~ Monday Musings ~

2010/2011

What's on my mind this morning is the coming new year. At the end of each year, I like to ponder what has been great, what has been not-so-great, and what could be better improved. I think about these things in the context of my relationship with God, my marriage, my parenting, my work, and our finances. 

What I've discovered in my relationship with God is that I face God-induced challenges in my life, whether I have a mentor watching me from a distance or not. My pastor's wife in NY would constantly challenge me to grow in the things of God, provide wisdom and counsel as needed, and hit me over the head with a proverbial baseball bat when necessary. I've never found another mentor her equal. As I've found myself missing her mentoring these past few months, I've heard God's still small voice whispering that He has plenty of challenges for me. And, He has the wisdom and knowledge I need to meet those challenges. As long as I continue to walk with Him, I am not alone. (And when I need to, I can lean on Him.) 

My marriage gets better and better as the years go by. We've faced step-family relations, the death of a parent, serious injuries our children have suffered, knee surgeries, a (slight) change in career, having to move to continue to have income, and everything else life tends to throw our way. What could possibly improve? 

We can continue to learn and grow together, giving one another the benefit of the doubt and the patience to work through things as they come up. We can encourage one another. We can forgive one another. We can move on together. Our big celebration this year is the birth of our ministry. Together Ministries is well on its way to being an official ministry before the end of 2010. We look forward to what God has in store for 2011, both in our own marriage and in the marriages of others.

I can always improve in the area of parenting. I am noticing generational issues becoming prevalent in my own parenting. My parents worked past normal business hours, as Dad was in real estate and had showings or needed to be on the road acquiring new properties to sell. Mom was an elementary school teacher, which meant she brought her work home with her. I now see myself working past normal business hours, trying to get more done. Research. Write another paragraph. Find that guideline I needed for the submission I want to make tomorrow. Check facebook again to see if someone responded to my inquiry via messages. Tweet one more line. Did she answer my email yet? 

And my son stands by, saying, "Mom, you're always on the computer. I want you to spend time with me." It is my goal (which I've already started working on) to pay more focused attention to my children in the evenings, talking with them and making eye contact, playing that quick game of War or Go Fish, taking one along to the store while I run to pick up another gallon of milk... I know I'm changing the world one moment at a time as I spend that time focused on them. The research can wait until tomorrow.

Work is going very well for me. I know I'm where I need to be in my career path. I enjoy writing and reading and researching. I enjoy meeting with others who share my passion for the written word. I am blessed to have a job that I love and can do from home, allowing me the ability to be here for my family. 

I've considered both of my blogs as 2010 dwindles to an end. What do I want to share with my readers in the new year? Who would I like to invite to share with them, guest blogging? How much time do I have to dedicate to my blogs, since my freelancing is picking up? These are some of the questions I've been considering. Three things will change:

1. I am pleased to announce that I'm lining up guest bloggers for 2011. I'm inviting the experts in. Not only will I continue to pour out my experiences and expertise, but I will now offer you more. 

2. I will, however, be cutting back how often I post each week. Five days is becoming a lot for me, considering everything else I need to do. So, I'll be cutting back my posts to three days a week (which ones, I don't know yet). The guest bloggers will make a fourth day - possibly every week but definitely every other week. 

3. Rather than posting according to the day of the week (Monday Musings, Tuesday Tips, etc.), I'm thinking I'll post according to weekly topic (First Week - Marriage, Second Week - Parenting, etc.). What do you think of this idea? 

As for our finances? I'm hoping that my freelance writing work will soon begin adding to our annual income. While I work on that, I continue to trust God to meet our every need. After all, His word promises that His children will not be seen begging bread. "I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread." (Psalm 37:24-26)

What are you musing this Monday morning?