Waiting....

It seems we are always waiting for something, huh? Right now, I am waiting for my hubby to find a full-time job. Right now, I am waiting to finish my clinical hours so I can decide if and when to go into private practice as a counselor. Right now, I am waiting to have outpatient surgery and get this stuff the doc has been looking at for a year cut out. Right now, I am waiting for all kinds of things. And it always seems we are waiting....

I can remember waiting for my baby to come while I was pregnant. I can remember waiting till my babies were out of diapers. I can remember waiting till my kids were in school. I can remember waiting to go back to college. I remember lots of waiting.

Waiting is so hard! But it is so common. I bet anyone reading this right now is waiting for something. And it may just be waiting for the water to boil. Dr. Seuss talked about "The Waiting Place" in Oh, The Places You'll Go, his last publishing. He says people are there just waiting...."Waiting for a train to go. Or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting! Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting."

Here's something we can listen to and relate to while we wait....do share what you are waiting for?

Still Memorizing Scripture

Here's the next Scripture I am adding to my repertoire. Do you ever read Scripture and ask yourself, "has that always been in there?" I do it all the time :0) This is one of those times!

Jeremiah 15:16 in the New International Version says:

"When your words came, I ate them;

they were my joy and my heart's delight,

for I bear your name,

O LORD God Almighty."

Catching Up....

It has been super hard for me to blog lately. I've squeezed a few in here and there, but it was a stretch. PLUS, I just know I missed some good reading as I quickly skimmed through my reader.

I have been so out-of-balance in my entire life. My work was just running me, and quite frankly, I was just as responsible....because I allowed it. Last week, I hit a wall. I at one time loved my job and for the last couple of months, I was thinking I was burned out. However, after a few rash attempts at finding another job, God let me know that I was to STAY PUT for a bit. I was a little mad at Him....but then I started looking at the things I love about my job. Last Tuesday, I had a moment of clarity. I decided to set some boundaries and routine into my job. When I started this process (just deciding in my mind), I began to feel some freedom! Officially, I start this routine on July 20th (am out of town next week....more on that later). But, as I talk to folks and make phone calls....I plug them into my schedule. Only in extreme situations would I veer away from my schedule. At any rate, I have NO APPOINTMENTS on Fridays, which is when I will catch up on paperwork and such....and attempt to have meetings with my supervisor or staff meetings. If I have to have something (meeting, doctor appointment, etc.), then my regularly scheduled "slots" will have to skip a week. I don't know if I am even making sense, as I try to explain this to you....but the short story is I am feeling much better about my job and excited to have these boundaries!

I've mentioned before how I am revamping my way of eating. It is still unfolding as I discover all that I've been missing in the area of nutrition and all that has been empty nutrition and even harmful. I have been striving for 51% raw foods, although I don't have any way to measure this. I do avoid refined sugar, wheat, yeast, caffeine, and cow's milk. But things are still unfolding for me, and don't know that this is going to be my forever regimen. I've even considered starting a new blog JUST for my adventures with food, as I continue to come up with a way of healthy eating for myself, that blends in with my family (there are ways for them to enjoy healthy eating, too). However, I struggle with keeping up with one blog....not sure I want to do that. So, I plan to add more about my food adventures in with this here regular blog of mine. I've shared here one little old tip....now I'd like to share with you another! ICE CREAM!!! I haven't had ice cream for at least 10 weeks, because I couldn't find one that didn't have ingredients I was avoiding....until now! For the July 4th holiday, I went looking for a couple treats for myself and found this:

This is YUMMY stuff!!! Coconut Bliss has very few ingredients but they are good ones! They all have organic coconut milk (which is made up of organic coconut, water, and guar gum), and they all have organic agave syrup (also known as agave nectar--a natural sweetener--it is easier on your system than sugar....some diabetics can even tolerate it). I can't wait to try the other flavors, I tried vanilla island....and my whole family tried it and liked it!

Finally, my hubby and I are starting a Dynamic Marriage class in September. (If you aren't familiar with this, it is a marriage enrichment class created by Family Dynamics.) He and I went through this class in 2004 and are now trained facilitators. This is a Christian program and it is so powerful. It can make good marriages great....it can energize stagnate marriages....it can help heal hurting marriages. I love watching God bring couples to us from various places. It is coming together and so exciting. We make no money from this but we get a front row seat to watch God work in marriages, so our reward is better than money, don't you think?

As I continue to achieve balance in one or more areas, I hope to have more time to write and more to write about. Balance is happening with my eating (and subsequently, my health); balance is happening with my work. So, next my home and finances. Hubs lost his full-time job back in April and we are currently waiting to hear back from a local high school that seemed promising. Prayers would be nice here, if you don't mind!

Easy Bible Verse

My newest Bible verse is fairly easy to memorize but says it all....at least where I am right now!

"I desire to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart."

Psalm 40:8 (New International Version)