lent day seven

Saw another blog that is kind of artsy/dramatic that was just numbering the lent days with all small letters, so I thought, "Well, I'm cool like that too, right?", so here it is....edgy number titles...

Thought about renumbering all previous lent days, but that would be perfectionism and I am trying not to go there.

Today...actually last night Big Girl Buffalo got that kind of glassy boiled eye look. She has whatever it is that is going around...with a fever.

This morning Big Brother Buffalo (going with that, since he would faint if he thought I was calling him "big boy..." he's way too big for that.) was kind of pouting about having to go to school (pouting...that is not a big person word...maybe "acting sullen") and when I took his temp, he too, was over the century mark. So everyone is home and everyone is worse now than they were this morning. Ahhhh motherhood.:-)

So I worked on (finished) the laundry bathroom, cleaned a couple of drawers in the kitchen, started on the storage area...and that is where the feeling of overwhelm-ness began. It is mostly a room of decorations...which is funny because lots of times there isn't time to put them up. Snowmen are still on my mantel. And big party stuff...like big 25 cup coffee pots, electric roasting pans for keeping food warm, chafing dishes, Christmas party decor...

Sooo....do I get rid of a bunch of decorations? Do I really want to "go there" at this stage of the game? If I start that kind of cleaning (picking through), I may spend the rest of my lent time there. OH...and there are all of our pre-digital photo photos...which need desperately to be put into albums...BIG boxes of that stuff...

Everywhere else I had really been getting rid of lots of stuff...in here I was at a standstill, wondering what to do, move, etc.

That may be all I get done today in the cleaning/purging/organizing area. Not what I would have hoped for....but it was OK, I think.

Mr. Buffalo and I got caught up to Mark 6 last night...so we are back on track.

One thing I am trying to remember here is that I don't have to see how this is all going to turn out. I just need to do my part every day.

Thanks for visiting...

Body and Soul Days

are not turning out to be my most productive...

That does not make me happy...

So today we did Body and Soul, which was good, ate lunch, I wrote out the next Scripture Song (which was a good thing to do), did my Amazing Race blog (late), and now it is already time to pick up the little buffaloes.

I am going to have to figure out what went wrong today and devise a better plan.

Oh...in the spirit of full disclosure I did also download a couple of granny square patterns...probably shouldn't have done that.

Going to try to redeem the afternoon...and spend some time with BB Buffalo, BG Buffalo and Bleep Blop Buffalo...A tall order...we'll see how it goes...

Did not get to listen to Matthew 25-28 last night...Mr. Buffalo had a work thing and we are supposed to do it together. So I just read it in the Message. It was very good and I think we will listen to the above and the next one tonight. Have I told you how great this audio Bible thing is?:-)

Working the Program

So today, because I am doing things around the house that need doing (extra things, not just your normal stuff)

• I bought a replacement handle for our extra bathroom shower
• put it on (howzabout that?)
• cleaned Bleep Blob Buffalo's closet out (we had tons of baby stuff in there...clothes that belonged to Bis Sis Buffalo of all sized thrown (yes thrown) all over the floor, etc etc...all organized now and the baby stuff is out of there), and worked on cabinets in the extra bathroom (which contained enough disposable flatware and cups for now until Christmas...did I just never check in there before buying more????)
• and the Guitar Hero and I put together another Scripture song for the upcoming Bible Study...it is Jeremiah 33:2-3 and it is really fun...when I get it put together with my real vocal on it I will try to post here...

That's all I know for now...we are almost done with Matthew, and I am here to say that while I love to read the Bible, this is almost addicting to me. I have been listening to the CDs in the kitchen when I am cooking (all the previous ones...not working ahead) and it is as good as listening to a soap or something...The dramatized version...that is what you want.

Back tomorrow, I hope.

Lent Day 4

So far I have not succumbed to the temptation of renigging on my lent pledge. Mr. Buffalo and I have been listening to the New Testament on CD...I mean MP3. An audio deal. It has been fun. 25 minutes a day and it is entertaining.

Mr. Buffalo had an interesting thought the other day. He says that when we "fast" something for lent, we should replace it with something else, or else we are just giving up something...not necessarily using that event to get closer to God. So I was pretty happy that we were doing the 40 day read through the Bible thing. Here is the company that has the one we are using

Faith Comes By Hearing

I have been getting some things done as well...not a huge amount yet, because I have some outside non-housework related responsibilites that sometimes need attention too.

Maybe I will fast those next lent.

kidding!

I have felt really relaxed today though, and that is not my usual feeling. Just that feeling that you get when you feel like you are pointed in the right direction...it's not perfect, but at least I feel like I am making progress. Peaceful...

So today, I have worked on a song, done laundry, changed sheets on beds, played Candyland and read books with the kids...Going to review my list for a relaxed/focused Sunday and take care of those things...

Don't know how to explain it...it's like somehow I got "permission" to enjoy my family when they are home. I know that sound bizarre, but I haven't felt that in a long time.

