Lori Seaborg

A Wishlist of Things to Do in 2009

 

I keep a little spiral notebook handy for jotting down things. In it, is a long list of things I want to do, started on January 9th, 2008. I've added to it over the past year (I want to do everything in the world that's not scary or evil, so my list is quite long).

1. Streak*: A 28-day (Sundays off) of strength exercises each morning
2. Spin on a drop spindle
3. Weave on a loom
4. Design a rug hooked piece
5. Complete the rug hooked piece I designed
6. Learn Photoshop actions
7. Plan menu for 30 days
8. Create recipe notebook of healthy options
9. Streak: 14 days of moving every day (heart-pumping exercise, Sundays off)
10. Plant a fall garden
11. Schedule goat & cat vaccine and worming care
12. Streak: Carry a snack bag wherever we go for 14 days
13. Get new Nikon lens and learn it
14. Learn f-stops and other buttons on camera
15. Knit an intermediate project
16. Write an ebook
17. Learn how to create Adobe .pdf documents
18. Streak: Read to children for 10 days straight
19. Create school schedule for rest of year
20. Design a softie
21. Write a tutorial on that designed softie
22. Read all of the Old Testament (Bible) to kids
23. Streak: Go to the riverbank for 14 mornings in a row
24. Print 50 photos
25. Write a letter
26. Write a thank you note
27. Write a letter again
28. Teach kids a new sport (note: my man totally needed to help out here!)
29. Streak: 7 days of being only positive to my man
30. Start FreelyEducate.com
31. Visit North Carolina
32. Schedule time for my learning (use this time for learning new things)
33. Schedule time for creativity
34. Give away 20 books for nothing in return
35. Knit scarf for our big fella
36. Make salve
37. Streak: Tea Time at 4pm for 4 days in a row
38. Attend a symphony
39. Attend an opera
40. Learn to hand quilt
41. Finish a hand quilted piece
42. Identify five birds
43. Learn to needle felt the goat's mohair
44. Learn to smock
45. Put photos into at least 2 frames
46. Make our little gal a softie or soft doll while she's still little
47. Make a chore chart for the kids
48. Make a chore chart for me
49. Plant a spring garden
50. Design a punch needle embroidery (photo above)

There is an update in the middle of my lists that says, "On May 5, 2008, I had a big setback, tearing ligaments in my left ankle. It is now September 5th and it's still painful and swells but finally I'm up to working on this list again." It makes me sad that I missed so much time due to a silly injury, but, ah, well. While laying around, waiting for it to heal, I accomplished the things I could and dreamed about the things I couldn't.

I'm still working on that list. The problem is, it grows more quickly than I can complete it.

What would you add?

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*Streak means all in a row. For example, "Streak: 14 days of moving every day," would mean I need to move for 14 days straight in order to check it off. Streaks, I hope, will help me kick-start something so that it becomes a habit.

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Lori Seaborg
http://loriseaborg.com

On Contentment

I'm not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I have not learned to be content in every situation. But I have learned so much.

I've realized that there is always going to be a house bigger and better than my own. Even a mansion owner could find a better, bigger mansion. I've learned that God tells us to offer hospitality even while knowing that our house may not be yet perfect.

I've learned that God doesn't care a fig about money. He cares about my heart. Money is just another "thing" to Him; it is not eternal.

When I am not content, I am in the way of God's work. Being discontent keeps me in the present, obsessing. Being content allows God to move me forward. Hoping. Trusting.

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Lori Seaborg
http://loriseaborg.com

Oh, Great...Mommy Guilt Again

Did I just write about Mommy Guilt only 3 days ago?  I cannot believe it was me who wrote those words, because today I received it in a three-hour dose.  I do a LOT, but nothing well.  That's what I said to myself today. 

 

The 10-year-old was in pajamas until noon because he couldn't find shorts to wear; the 2-year-old is going through potty-training and had an "accident" on the kitchen floor; I tried making a nice lunch for my man but it took an hour longer than anyone's stomach planned on waiting; the new puppy was yapping loudly for attention that I didn't have time to give; our luggage was still packed from our trip 6 days ago; my bed wasn't made; the floors were a mess; there was laundry to do; all the children were being disobedient; and I didn't get my God time in.

 

So I finally crumbled and said to dh, "I do so many things and I want to be perfect at them all. But I don't do anything well." 

 

Do you ever feel like that?  Overwhelmed with all that you're doing, and even more overwhelmed with all that needs to be done. Finally, you reach a crying point (or a yelling point).  You feel like a failure.  So Satan gets your ear.  He tells you that you're a failure and that you're a really bad mom. 

 

Do you really think you are? 

 

I know that you're not. 

 

God knows that you're not. 

