Week 1 of 3in30

Well, this week has gone pretty well with my new goals for August. I am so excited about my progress so far.

I have sewed some on my quilt project so I am very hopeful on that goal. Here is a picture of the quilt. It is for my sister in law and her birthday was last month that is why it is on my goal list so she can actually get her birthday present...LOL

My second goal was to declutter for 15 mins each day and I have been doing really well with this. I did my laundry room this week, cleaned out the fridge, took everything off the top of it and cleaned....I haven't seen that in I can't tell you how long. I cleaned the oven and microwave as well. In my laundry room, I can't tell you how long it has been since I seen the top of the dryer....you know how all the things you find in the washer go there, like change, chapstick, left over socks with no matches, lint, and such things. Now, I can actually get into the laundry room...LOL.

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My third goal was to get this body moving. I went out and purchased a Leslie Sansone walking video this week and I have been using it. I can't believe how much that video gets your heart moving. Crazy. I weighed myself today and I am down 2 pounds from last week so YEA me!!!

I also have been doing the challenge of reading the bible in 90 days and I have to say this is day 26 and I have now read 17% of the bible. It has now become a habit to get up and read when I first wake up, I can not tell you how much I love this time with the Lord. Now, I have always spent time in His Word each day, but I haven't started reading the bible from start to finish like this before. I love how much I am learning about why we needed Jesus. It has raised some questions in me as well. Like how the people didn't run out of animals to sacrafice? They had to kill a bunch of animals....and they never ran out. Why the Israelites kept turning from God, even though He provided for them at every turn? How silly men can be for listening to those crazy women that led them down to distruction? Anyway, it has been so enjoyable each day.

My hubby comes home next week for a visit and I am so excited. This year has been rough with him traveling so much, but we are so grateful he has a job during a time of lay offs. My daughter is coming in this weekend from Lubbock and I get to spend some much needed mommy daughter time. I can't believe how much I miss her not being here at home. We are going to be making some domino necklaces for her friends. She has worn hers and they just love it, so we are going to make them some to suprise them. That should be tons of fun.

Talk at you all soon!

New Month-New Goals

Well monday starts a brand new month and since I showed up late in the 3 in 30 challenge I will start with August in my new goals. I need goals, if I don't have them it is so easy for me to become stagnant. Is this you? If so check out the www.3in30.ashleypichea.com and join us with the challenge.

1-Finish a quilt I have been working on forever.

2-Spend 15 minutes decluttering my house each day. I have a ton of clutter that just needs to go.

3-Get some form of exercise each day. I hate to exercise anyone that knows me can attest to this, but I have been gaining weight like crazy and I can't stand it any more. I need to move this body. I know I just need to find something I enjoy doing.

So, I am excited about a new month and new possibilities. Good luck to all those ladies taking the 3in30 challenge....I know we can accomplish great things!!!

Tuesday Tatterings

Today I woke up feeling great...no back pain...no headache...Praise God!!! I think these new meds are working. And I have some energy today.

I haven't been able to wake up at 8 like I have wanted to, these new meds really knock me out. But when I got up this morning I was able to get some things accomplished today so that makes me very happy. I dusted the living room, decluttered for 15 minutes, put a load of laundry in and cleared off the hall tree. I feel great about all of this, since I haven't been able to do much lately. Woohoo!!!

My bible in 90 days is going so well, I have kept up with my reading plan and been so enjoying soaking up God's Word every day. The ladies in our Group 37 at momstoolbox have been so encouraging and inspiring that it keeps me on target.

My wins this week:
Staying on track with my reading.
Getting to bed by 10 pm each night.
Saying my affirmations each day.
Journaling each day.
Relying on God while Brian is gone.
Improvement in energy this week.


I think that is pretty good for this week. Now, off to read more of bible before my life coaching call.

3in30 Challenge

I ran across a wonderful blog the other day during our caffienated conversations on the blog Home Sanctuary and it is called 3in 30. It is all about setting 3 goals to complete in 30 days. I thought this is perfect for me since I need some new habits in my life.

So here are my goals for July.

1-I will get up by 8am each day.
2-I will declutter one area of my house for 15 mins each day.
3-I will do a load of laundry every other day.

I know these don't seem very big for most people, but for someone who abhors house work or mornings this will be a challenge for me.

To check out the 3in30 blog go to http://3in30.ashleypichea.com/



So, lets see what tomorrow brings.

90 Bible Challenge-Updates

Hello Readers!!!

