The Lilith and the Scroll

Well, I've struggled and tried to simplify my life over the last few weeks.  But it was not to be.

The laundry keeps piling up.  The boys continue to be boys. And so the cycle continues.

I have been spending a lot of time in my head recently. Time spent really looking at what I want to do. Do I want to be defined by my station as mother or do I want to make my mark elsewhere to even should I even try?

Well I guess after much and thought and consideration I decided.  I'm embracing my simple life and doing what I love- storytelling.

I love telling stories, reading stories, and writing stories.  So I made a deal with myself.

"Self," I said in my most very grown up voice.
"We are going to publish a book. And you are going to get stuff done in your house everyday by taking mental 'house' breaks."

Well, I looked at myself and had only one response, "Wicked cool, Self! Let's do it."

And on that very Monday night the Lilith Scroll became a reality.

See for 12 years I have had this PhD thing hanging out there.  I worked on it for 3 years and wrote on my dissertation for 3 years and in the end I had to walk away.  It's been hanging over my head as an incomplete.  Something left undone.

As I was reading my favorite author Heather Killough-Walden, an amazing storyteller and weaver of the magical written word, I realized I could take all that research and write the ending I have been searching for all this time- AND I DON'T HAVE TO DO A BIBLIOGRAPHY!!!

I hope you continue to find simplicity in your day to day lives, because it really is the culmination of all the little things that become a lifestyle.

As I prepare for Lent and weed out 7 things a day from my life, I also plan to add 7 things in to enrich it.

The first thing I'm adding is Lilith and her misunderstood journey.  I hope you join me at the Lilith Scrolls and see first hand how this remarkable woman endured the ultimate betrayal and still found love.

Happy Simpling

Life, Lemons and Lent

What do you do when the lemons of life come your way? Do you get upset? Angry? Frustrated? Make lemonade?

I know how I want to react.  I want to look at the said problem and say "Listen up buddy you are NOT bringing me down and you are certainly NOT STEALING MY SIMPLE!!!!"

This week though, life stole my simple.  It just yanked it right outta my hands on Monday evening and wouldn't give it back. GRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!

I had such high hopes for this past week.  I worked on the laundry all day Monday. I met with some new neighbors who also have little ones and had some Mommy time, and then POW! Life took my simple.

I tried reallllllyyy hard to get it back on Tuesday, but nope. It wasn't to be.

Wednesday was another futile effort and Thursday saw my simple board a plane to Borneo.

I really got kinda down about it and then I realized, my simple, is mine. It's not yours, or the Pottery Barn people, or Martha Stewart. It's mine. So this week my simple was finding the calm in the storm.

I forgot to congratulate myself on getting 5 loads of laundry done on Monday, and getting everyone to where they were supposed to be and get dinner cooked and served. On Tuesday I forgot to say, "Job well-done," when I saw my students have all their materials and take their lessons seriously. On Wednesday, I forgot to remember how much fun Jack, Rory and I had at the HEB buying Box Tops and on Thursday....  Well on Thursday, I forgot how cool it is to make dinosaur fossil prints out of your hands and name the dinosaurs  Rory-saurus, Jackaranus Rex, and Noahapterex!

My simple is doing what needs to be done and not losing my calm, or just losing it.  Ok, so I lost my calm on Thursday, but good grief if you knew why, you'd be amazed it didn't happen sooner.

I did pick out my Lenten Book for this year.  I will be reading "Seven" by Jen Hatmaker.  Although I don't know if I can go to the extremes she was able to, I look forward to starting the journey with her. I am also going to read "24 hours that changed the world" by Adam Hamilton.  Looks interesting and I haven't read anything by him before.

What are you doing this Lenten season? Are you reading a book, giving up a vice, adding a virtue, changing your perspective? I am going to try to live the sacrifice of the cross and create a meaningful way to honor simple straight forward living.

I did get my simple back.  Saturday I wrestled my simple to the ground and tied to the stove.  Let's see you get out of that taut-line hitch missy!

I am going to try to settle into accepting my simple, read a little from each of these books and spend some time with the Creator of the Universe.  I hope you will join me on this journey.

Happy lemonade making and Lenten living!!!