(Originally published on my 2005-2008 Keeping the Home blog)

Let Go of Mommy Guilt

This is a blog post for mothers.  I am going to give it to you straight. 

 

You have so much to offer the world. You have so much to offer to God. Don't you think God gave you your personality and your talent for a reason?

Of course!

Satan does NOT want you to use your talents or your magnetic personality. He wants you to think you are a failure. He wants you to look at your faults. He wants you to think you cannot possibly have something to offer others. He wants you to think that you are not likeable or loveable. He wants to defeat you.

Why? You know how he works! You are a terrible threat to him! You have a talent that was given to you by God for a purpose. Satan wants the world to be ugly and people to be lonely. He does not want you to accomplish what God has for you.

You could be used by God in an awesome ministry, even if only for an audience the size of your little family (to God I doubt the number of people we touch in a lifetime matters, but that we touch the ones we were put here to touch). But you will never have a ministry - not one of any kind, not even one to your family - unless you stop listening to Satan's lies. In order to be used by God, you must force yourself to listen only to God while shutting out Satan's lies.

God NEVER, NEVER focuses us on our faults. Satan does.

I once heard that guilt is from Satan, conviction is from God.

Satan wants us to think we are bad mothers (I hear that one daily from him, too!). He likes "mommy guilt."

God would NEVER tell us that we are bad mothers. He is the eternal optimist! He can see what we cannot see. He can see our potential. He may convict us, as He did to me when I needed to apologize to our nine-year-old a couple of nights ago, after yelling at him for hurting his sister. I did not handle it well at all. After I sent him to bed in tears, I felt God convicting me to go to him and apologize. I did that and he and I had a nice time together, talking (children are so forgiving!).

Later, I felt guilt and in tears I said aloud, "I am such a bad mother! I mess up every single day!" But since I've been working on recognizing that mommy guilt is not from God, I didn't allow my mind to stay there.

God would not want me to say that or to think that.

Saying that I am a bad mother does not glorify Him at all. He does not think I'm a bad mother. He doesn't even think the worst mother in the world is a bad mother. Instead, He sees the mother that she could be. Only Satan is served by me thinking that I am a bad mother.

Those words of doubt and guilt that you hear are coming from Satan. He wants you to believe them. If you believe that you have nothing to offer God, then Satan wins because you will not offer anything to God.

Remember, God is the eternal optimist! He sees the wonderful mother, wife and woman that we are capable of being and He ENCOURAGES us to be that person.

God bless you today!

(Originally published on my 2005-2008 Keeping the Home blog)

A Mother's Calling

One of my favorite blog posts includes this quote from Martin Luther, which speaks volumes to me as a mother:

Our natural reason looks at marriage and turns up its nose and says, “Alas! Must I rock the baby? Wash its diapers? Make its bed? Smell its stench? Stay at nights with it? Take care of it when it cries? Heal its rashes and sores? And on top of that care for my spouse, provide labor at my trade, take care of this and take care of that? Do this and do that? And endure this and endure that? Why should I make such a prisoner of myself?”

What then does Christian faith say to this? It opens its eyes, looks upon all these insignificant, distasteful and despised duties in the spirit, and is aware that they are all adorned with divine approval as with the costliest gold and jewels.

Its says, “O God, I confess I am not worthy to rock that little babe or wash its diapers, or to be entrusted with the care of a child and [my spouse]. How is it that I without any merit have come to this distinction of being certain that I am serving thy creature and thy most precious will? Oh, how gladly will I do so. Though the duty should be even more insignificant and despised, neither frost nor heat, neither drudgery nor labor will distress me for I am certain that it is thus pleasing in thy sight.”

~ You can read Luther's entire essay, "The Estate of Marriage," here

A (Perfect) Blog Drought

I've been in a blog drought. (Obviously.) For a while there, I had so many posts going through my head that I couldn't get them all down. Sometimes I'd even post with a past date, just to sneak in a few extra thoughts without overwhelming you all in one day.

It's upsetting to me to be in a blog drought. I write to you in my head daily, but lately my head-writing has been in sentence fragments. I cannot post my fragment-thoughts. They are not fit for such a fine blog specimen as this.

Or are they?

One of my chief problems in life is Perfectionism. Maybe everyone has it, in some area of their life or another. Someone I know is getting "twins" in April, as she says, in search of the Perfect Breasts. FlyLady writes often, in her housecleaning emails, about getting away from the idea that you have to have the Perfectly Clean House. We all want our children to behave as Perfect Children would.

I struggle with many areas of Perfectionism, and one of them is Perfect Prose. I want to dazzle you, tickle your heart, itch your emotions. I think and think so hard that nothing comes out. If nothing comes out, what's the purpose of this blog?