I began a challenge on July 11th to read the bible in 90 days, through www.momstoolbox.com and I can't tell you how much this has blessed me. There are over 1,000 participants in the challenge...can you believe that? It amazes me. I have read the first 4 books of the bible in the two weeks since the start of the challenge. It definitley brought me back to the BSF year of "The Life of Moses." I am so grateful we don't have to sacrifice any animals for our sin and God provided the perfect spotless lamb His Son The Lord Jesus Christ to take away our sin instead. It also reminded me that grumbling upsets the Lord, wow those people could grumble and so can I on occasion. Can you imagine being led by the Lord in such a way as a cloud covering you during the day and a pillar of fire by night? Having enough manna each day to get your fill? Having seen Moses raise a staff and strike a stone for fresh water? Just to know God is with you 24-7 in such a tangible way and still grumble. Boy, I have felt in my life that I have wandered in the desert, but I also know that God has held my hand each step of the way. Iam so glad I decided to take this challenge and look forward to drinking in God's word each day.

In this challenge we have been separated into groups so we can check in and post our thoughts, comments and our status on our reading. We have been assigned a mentor that helps us remain accoutable that helps us immensely to stay on track. If you want to check out the challenge go to www.momstoolbox.com and click on the button Bible in 90 Days. You can also follow us on twitte through the hashtag #b90days.

Other status updates:

Brian is back on the road, he is now in Lancaster Pennsylvania until late Oct or early Nov. This has been difficult having him gone this year, but we are grateful that he has a job during a time of layoffs at his company. Praising God for that!!!

I have seen my Rheumatologist and a new primary care physician. We have changed some of my meds and added some new ones to try to get these migraines back under control. I am being scheduled for a MRI of the brain to make sure I have a brain and to make sure there is nothing else there. I fell down the stairs about a month ago and pinched a nerve in my back, I thought it was doing good, but then we went camping and laying on an air mattress didn't do it a bit of good. I reaggravated it...yuck. I have a very hard time sitting for any length of time and walking any long distance kills me. The doctor told me that if the adjustment in meds does not work that we may have to do some cortisone injections in low back and neck...pray that doesn't have to happen. I am having a major flare up of my fibromyalgia so my pain level is off the charts. I don't think people understand how being in chronic pain effects people emotionally. It is a cycle, I get stressed the I get in more pain, then I get depressed because I can't do the things I want or need to do, then I get stressed....and the cycle continues. I am just taking a day at a time and praying that God will heal me in a mighty way.

I am looking forward to getting back to church, I have been out so much since my health has been bad, but hopefully next week I will be able to sit in a chair. I miss being with my church family.

I leave you with some pictures of our camping trip to the Guadalupe River.

Melissa looks like she is having a blast huh?

Awe...the life of tent camping....3 beds in one tent. All the kids sleeping....this was the best part for me and my sister...LOL

Wow, what kind of face is that? But it is so Melissa!!!

Cousins-Mikki and Melissa holding on to my raft hoping to spill me over....I threatened their lives so I stayed afloat.

As you can tell I got a little sunburned....but I am good now.

Me and my sister Buffy and Melissa acting like she does.

Me, Heather and Melissa...we don't get together to have pictures very often anymore...so we decided to take one even though we all look camping weary...lol

The Company Girls

I just joined this new blog site called Home Sanctuary. I found it through another blog. Her blog is about doing one small thing each day to create a sanctuary in your home. That is exactly what I want my home to be a sanctuary. Doesn't that sound nice and comforting. When I listened to her video, I thought my goodness this women is me. I get overwhelmed with my to do list, cleaning, or providing a nice home for my family. I think my ADD has a big part in that. I find myself running around not getting much accomplished. I go from room to room thinking "oh, I found this glass in the living room, then I take it to the kitchen, and find a bunch of mail, that I take to the office, there I find a hair band, that I take to the bathroom, then I find some laundry, take to laundry, then find I still have a load of clothes in the washer, that I don't know how long has been there, start the load over again, find I have to take the hanger clothes upstairs to put closet find, that I have way too many clothes, try to purge some things in my closet, but need a box to put them in, go to the garage, find that I forgot to feed the dogs and so goes my day...over and over again." Crazy, but this is true. So, when I ran across this Home Sanctuary Blog, I thought I can do one small thing and eventually the small things will start to add up. I will let you all know how it goes...LOL

Dependence

I know it has been so long since I posted. It is crazy how life just gets away from us sometimes. It has been a very challenging year to say the least.

I have fallen into a funk over the last couple of weeks and I wish I could put my finger on why that is. I don't want to see or talk to anyone, I don't want to go out of the house, I don't want to do any of those things that I enjoy doing, like crafting, quilting or spending time with friends. I hate this feeling. I have had such bad headaches that I can hardly pick my head off the pillow, I missed two of my acupuncture appointments this week because of it. I am trying so hard to search why I am feeling like this.

