Pep Talk to My SELF!

This school year I have resolved to maintain a positive attitude and not gossip. We're two days in and all I want to do is stick a fork in my right eyeball!! #fail. Is it Friday yet?

I have lunch duty this year. Part of my time is spent with kinder, and the other half makes me really appreciate the independence of fourth graders. This is not the FUN part of my day, but I found a tender, silver-lining moment today. A little five-year-old boy asked me if it would be okay if he said a prayer to himself before he ate. Melt-my-heart precious.

A long time ago, Scott and I decided we were going to have a "So what!" attitude. Not the one where we don't care about anything. The kind of attitude where we give people the benefit of the doubt. Where we don't automatically assume that the other person purposely set out to get on our last nerve. Well, "So what?" is a phrase we constantly spout off to remind each other that: the only person hurting is our self when we harbour negativity. Well, lately I've been struggling to let some injustices go and I feel like letting out an all caps kinda scream...SO WHAT! It's hard to be positive, but it is better.

I cannot get all caught up in comparing and jealousy. It steals my JOY. It does not add years to my life. I have to let. it. go. Get caught up in the things that WILL matter in a 100 years and release the things that will not matter by week's end. I have to revel in those tender moments. I need to laugh more. Dr. Adolph Brown says, "If you aren't having FUN, you're not doing it RIGHT." I want to get it RIGHT this year.

Another area I #fail is self-loathing. Seriously, I have an impressionable tween daughter that is learning to love her self and I have to be a good example. She hears me. And then she repeats me. There is NOTHING more convicting than hearing your daughter talk badly about herself and then have the epiphany that she sounds JUST LIKE HER MOMMA! Forget the fork in the eye, try knife through heart.

Ok, so let me add LOVE SELF (or at least reduce self-loathing) to the short list of things to do. Especially since I just looked at pictures from my daughter's birthday party and thought I looked so hideous that I threw up a little. I am pretty sure I've nearly gained the 20 pounds my mom lost over the past two years.But that's a whole 'nother blog post.

Think of these as New {School} Year Resolutions:

+Maintain a positive, "so what?" attitude.
+Don't gossip. Build up others.
+Reduce self-loathing.

Any friendly advice for pulling this list off? Anyone else setting goals or making resolutions?

*All graphics have a tag to denote the website where they were discovered.

My Personal Relationship With Christ

Describe your personal relationship with Christ.

 

Recently, I was asked to describe my personal relationship with Christ. How do I put into words the intimate relationship I have with my Lord (who also happens to be the Creator of the Universe) in short form answer, especially to someone I have never met? It’s like describing how I breathe. Actually, that might be an easier task!

This question makes my mind hurt. I know I Peter 3:15 says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” Since I knew the Bible told me to be ready to respond, I figured my response was also in the Word. 

As I was searching for the aforementioned Scripture, I came across a verse that embodies how I aspire to live: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me,” Galatians 2:20. I realized this sacrifice at age 21, but over the past fifteen years, He’s been whittling away and there has become less of me and more of Him. 

I have adapted a quote from my pastor @CraigGroeschel that I jotted down in an old notebook to (partly describe) who He is to me: 

          When I am overwhelmed, He’s my Peace.

          When I am hurting, He’s my Comforter.

          When I feel lost, He is The Way.

          When I am lonely, He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

A Room of Her Own

For Christmas this year, our goal was to give Olivia her own bedroom. She's been sleeping in the living room (if you can even call it that:) since we moved into the barn in February.
We did not succeed, but she is gracious and understanding and a great actress. She's the BEST! Next payday, we'll purchase the flooring at REstore, Habitat for Humanity's resale store. She loves having her own space and it already looks lived in, aka messier than I'd like.

Our Family Newsletter--as a blogpost

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

My Liv before her Christmas piano recital.

Ethan at a play area I took him to this year. He thinks I'm pretty fun!

My 18 year old son, Andrew! He's so good-looking.

My beast, Cali before she broke her 1st ornament.

Scott, aka Honeybear, during our Dallas staycation.

I am so blessed to be her momma!

Hunt Fam
Special events in our family’s life:

• Andrew made it to 18!
• Scott finished his latest novel. Pray for publishing in 2012.
• Olivia knows all of her states and capitols, to a song, of course.

Home Sweet Home

This year we moved from our comfortable apartment onto my mother-in-law’s land into “The Barn.” We started with no electricity or plumbing. Weird, we know. It’s been an ongoing adventure and challenge. When I first brought my grandson Ethan over to see where we lived, he paused in front of it and asked, “You live in the shed?” My niece called it glamping= glamorized camping. It’s been amazing to watch Scott transform it into our home. Olivia’s Christmas wish was for her own bedroom so she could have “some sense of normalcy.” It should be complete by Christmas morning.  Maybe in a year you can come over for a visit?

Updates

Olivia is now a fifth grader. Scott continues to homeschool her and she’s thriving this year. She is an avid reader and writer too. She’s in her second year of choir and piano. She’s asked everyone to give her $ for Christmas because she’s saving up for a saddle.

Andrew spent some of the year living with Trey in Round Rock, but then moved back to Southeast TX. He has a driver’s license and is working hard at a refinery. I’m proud of his accomplishments, but still pray for him. 
 
Our grandson, Ethan started kinder this year and is learning sooo much. I got to visit him at school for a lunch with grandparents. We love being his GiGi and Pops and hope to have more grandchildren someday.

I am still teaching technology to little ones in Mansfield as well as volunteering at Lifechurch. Tv and Traffick911.

Life is very busy, but we are blessed!

Romans 15:13  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him.