I want the purpose of this blog to be that of helping other women feel inspired. That if UnPerfect Me can have this silly but happy life, then you can have a silly, happy life, too. I'd like you to leave here with knowing that God loves you a bundle, that I care about you and pray for you, and that slowing down for baking bread, hugging a child, and raising chickens is well worth the lack of pace.

You can definitely over-think. Even about a blog.

Tonight, I am letting you know that I'm back, and I am committed to posting regularly, but not always in Perfect Prose.

Instead, I will look to my Creator, the only truly Perfect one, who is able to take the Unperfect and make it Just Right.

(Originally published on my 2004-2006 Keeping the Home blog)

A Stay-at-Home Mom is Stuck at Home?

 

"I don't know how you do it," Janie said recently, "I couldn't stand to be stuck at home like that."

 

"Will you be quitting work now that John got his promotion?" I ask Deb.

"No, I don't want to be stuck at home all the time," she says.

 

"STUCK at home"? Few three-word sentence fragments annoy me more than those three words put together.

 

Why are we who choose to be home perceived as "stuck" at home?

 

Aren't we the ones who have the most freedom?

 

We can get up at 10am, wear no makeup, watch t.v., walk around in grubby clothes, ignore the kids and deal with the consequences later, stay up until 2am without concern about an early morning alarm, see how long the baby can go without her diaper leaking, eat ice cream at breakfast, doughnuts at noon, and feed the kids PB&;J sandwiches for every meal.

 

Or..., we can choose to see our baby's first walk, change every one of her thousands of diapers so we don't miss out on the interaction we get with her when we do, read and study to wisen up our brains, sell something extra on eBay, practice baking and gardening and knitting and Spanish lessons, take the girls to ballet and the boys to baseball, read a book aloud to the kids after lunch and have a cup of tea at 3pm.

 

Over the past 9 years, I have been a working-outside-the-home mom, a working-at-home mom, and a stay-at-home mom (unpaid work). Of all of them, it is the stay-at-home mom who gets the greatest disdain from the outside world.

 

But don't you worry about her.

 

She owns all of the 1,440 minutes in each of her days. And she can spend each of those minutes as she wills, with no boss, no schedule but her own, and all the freedom every American loves to have.

 

If she gets a hankering for a bologna sandwich, she can go to the grocery store and get the ingredients. If she wants to see a movie, she can load the kids into the van and take them. She can attend a craft show on Friday afternoon and a Grand Opening pre-sale on Thursday morning.   

 

She has been given the freedom to choose how to fill her days.

 

If having that kind of freedom is being "stuck," then I am so glad I'm one of those poor souls who are "stuck at home."

(Originally published on my 2005-2008 Keeping the Home blog)

Today I Am...

Ordering...50 baby chickens from McMurray Hatchery (up 25 from my idea last week -- still don't tell my man!)

Screaming...inwardly at the computer because I can't figure out how to put a photo next to my profile on this blog

Listening...to our baby girl make her sweet baby noises while playing in the room next to the one I'm in.

Waiting ...another 12 days or so to see if our bunnies really do "breed like rabbits"

Hoping...(all of us except my man) that we have baby bunnies for Easter to go along with our 50 chicks

Liking...my man a lot better now that I am writing about all the animals he is being so patient to let me have

Looking...at the Dead Sea Scrolls in Mobile, Alabama yesterday afternoon. Wow! Israel has never let them out of their country before and we are so honored.

Breathing...or not. A minute ago, I tried to see if I would really pass out if I didn't have a mouth and had to use my congested nose to breathe. Experiment failed, but just barely.

Sorting...through piles of children's clothes to store or give away. I cannot keep up with it!

Writing...a newsletter

Making...something that takes no imagination for dinner. I do NOT feel well! What's on TV tonight?

(Originally published on my 2005-2008 Keeping the Home blog)

Luke 4: When Satan Tempts

Luke 4 is the chapter where Satan tempts Jesus. Jesus had just come from the Jordan full of the Holy Spirit. In other words, He came back from a trip with his heart right with God (as it always was with Jesus).

He then went into the wilderness and was tempted for 40 days by the devil. That's an astonishingly long time to be alone in the wilderness with anyone, but especially the devil. Jesus, of course, handled this time of temptation very well.

Here are a few of my thoughts about Luke 4:

1. Jesus entered the temptation being "filled with the Holy Spirit" (verse 1).

Be ready for Satan's attacks by keeping your relationship with God strong. How? Simply read the Bible and pray. Hang onto your "God Time" each day. Keep it scheduled and be punctual, just as you would if you were meeting with the Most Important Person Imaginable.

2. Satan attacks our weakest points (vs. 1-4).

Jesus had just gone 40 days without food. Satan knew what Jesus needed and craved most. So he suggests that Jesus turn a rock into bread. Of course Jesus could have done it! Instead, Jesus says, "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of God." Be aware of your weak areas. Satan knows what they are.

