I spent the morning de-cluttering a couple areas that always seem to drown in clutter. 1) my purse 2) brief case/tote
This morning it occurred to me that my biggest obstacle to keeping my purse and other hand bags clean is that they are full of various documents, receipts, old calling cards, old debit cards, insurance cards, and gift cards that I am afraid to throw away for fear of identity theft. I also hate throwing away anything w/ prescription information on it for fear someone will be able to access my medical history. I know...call me paranoid! But the biggest solution to my paranoia with throwing away paper has been investing in a shredder and some file folders. A high powered shredder will effectively shred all your old pieces of plastic as well as old receipts and documents that might contain financial information. Also, a file folder labeled "receipts" is a great go-to place for those receipts you're holding on to in case you need to return an item. (something I highly endorse as a I returned a phone/answering machine to wal-mart months after I purchased it because I never was impressed with it's reception)
Sooo...just something to keep in mind. SHRED, SHRED, SHRED!!! :)
Monday, March 3, 2008
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Packages
After some needed encouragement, I've decided to "soldier on" with posts on this site! I recently wrote on my family blog about ideas for items to send in packages to my husband overseas.
This is what I wrote:
"J. finally received his first package from me! He's been having a hard week and he said it made his day.
On that note...If you are interested in sending him a package, here are a few good ideas.
1) he really doesn't need drug store items like toothpaste, etc...he has access to a PX and if he needs something specific I will send it. Soldiers get too much of those type of items, and not enough of the fun stuff that really makes their day.
2) send specialty items that you think he might enjoy. Ideas include (but are not exclusive)...
a)gourmet coffee (this could be something you find on sale at TJ Max or a special blend you like, while it's my favorite, my point is that you don't have to send Starbucks), they get plenty of cheap coffee at the Dining Facility, and since it is the elixer of survival in the military, a nice cup of coffee is a special treat
b)Packaged store bought cookies, or vacuumed sealed baked good from home. J. loves all types of cookies and baked treats.
c)Candy- right now, before it warms up over there, chocolate is a great thing to send. J. loves it! Later on, it will melt and you won't be able to send it. Right now, any type of chocolatey treat would be appreciated.
d)Magazines. One of the things J. misses is not being able to watch the news daily. Magazines that cover interesting current events happening in America help him reconnect to home and keep him updated. If you subscribe to a particular magazine you think J. would enjoy, consider passing it on to him after you finish reading it.
e)Salty treats like trail mix, pretzels, granola bars are great snacks for those days he has to skip a meal or works late and needs a midnight snack
By no means is this list exhaustive. It's just a few ideas that I've had rolling around in my head and I thought it might help you get thinking about the special items you could send him. I know he'd appreciate it SO much! As would I! "
What advice do you give friends and family who want to send your soldier packages? What are your favorite things to mail overseas? I'd love to get a good discussion going on various ideas. I could use some creative ideas to add to my arsenal of gift box standbys. Thanks!
This is what I wrote:
"J. finally received his first package from me! He's been having a hard week and he said it made his day.
On that note...If you are interested in sending him a package, here are a few good ideas.
1) he really doesn't need drug store items like toothpaste, etc...he has access to a PX and if he needs something specific I will send it. Soldiers get too much of those type of items, and not enough of the fun stuff that really makes their day.
2) send specialty items that you think he might enjoy. Ideas include (but are not exclusive)...
a)gourmet coffee (this could be something you find on sale at TJ Max or a special blend you like, while it's my favorite, my point is that you don't have to send Starbucks), they get plenty of cheap coffee at the Dining Facility, and since it is the elixer of survival in the military, a nice cup of coffee is a special treat
b)Packaged store bought cookies, or vacuumed sealed baked good from home. J. loves all types of cookies and baked treats.
c)Candy- right now, before it warms up over there, chocolate is a great thing to send. J. loves it! Later on, it will melt and you won't be able to send it. Right now, any type of chocolatey treat would be appreciated.
d)Magazines. One of the things J. misses is not being able to watch the news daily. Magazines that cover interesting current events happening in America help him reconnect to home and keep him updated. If you subscribe to a particular magazine you think J. would enjoy, consider passing it on to him after you finish reading it.
e)Salty treats like trail mix, pretzels, granola bars are great snacks for those days he has to skip a meal or works late and needs a midnight snack
By no means is this list exhaustive. It's just a few ideas that I've had rolling around in my head and I thought it might help you get thinking about the special items you could send him. I know he'd appreciate it SO much! As would I! "
What advice do you give friends and family who want to send your soldier packages? What are your favorite things to mail overseas? I'd love to get a good discussion going on various ideas. I could use some creative ideas to add to my arsenal of gift box standbys. Thanks!
