for the few mamas out there that haven't walked before (since most everyone has)....

When You Feel Like Giving Up: Simple Steps to Avoiding Burnout

• Cindi McMenamin, Author
• Tuesday, March 06, 2012

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Are you struggling with motivation? Is it taking all you’ve got to just face what’s on your to-do list?

I remember waking up one morning and thinking “I don’t feel like getting out of bed.  I don’t feel like doing all that I have to do today. I feel like I’m running on empty.”

It was then that I knew burnout had hit me square between the eyes. I’d lost my fire, my fervor, my fuel.

I’d written books on letting God meet your emotional needs, yet emotionally I was feeling empty. I wrote about how God strengthens us through our alone times but I was feeling weakened.  I’d written a book on how to truly rest and I was feeling more overwhelmed than ever. And a year earlier I’d written a book on discovering and living out your dream and yet I was struggling with a lack of motivation.

What was wrong with me? Why was I feeling so complacent? Why did I have no motivation to continue forward?

I met with a doctor-friend of mine and his wife over lunch one day and talked about it.

 “Burnout manifests itself in a certain activity you’re doing to the point that you’ve emptied the battery out,” said Dr. Jeff Birchall, who at that time was seeing a new person dealing with some sort of exhaustion, anxiety or depression every day…and following  up with about four every day.

Dr. Birchall said 50 percent of the population suffer from burnout at some point in their life, 10 percent at any given moment .

The symptoms of burnout? They sound a lot like the symptoms of running on empty:  chronic fatigue  (exhaustion, tiredness, a sense of being physically run down)

• difficulty sleeping (waking in the middle of the night and finding yourself unable to return to sleep)
• decreased concentration (can’t finish things)
• anger at those making demands
• self-criticism for putting up with the demands
• cynicism, negativity, and irritability
• a sense of being besieged
• exploding easily at seemingly inconsequential things
• frequent headaches and stomach aches
• changes in appetite resulting in weight loss or gain
• shortness of breath
• increased irritability (men tend to get angry more; women tend to cry more)
• social withdrawal
• depression
• feelings of helplessness

Maybe you can relate to some of those symptoms.  Burnout can sometimes look like depression. Sometimes like anxiety. Some of us feel just a hint of it, like we’re getting our toes wet…others of us are drowning in it. 

 I knew I wasn’t in a state of depression.  I wasn’t suffering from anxiety. But I was tired, overwhelmed and frustrated. The fire of my relationship with God that once burned brightly now seemed to be barely flickering. The juices had dried up. The motivation was lost. I was running on empty.

My friend says some cases of burnout or exhaustion require medication. Some require counseling. And mostly all of the cases require a change of environment to get the balance they need in their life. That one was mine. I needed the balance. Too much striving, not enough trusting. Too much work, not enough rest. Too much expenditure, not enough filling. It was time for something to change.

So I went to the Psalms – Scripture’s songs of human emotion – and related to the songwriters. They, too, experienced seasons of weariness and emptiness. They too cried out for help. And I began to notice a link between their cries for help while flat on their faces, and their ability to get back up on their feet again. What I saw in there, as that link, was a shift in focus (following times of prayer and praise) and a sense of determination.

The Psalmists often sang – in their songs of frustration and desperation – the words “I will” when it came to getting out of their slump.

When Asaph was disillusioned with the way life was going, he said “I will meditate on all Thy works…I will remember your deeds.” (Psalm 77:12).

David, in asking God to consider his sighing and hear his cries for help, said “I will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down” (Psalm 5:7). And when he felt like he was being defeated, he said “I will know that God is for me…I will not be afraid” (Psalm 56:9-11).

The Psalmists didn’t say “I think” or “I feel” or “I should.” It was “I will” – a sense of determination – a determined course of action. In all 150 Psalms in the Bible, the phrase “I will” is sung at least 140 times. That told me something. It made me realize that – whether I feel empty or not, whether I am motivated or not  – I need to do something to allow God to infuse that energy into my life again. I needed to take whatever action would put me in the place where God could relight the fire in me and re-ignite the passion that once burned brightly. But I couldn’t wait until I felt like doing something, because the feeling might never come.

So I began to follow a course of action – a series of “I will” statements -- to keep focused (in my mind), keep fit (in my body) and keep fresh (in my soul).

• I began to say “I will start my day in prayer” and “I will get into God’s Word” so I could stay focused in my mind.
• I began to say “I will eat sensibly today” and  “I will take opportunities to exercise” so I could keep fit in my body. 
• And  I began to say “I will” appreciate what God has made,” “I  will take time to reflect and worship” in order to keep my soul fresh.

As  I began saying  “I will” about the things I didn’t feel like doing, God met me where I was and infused that fuel back into my life.

So what do you need to say “I will” about today?

“I will tackle this to do list with enthusiasm”?

” I will prioritize my family today”?

“I will live in a way that honors my God”?

“I will do all that is required of me to the best of my ability”?

 Say those two words “I will” and see what you end up accomplishing today.

For more on keeping your body, mind and soul refreshed, see Cindi McMenamin’s book When You’re Running on Empty and save yourself from impending burnout. Cindi is a pastor’s wife, mother, national speaker and the author of several more books including When Women Walk Alone, When Women Long for Rest and Women on the Edge.  For more on her books, free resources and ministry helps, see her website:  www.strengthforthesoul.com.

you can find the article here.  I have finished 1 book of Cindi's in the last couple of weeks, and am reading another.  She's really ministered to me heart!  Had to share.  Hope you enjoyed!

Sharing ;0

Well, folks, I'm just all over the place.  I have 2 more posts started but just have had more important things to do then finish them up - so sorry!

BUT.  I just saw this cool thing come through in an email and thought I would share in the meanwhile :)  Lots of meanwhile stuffs, huh?! :)

ABC Printable Scripture Cards

Super cool!  I think I will print them and start going through them with Em so it will help just with letter recognition for now (abc's here we come!) and eventually will help with learning verses! YAY.  

Click here to get for your little selves.

Here we go!

If you wish to be spared from the intricate choreography and the amazing lyrics ;0  Jump to 1:44 - THAT is exactly what came to mind when I typed the post title ;0

SO....here we go - another stage little Miss Em has entered.  Going to the potty!  Since December (while in Indiana) she has started to announce, upon occasion, when she's going to go potty and when she does we head on over to her spot ;0

A few weeks back, she had about 3 trickles (if you'd like specifics) but this weekend, she successfully had a full potty experience and we were rejoicing with her!  Well, we were ecstatic, she was not quite sure how this little task could get so much attention.  

Of course, we have photos to share, so enjoy ;0

she now poses for pictures

while this shot looks like perhaps something else ;0 it was her saying 'YES' like daddy taught her with full arm motions.

That was the highlight of our weekend, how was yours?! ;0  We haven't officially started potty training as of yet.  With Tyler's travel schedule, I wanted to wait until we could both focus a full weekend's attention on it and we've found a few 3-day training plans that we're gonna pick from...so SOON and very soon :)