3. Jesus responded to Satan's temptations with Scripture (vs. 4, 8, 12).

Quoting Scipture is the best way to thwart Satan because he can't argue with God's word. Memorize Scriptures in the areas where you are weak so you will be ready the next time Satan strikes.

4. Satan eventually gives up for the time being (vs. 13).

Satan finally quit trying to tempt Jesus and left. Hang in there and stick close to God. Don't give in to the sin. Quote Scriptures in your head and out loud. Satan will leave.

5. Satan will try again. (vs. 13)

"[Satan] departed from [Jesus] until an opportune time." Satan will not give up permanently. He will wait until you are weak again. Be aware of that.

May you be successful in your Satan-dodging today!

I Am Poor & Needy

I love this verse of David's:

 

"But I am poor and needy;
Yet the Lord thinks upon me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God." (Psalm 40:17)

 

I love it that David was poor and needy, as I have been in my life.  I love it that God thinks about me no matter where I am in life. 

 

Take comfort that the Lord "thinks upon you."  He thinks about you, even little ol' you who might otherwise feel insignificant or needy.

 

Maybe you feel that you are no one of consequence, poor, homely (I doubt it!), and that you got the short end of the stick when it came to brains. 

 

Still, the God of all the Universe is thinking about you.  That's something!

 

David says, "Do not delay" to God.  Sometimes God seems snail-slow when it comes to dishing out the blessings. 

 

If that's the case for you, ask God to hurry it up a bit.  He just might agree, or - watch out for this - He might change your perspective. 

 

Maybe you are not as poor or needy (or as homely!) as you thought you were.

(This article was originally published on my 2005-2008 Keeping the Home blog)

Today I Am...

Driving...a rental car. Our van was wrecked last week, but it was a single-car accident and - thank God! - my man was perfectly fine. The van slipped off the road in a heavy rainstorm, landing in a ditch with an unluckily-placed pipe that smashed up the underside. C'est la vie!

Reading...Laine's Letters, a site written by a wife & mom in California who has a heart for God like none I've read, and shares yummy recipes to boot!

Loving...my time with my brother, Stephen, who is moving to Chile in a week. We enjoyed a coffee-and-bookshop kind of day in my artsy-writerly town.

Drooling...over a bit of toffee from Punta Clara Kitchen. There is no doubt that the angels will serve toffee in Heaven!

Chatting... about chunky yarn and bamboo knitting needles with the shop owner of a tiny yarn shop in our tiny town.

Collecting...19 eggs while the 20th was being laid. Anyone want some?

Laughing...at my man's reaction when I emerge from the car with a girl bunny. Our boy bunny needed a wife and I simply could not resist her black spots on white fur.

Grinning...when he asks me if I realize that we are now going to have baby bunnies all over the place.

Ordering...28 baby chicks from Murray McMurray. Don't tell my man, okay? :)

(Originally published on my 2004-05 Keeping the Home blog)

Finding Contentment

I was feeling discontent in our 1200 square foot home with four children ages 6 and under. I wanted so desperately for God to move us to the country, to a bigger and better home, but we had just lost a business so moving was not an option. We wouldn't be able to get another home loan now that our credit rating was ruined.

Me, a country girl at heart, was stuck in the middle of a small city with codes that would not allow me to raise even a chicken. Although we had a yard, there were no climbing trees on our property for the children to enjoy. No tadpoles, chicks, bunnies. We had no garage, no shed, no basement, and no attic. In other words, every thing the six of us owned had to fit into that 1200 square foot place. Not easy for Americans!

I was one discontent mama, living my days in that little house with so many small children around me. My man drove an hour each way to work, taking our only car with him. For 11 hours each day, I was alone with the children, unable to leave the home, wallowing in my discontentment and self-pity.

One day while at a Bible study (my mom invited me to go with her so we crammed the children into her car), someone quoted these words:

• Never allow yourself to complain about anything - not even the weather.
• Never picture yourself in any other circumstances or someplace else.
• Never compare your lot with another's.
• Never allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise.
• Never dwell on tomorrow. Remember that tomorrow is God's - not ours.

I didn't hear any other words for the rest of that Bible study hour. I only heard the above words over and over. As soon as the Bible study was over, I grabbed the woman who had quoted the words. She said she got them out of Calm My Anxious Heart and allowed me to borrow her book.

In Philippians 4:11-13, Paul says, "For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret to be content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do anything through him who gives me strength."

I did not go home and become immediately content.  No, my discontent had grown over many years, so it was much too large to release in one day. It did decrease, though, when I focused less on things and more on God. I learned, over time, that contentment will bring peace.

The peace that follows contentment is worth accepting my circumstances.

(Originally published on my 2004-05 Keeping the Home blog)