I was talking to Brian last night and he gave me such encouragement, I love my husband!! He is the most gentle, patient and generous man I know. He asked questions, he prayed with me, he gave me scriptures to lean on. Can a woman ask for anything more than that? He said "honey, you are one of the most positive women I know, what will I do if you start ranting when we are stopped at a red light instead of saying "this is a time when God wants you to stop and reflect on him" I just couldn't help but laugh. He knows me so well. I have always looked at life as there is a silver lining somewhere. I find the positive in everything. Why is it so hard to find some positive now? My life is good, I have a wonderful husband, my kids are doing so well, I just got back from a dream vacation, I spent some wonderful time with my sisters and my nieces and nephew, what is wrong with me??? There is no reason to be feeling like this. One of my friends I texted the other day, she asked "when is your hubby coming back?" and I said Friday. I think something clicked a little. Brian has been gone most of the year and I didn't think it bothered me, well I guess it has. Part of me is missing. I have always been a strong person. But him being gone so long has taken a toll on me. But just knowing that my hubby is in the house and I know I can talk to him, hear him snoring, lean into him when I feel weak, know he will be here to take care of me when I don't feel well, hug me until I can't breathe, scare me every chance he gets, make fun of the way I pronounce words, take care of the family and just knowing when I fall asleep at night he is just there to protect me. Maybe I just didn't know how much this would effect me. But tonight he comes home and I am so grateful.

I appreciate that he has a job, that I have had the opportunity to visit countries that I never would have had he not been there, that we have a steady income, dont get me wrong. But I am very thankful for all those things. I just know that some of this funk is because my other half is not here.

I opened my devotional book today "Jesus Calling"....(fabulous devotion book if you don't have a copy...go get it). The devotion today was exactly what I needed. I will give the parts that stood out to me. It started out "hold my hand and trust, so long as you are conscious of My Presence with you, all is well." "Fearful and anxious thoughts melt away in the light of My Presence. When you turn away from ME, you are vulnerable to the darkness that is always at work in the world. In the world dependence is seen as immaturity. But in My Kingdom, dependence on Me is a prime measure of maturity." Man, is this ever true to me today. I think I started to depend on myself too much and not ask God to be my husband while Brian was away. How prideful I am sometimes. I just thought I could do it in my own strength and that is just not true. Fear and anxious thoughts have been running rapid through me lately. I haven't been taking every thought captive, I haven't been reaching out to others, I haven't been seeking God's strength instead of my own, I let go of HIS hand. After all this time as a believer how do I still fall into dependence on self? Knowing what I know. I am human, I fall and like the devotion said "darkness is always at work in the world." Of course the enemy will use whatever it takes to pull us down and he knows just what to use against me...pride. But the scales are off my eyes and I know just how to battle this. I take hold of God's righteous right hand and hold on tight. And when Brian again leaves next month I will find my strength in God and not self. Thank you God for upholding me in your hand and seeing me through this even when I turn away I know I can turn back to you and know you are there!!! And thank you to my husband for being the spiritual leader you are to me and our family!!!

Insecurities

I have been overwhelmed with insecurities lately. I can't figure out why or where they are coming from. If you are reading this please don't take offense to what I am saying....I am just trying to process my thoughts and feelings.

Earlier I was talking to a friend and explaining to her that i had a meeting to go to tomorrow and I was dreading it a little. I am involved in our women's ministry at our church and I love it. I am a firm believer that I am on the same page as the leader that we want this ministry to be about women supporting, encouraging and loving other women. Not the competitive, back biting, gossipy kind of ministry. I want to be part of a ministry of women who want real relationships, not the surface kind, where ladies can say "hey, i don't have it all together" and women are okay with that.

Now, I know our women's ministry is trying to break that stereotype and I love that so much. But I found myself doubting where I fit here. My mind was consummed with the list of these women that I think have the most beautiful of homes, they dress imaculantly, there bodies are to die for, they are leaders within our church and community, they are wonderful moms, and have some of the best marriages. And I started to get a pit in my gut...I started to panic. I don't have the most beautiful home, I dress like a 40 year old mom who forgot to take care of herself, my body is not where it needs to be, right now I don't feel much like a leader of anything lately, I am definately not the perfect mom and this is my third marriage. Still why do I let these thoughts make me want to isolate and hide? Why do I need to compare myself to others? I hate that the one thing I don't want to do I am doing. I want real relationships with these women....I don't want to be afraid of them, compare myself to them or distance myself from them. But it is almost paralyzing me. As I sit here I am having a panic attack just writing this, because I don't want these women to think I dislike them in any way whatsoever. I actually wish I was more like them.

Why do we as women do this to ourselves? Why do we consume ourselves with comparisions?


I know each of these women have sincere hearts for God and I thank God they do. Each of them has so much to offer and wants this ministry to be a success.

I hope that my thoughts will be made captive today so that I can become closer to these women and know their story. For I have been on this earth long enough to know that every one has a story. I am determined to not let Satan win this battle and keep me in isolation. We were made for relationships and good ones at that. So, I will go to this meeting and know that God has a plan for me being there even if I can't see it right now.

Any thoughts?