OK, back to them...see you Monday.

Ash Wednesday

Making my list and checking it twice...not my list of things to do for Lent...my list of loose ends to tie up before we get going on this. I think I have warned anyone who might be affected with my Lent stuff...

Found our Lent Calendar...kind of like an Advent Calendar. I wasn't sure where I had put it (see, those are the kinds of things I hope to fix over the next few weeks) but I did find it. Just need to put it up now. Tonight we will have our own Ash Wednesday remembrance...we have done this for a number of years. We use this page as the reading...then we actually do ashes (here is a page dealing with that)...it is a powerful visual for the children...for all of us really.

Tomorrow I am going to be completely out of pocket, so anything I normally do on Thursday I am going to try to do today. That's what I know for today, I think. Tomorrow will not be a work day, but Friday things are going to get serious. The more I think about it, the more I think this is going to be helpful to me...

Tomorrow is the day...

So what does this mean? The last 2-3 days the thing that I am giving up for Lent...well, it has not really been made available to me. What is with that?

Is this God helping me to ease out by making it kind of a non-event beforehand? I don't know.

It's kind of like going on a diet and saying that you are going to have the one big final ice cream blowout and your heater goes out and the temp drops to 25 degrees...it's not that you couldn't have it, but the situation is not lending itself to it. Not sure whether to feel relieved or shorted.

So during this time from Wednesday February 21 to Sunday April 8, I am going to really work on projects that are the underlying physical reasons why my weeks don't go smoothly...Not the surface stuff that we all try to keep up with every day, but the stuff that I never seem to have time for. My theory is that if I get all that cleared out, the day to day stuff should be easy to do, and having my Sundays should be a natural result. I probably should get one of those big dumpsters to set in front of my house...but I'm not going to.:-).

I am also planning to read the New Testament through during Lent...actually I got a set of CDs...I think they are in MP3 format, from KLOVE radio station at Christmas...and they have broken down the New Testament into 40 days of readings. 25 minutes a day I think. I've never listened to the Bible that way, so it should be interesting.

Thanks for reading...I'll be back tomorrow for the final prep.

3 Days to Ash Wednesday and Lent

so here is what happened this weekend.

Big Boy Buffalo wanted everyone to tell what they were doing for Lent. And Mr. Buffalo replied by paraphrasing Matthew 6:16-18...encouraging him not to make a big deal of it. So of course I knew that I needed to not make a big deal of it either...that Mr. Buffalo...taking all the fun out of everything...

So if you read the two previous posts, I have removed the details of my "fast"...

I have been looking at this site for Lent things...not for any particular reason, but it is kind of a realistic take on Lent if you are interested.

So on another note, I also took care of a yard problem that we have had for many weeks...I need to make a list of things that I am going to do over these days to maximize the impact.

This is going to be OK, I think. I just need to get myself in gear. Focused...Organized.

Five Days to Blastoff

This post has also been revised (please see explanation on previous post...):-) Thanks for visiting.
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OK, so if I count today (Saturday) it is 5 days until I don't have my thing that I like to do that I am getting rid of for Lent anymore. I guess it's nice that the Lord is giving me time to get things set...it doesn't always go that way, you know.:-)

So I am going to notify most of my friends that I won't be doing this one thing that much for about FOREVER...I mean a couple of months.

Talked with Mr. Buffalo, and he is going to help me with this one thing that I can't tell (see yesterday's post) for about 5 minutes to make sure that that there is nothing on there that is timely or pressing...

I told him he could forbid me to stop this thing...you know, tell me that I can't give it up or something...(it's Scriptural:-)) but I guess he didn't want to be responsible and bear my iniquity... Oh well.

So that's about the size of it....going to prayerfully make a list of things (mostly decluttering...a Lent FlyLady) to do during my 40 days in the wilderness...If I can just get past the fact that I am not going to do something I really enjoy for 40 days, I think this will be goo...goo...nope can't say it yet.

Going to do my list of Saturday things so that I can try to have a more relaxing and focused Sunday...that's the other goal of today.

Priscilla Schirer Study Lesson 3

If you are a regular reader (hahaha...this site has only been here for like a week) you might notice some revision on this post...it is because Mr. Buffalo was telling Big Boy Buffalo about how the Bible says if you fast but tell people that the telling and sympathy is the reward...So I had to take out my Lent thing from this post...hope it still makes sense. If you read it last week, you already know, so be quiet.
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OK, this is getting ugly...

I was going to try to re-organize my week so that I could have a Sabbath...

Then I got to thinking...are my motives right for this?

What I need to do is think about doing this with the goal of getting closer to God....with the goal of getting things going in a good pattern here so that I can spend time with Him and my family and do whatever ministry He has for me, unimpeded.

So today, I was doing MY WHOLE lesson for Bible study...the whole thing...a week's worth. And although I am sure I did not get from it what I could have, what I DID get from it is that for the most part I am an entitlist...I don't think that is actually a real word, but what I mean is this...