Friday, November 2, 2007
Faith
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
Does faith count if it's contigent on God's performing according to my terms? So many times, my faith has been tested when God did not answer my prayers the way I desired. Over the last year I religiously asked God to prevent my husband's unit from deploying. Three weeks ago yesterday, my husband deployed, one of many from the 101st. Obviously, my prayer wasn't answered in the manner I sought. I wanted God to halt this whole thing and keep my precious husband home. Doesn't he know how miserable I am when he's gone? Doesn't he know how much I need him? Yes and yes, He knows. He knows the innermost thoughts of my heart. Nonetheless, he chose to send my husband to war. Faith comes down to a choice, a decision to honor and trust that God will provide for me. I made a decision years ago to follow Christ, and I will, despite the cost. I will do so with peace, knowing that my will is not always what's best.
Does faith count if it's contigent on God's performing according to my terms? So many times, my faith has been tested when God did not answer my prayers the way I desired. Over the last year I religiously asked God to prevent my husband's unit from deploying. Three weeks ago yesterday, my husband deployed, one of many from the 101st. Obviously, my prayer wasn't answered in the manner I sought. I wanted God to halt this whole thing and keep my precious husband home. Doesn't he know how miserable I am when he's gone? Doesn't he know how much I need him? Yes and yes, He knows. He knows the innermost thoughts of my heart. Nonetheless, he chose to send my husband to war. Faith comes down to a choice, a decision to honor and trust that God will provide for me. I made a decision years ago to follow Christ, and I will, despite the cost. I will do so with peace, knowing that my will is not always what's best.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Seasons
A Time for Everything
Ecclesiastes 3 (NIV)
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
I appreciate how the writer of this passage reminds me that there is a time for everything and that all the seasons in my life are ordained by God. I am often frustrated by the season in which I live. Today, in this “time for war,” I mourn more than I dance and I cry more than I laugh. The fifteen month deployment for which my husband received orders right now feels like a lifetime. I find encouragement though in the truth that times of hardship are only here for a season. While I do not think it is wrong to be sad and grieve at the miles separating me from my husband (who also happens to be my best friend) I do think it is a mistake to forget that this is only one season in my life. While today I feel winter in my heart, I am confident spring will come. Growth, laughter, renewal, joy and dancing are on their way. We can embrace with confidence the knowledge that life is not static, it changes. For all the difficulty we as military spouses face, there is a brighter tomorrow. I just have to recall the joy of my husband’s homecoming the last time he deployed to believe this simple fact. On that day, the struggles of a difficult year were eclipsed by the joy and promise of a bright and warm future. Give yourself the freedom to experience the season of this moment in your life and do so with confidence knowing like all obstacles we encounter, this too shall pass.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Welcome Army Wives
"What keeps our faith cheerful is the extreme persistence of gentleness and humor. Gentleness is everywhere in daily life, a sign that faith rules through ordinary things: through cooking and small talk, through storytelling, making love, fishing, tending animals and sweet corn and flowers, through sports, music and books, raising kids -- all the places where the gravy soaks in and grace shines through." -Garrison Keillor
I first read this quote years ago on the cover liner of Amy Grant's "Simple Things" cd. Although I've thought about this quote numerous times, it seems particularly relevant to my life now that my husband has deployed. In my own life, I tend to find the greatest joys in the seemingly insignificant. In sharing daily life with my husband, waking up together, falling asleep together, and laughing in the in between times. It seems so impossible to capture this joy now that he is overseas. This quote reminds me that there is beauty in persistence. There is also beauty in our words, the one thing we are able to hold on to through phone calls and letters. If grace can shine during this deployment, through the gritty and ugly moments that one often thinks she's better off forgetting, if hope and gentleness can permeate the hidden, dark crevices of our hearts and minds, then in the spirit of Garrison Keillor we won't just be surviving, we'll be thriving. Soaked with gravy, I'm faithfully waiting for God's grace to shine through. Will you join me?
I first read this quote years ago on the cover liner of Amy Grant's "Simple Things" cd. Although I've thought about this quote numerous times, it seems particularly relevant to my life now that my husband has deployed. In my own life, I tend to find the greatest joys in the seemingly insignificant. In sharing daily life with my husband, waking up together, falling asleep together, and laughing in the in between times. It seems so impossible to capture this joy now that he is overseas. This quote reminds me that there is beauty in persistence. There is also beauty in our words, the one thing we are able to hold on to through phone calls and letters. If grace can shine during this deployment, through the gritty and ugly moments that one often thinks she's better off forgetting, if hope and gentleness can permeate the hidden, dark crevices of our hearts and minds, then in the spirit of Garrison Keillor we won't just be surviving, we'll be thriving. Soaked with gravy, I'm faithfully waiting for God's grace to shine through. Will you join me?
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