My No-Responsibility Week

I don\’t imagine that my life is any busier than yours. Probably, we all manage to fill our lives with more activity than we need or want. A couple of months ago, I went 11 straight days with scheduled activities every night after work. I was not in my home any of those evenings for any longer than it took to shower and get in the bed so I could start all over the next day. Needless to say, I was a little tired at the end of those days.

My husband–my sweet, sweet husband–suggested that I take a week where I did absolutely nothing after work–no trips across town to pay bills for my mama, no grandsons spending the night, not even go to church if I didn\’t want to go. That take-the-week-off idea appealed greatly to me! Now, what week to take? It seemed every week after that 11-day stretch had some previously scheduled event, so finding the unscheduled week was not that easy.

But the week did come–and this is it! So here\’s how I\’m doing it…. Every afternoon when I leave work, I turn off my phone–no texting and no talking on the phone. I had planned to sit around and do nothing at all, but I just can\’t do that. I do have eyes, and I can see stuff that needs doing. Sitting around and staring at the work that needed to be done would not have been restful at all. SO, I\’m doing one thing a night.

Last night I cleaned out my china cabinet. I am amazed at how much I had managed to cram into that cabinet and hutch over the last nine years! I ended up with FIVE boxes full of dishes that I took into the basement for storing, and I still managed to refill the cabinet. Only now I don\’t worry about something falling out on my feet when I open the doors.

Tonight I cleaned up my study so that I can actually sit at my desk and study without having to shift stacks out of the way to find a workspace.

Tomorrow night my project will be to get the kids to church. I hadn\’t planned to go to church, but I have a real problem with not being in church when I am able, so I\’ll go. Plus, the kids are learning Bible verses and have contests each week to share how many verses they have learned. If I don\’t pick them up–all NINE of them–they might not get there. I want them to feel the importance of learning all they can about the Bible and getting to church as often as they are able to do so.

Thursday and Friday, who knows? Maybe I will just take one or both of those nights and do nothing. That might work–if I sit around with a blindfold over my eyes!

Sunday, June 13, 2010


Today, Nate spent the day with me. A friend of Jenni\’s family was killed last night right in front of her boyfriend. It\’s been a sad, shock-filled day for them. I brought Nate home with me so we could clean out the pool and run the filter for a while, but it rained pretty hard, along with a good bit of thunder. So we just hung out and then went to church at 6. After church, we melted marshmallows over a candle and made s\’mores. Right now, it\’s nearly bed time. Nate is upstairs working on his latest business idea–he has a lot of those. I am watching The Fugitive.

It\’s back to work for me tomorrow after three days. And for this week, i am taking the evenings off. I\’m not going to go out for any reason; just hang around the house, turn my phone off at night, maybe do some stuff in the house. I\’m just going to do what I want to do.

Maybe I\’ll write some more, too. Sure need to catch up.

Tomorrow Got Here,

and it\’s going to be a beautiful day. Part of my problem, I admit, is that I haven\’t been as faithful in my Bible study lately, and that made such a difference in my outlook on life. I truly do need to study the Word daily in order to keep my life in balance/perspective.

It\’s not about me, y\’all. It IS about HIM. Studying the Bible reinforces that for me and sets my life back in order.

It\’s going to be a lovely day.

The Construction of Late

Do you ever go through the emotions that you just aren\’t doing it right anymore; that you really aren\’t necessary; that if you took a few steps back for awhile, no one would even miss you?

I have absolutely no reason to feel that way, but sometimes I do. It\’s not so much things others say to me or things they do–it\’s more the way I perceive myself in the big picture.

A discussion goes bad, and now communications are strained at best and non-existent at worst. Over and over the question arises, \”What could I have done to assure a different outcome?\” My perceptions become skewed, and I blame myself for both sides of the breakdown.

The positions you held are not yours anymore, and while you may be glad to have someone else in those positions, suddenly you feel — I don\’t know — unnecessary? lost? empty?

It\’s strange. Every now and then I go through these emotions. I don\’t share them so that you will feel the need to pat me on the back or encourage me. In a day or two, I\’ll be over this and back in my \”zone.\” Right now, I just feel tired, unnecessary, a bit lonely.

But tomorrow….