"I can eat this pie because I had a bad day..." or "it's a special occassion" or whatever.

Now that is not so bad for the most part as long as I really DO keep it to special days...

And that is just one example...on many many fronts, I feel that I am entitled to do or have certain things...I really didn't realize this until this morning, when it hit me like a ton of bricks.

As I was reading (scanning) this morning, I felt that the Lord was telling me that I had a huge time-sucking habit...and here it is.

As long as I get the most basic of things done in the morning, I feel that I can do my own thing in the afternoon...which usually means one particular thing I like to do. And I do it every day, almost...and it takes alot of time if you added it all up.

So today as I was ripping through my Bible study, there was a question about "What do you give more time than the Lord?" or "What takes your thoughts more than the Lord?" or something like that. And I thought, "Well, this will probably be lengthy..." and I put down

1. this one thing that I can't say because Mr. Buffalo says it won't count if I tell everyone. Stink on him.

Anyway, this thing, well that's all I could think of. I thought and thought....trying to come up with something else....

nope

nothing

Not that there isn't anything else, but that is all I was able to think about.

And I panicked...and I thought "Maybe I could just do it in the morning....or just night...just quick once a day"

But the lesson in the Bible study talked about not "cutting corners".

Gag
Gag
Gag

My attitude is not good for this right now. I am supposed to do the next set of Scripture songs much sooner than I thought...one Bible study group is starting the study in April. And getting rid of this one thing is going to change the way we do things for that.

Sigh....

I can't believe this is happening. And I know this sounds so stupid but it is HUGE to me.

I guess that is why it will be a good thing to give up.

I will get alot done...not just because I won't be doing this thing, but because I won't be thinking about finding opportunities to do it.. trying to work it in during little times in the day. Trying to work my day around it. (Does this sound sad to you? Like I have no constructive hobbies??)

Gag.

I have to get my attitude right or it will be for nothing. God is trying to grow me...I can feel it.

Truthfully I don't get alot of these sacrifice/hard choice deals thrown my way...and I have to get to a place where I am not hanging on by my fingernails waiting for it to be over.

This is an opportunity for me to get my priorities back in line...

I thought I was doing OK with this realigning priorities for the Sabbath thing until today....not great but OK...

ugh.

6 more days.

Getting Geared Up

So then, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you may do, do all for the honor and glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

Hmmmmm....OK so as I am thinking about this whole "organize my life", I think that the one piece that has been missing every time is that I have not been doing it with the Lord in mind...

It has just been "I need to get rid of 75% of my stuff just so that I don't keep picking up the same stuff over and over again"...which is true. But why does that matter? So that I can have time to myself? And what would I do with it if I had it? If it wasn't something good I was planning to do...something God honoring, maybe it's better to fill my time with picking up socks and socks and socks...

IF my life were under control, I would be able to have a Sabbath day, which is really my goal here, but there are things that probably need to be curtailed...like web surfing...if I have time in a day, I almost always gravitate to something like that...because "I deserve to have some mindless "me" time..." Which may be true, but are there other things I could be doing with that "me" time that would be just as relaxing and maybe have a better return for my time? I need to think about that, because otherwise when I get this all set, I will just spend more time surfing, etc.

And in order not to do that, I need to get a plan...I work better with a plan.

Just kind of thinking about that.

So, resisting my usual urge to start at the end and work backwards, I am going to start small...My first goal is to have my house in order in such a way that I can completely release regular stuff this Sunday...and enjoy it as a day of rest with my family and focus on the Lord...

Saturday (prep for Sunday)..

• low stress breakfast ready for Sunday (cinnamon rolls in a tube)
• kids have clothes chosen for Monday
• bedroom straightened
• have a meal for Sunday that requires very little prep or clean up.
• lay out clothes for kids including the ones for the program Sunday evening.
• unload dishwasher before bed.

I know this still looks like working from the end, but it's not because I am just trying to get it together for this one week, not for the rest of my life...

OK, that's enough for today. I have a plan for Saturday. So that Sunday can be free of regular stuff...Good.

Perfectionism will not win out...

OK....I started this blog under another display title...then I forgot my password and user name for it and can't seem to recover those things...You know how something like that can just eat up your life? Trying word after word....hours of time and getting nowhere.

So I finally gave up on that. Thought up a new name...Couldn't set up an account because both my emails have blogs on them. So when I put my blog on this "account" it comes up with Buffalo Buffy as my pen name. I came up with that one day when I was just being kind of cutiepie making up a blog about our trip to Yellowstone Park and some things you might want to know if you take a snowmobile trip there...

So my deep thought religious blog about how to get life right and organized so that I can let go and have a Sabbath every week is going to be hosted by Buffalo Buffy. Sheesh...well, I get hung up on perfectionism anyway, so we'll see where this goes...

If you have come to find out about my travels (I am not going to say "journey") into how I came to organize my life with the goal of celebrating the Sabbath every week, it will probably be slow going...but thanks for the visit...it's nice to have company.:-)

BB:-)