In search of the GOOD rut...

We all have a normal, a groove that we work very hard to not get into, because we know once we do that  it is a heck of a thing to get out of it. Maybe it's getting out of routine with laundry, or maybe its eating that last piece of cake, or maybe its that one more drink. How do we reset our groove? How do we make it so that once we do the healthy thing for our bodies, bank account, relationships, that we have the same trouble getting out of that Good rut? I want that kind of rut, I want the Good rut. The one you Don't want to get out of because of all the benifits and Blessings that come with being in it.  I know it is obtainable because I know people who are like that! This is what I strive for, because once I can let go of my weight, my house, my bank account, and all the other things that keep me weighted in that rut, I am in a better position to find the Good Rut, the happy rut, the one that makes you sit at night and say "Today was ANOTHER good day"...So Im in the search for the GOOD RUT!

Let us choose what is better...

War is real. Real people die, bad people die, and good people die. War is Real. Our military is not just a protection shield you throw up, or a sword you swing, it is made up of REAL people, people who willingly joined the Military to protect our nation in a time of War knowing that they would be put to the test. They joined because they were not just willing to be a part of the shield and sword but because their sense of DUTY propelled them to. They are aware of their duty, and they are prepared to do their duty at all cost even death; their families know their duties and accept that ultimate cost is a looming possibility. However to those who only see us as a shield and sword; please do not assume to know what duty is, what is your duty? Are you prepared to die for your duty? Are you called upon to go yet again into someone else’s backyard and put your life on the line, again? And if so would you? Our military will yet again if asked because it is our duty, but let it be the better choice.

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one.^[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42

Let us choose what is better.

I want to do so much.......

Who out there can relate to this thought? I want to do so much there just isn't enough time to do it all...I want to sew, I want to read, I want to blog, I need to clean, I want to play a board game with my kids, I want to go to the library,I want to take pictures, I need to clean out the closet ...... and the list goes on and on and on. This has always been my hang up, to be a renaissance woman in my mind. 

The key is to take one thing at a time, this take restraint, and wisdom, but is almost more rewarding because I find that my list making mentality appreciates being able to mark something off the list. An accomplishment of sorts. So I have spent the day linking up all my social media and blogs with each other ( which has been on the To-Do), and to be honest I'm not sure that it wasn't a waste of time as well, as I'm not sure what I'm doing. Blogging is one of those things I desperately want to be good at as I love the outlet it offers me,  and as it most things the beginning is the hardest part of any new endeavor.

When it rains....

This week we had some rain, not much but then again it doesn't take much sometimes to flood the swamp. So this made me think about life, are the areas in our life that are like that of a swamp? Where we feel that on outward appearance, we are setting on solid ground, but all it takes is for a little "rain" to fall and we soon realize that our path is flooded.
I like how the "halo" of the sun through the leaves, almost like hope.

The Guardian....

One of my favorite things to do with our family is go on family walks, and today was a great day for one. With the cold front coming in, South Carolina felt a little like the Midwest where we grew up on a wonderful autumn day with that crispness in the air, and a great excuse to take out my new 50mm lens that I got from my sweet husband for Christmas.  I really like how honest the photos are, it also challenges me to move more.  How fun for the kids to discover some gravel piles to climb on made my husband and I reminisce our childhood in the chat piles of southwest Missouri left over from the mining days.

I snapped this photo as I watched Truman, our chocolate lab, watch over our kids.  The interesting part of this picture is that we had taken the leash off, but he still stayed at a distance as if he was content to have a better view in order to keep watch.

I mentioned last photo post that I usually do SOOC, but I have been playing around with PicMonkey lately and added the Yester Color effect.  I like how it added a nice golden hue to my picture, however to be honest I really like the SOOC one as well.  Which do you prefer?

Year of Refinement

One of my area's of refinement this year is photography.  It has long been a passion of mine, and I am a true SOOC kind of girl, whether that is because of my lack of knowledge of photo editing or my belief that it is possible to capture true unadulterated beauty among us, SOOC is what I usually offer up minus  bit of cropping here and there.
I took this picture looking out of the door in our home school room, playing with my Sony A350 DSLR. Although it was a complete by chance shot, I like this picture because to me it reminds me that joy can be found in the mundane, and if you refine your skills at looking for it after time it will become second nature to seek out and claim your Joy.

My word of the Year is......

Intentional... that is my word of the year. It is defined as "done on purpose or with intention" so this year I want live life intentionally.

•  Intentional living
• With food, exercise, what I watch, read, and say.
• Intentional actions
• Be aware of how my actions affect others. I want to be an encouragement.
• Intentional parenting
• To strive to make memories, and grow my children to know the love that surrounds them. To raise them to understand the abundance of their Father's Love for them. To make every moment count, because they go entirely to quickly.
• Intentional marriage 
• To be more aware of the different needs we have, and to make an effort to do those little things that represent respect and honor. God has blessed me with  a true man of honor, and I want my efforts to reflect my pride and respect I have for him.
• Intentional relationships.
• I want to be wise in where I spend my extra time, and with whom. I want to be kind in this act, but watchful of how I manage my environment.
 

Life can move so fast sometimes that we can swept away with it all, and in the past I have been known to say "I do lots of things, moderately well" well this year I want to do a few things exceptionally well.