Pursuing Christ-glorifying priorities

At the beginning of the year about the time I (re)started blogging, I was thinking about priorities and how they contribute to excellence.  Funny how certain things continually resurface.  After a few hiccups, I think things are finally starting to fall in order again here at our little home, but it's crazy how easy it is for things to get out of hand (sin and the second law of thermodynamics in action, I guess).

When it comes to priorities and managing my home wisely, I think the difficulty lies in the fact that too often, what ought to be done at a given moment is really not what I want to do at that moment. But yet, if I want to keep things moving in the right direction I need to keep my priorities in line with what God would have for me, and consistently choose the right "next thing" to do.  Persevering in choosing the right "next thing" can be hard for me, especially if that "next thing" is to clean the tub, or to start dinner when I'd really rather have some computer time.

I originally had high hopes for multiple posts a week here at Excellence, Etc., but I'm afraid if dinner won't be ready on time, or my home is not orderly, or my son needs attention I can't really glorify God by sitting down to write.  It's just a hobby for me, so it falls pretty low on the priorities list.

In their proper place, I believe that some hobbies can be Christ-glorifying, refreshing, and edifying, but how do you  fit hobbies and things you enjoy into your already full day?

I've been trying to be more efficient at keeping my house clean (which is the biggest time sink/area of avoidance for me) as well as planning further ahead by starting dinner early in the afternoon.  This way, when Baby sleeps longer, or I somehow have some "extra" time, I'm caught up on the essentials and can sit down at the computer and have some time to write without having neglected my higher priorities.
 
Have you found any ways to be more efficient so you can have time to do some "optional" but enjoyable activities?  I'd love to hear any other ideas about how you keep your priorities in order!

motherhood, a lesson in thanksgiving

More than anything else I've experienced in my life, motherhood has shown me the need to start the day (and night!) with an attitude of humility, knowing that I don't deserve anything good, and that all good things I do receive (and there are many!) are a gracious gift from my Heavenly Father.

I think the reason motherhood highlights this for me is the frequency and intensity with which my desires are thwarted.  Babies are just so needy and, at times, unpredictable.

Baby has finally started sleeping through the night again, but there was a period over the last few months where we were travelling on and off, he was teething, and then we were sick, so he was definitely not consistently sleeping through the night.  When I was needed, I'd get out of bed, assess his needs, attempt to meet his needs, comfort him back to sleep, and then crawl back to bed myself.  This got old rather quickly, and my heart would start to grumble, telling me that I deserved sleep, or wondering why it was always my "turn" to take care of Baby.

One morning after my heart had been particularly grumbly, I took the time to sit down and study and remind myself of what God had to say in the Bible about grumbly hearts.  It struck me that this attitude really all comes back to the idea of what I deserve.

The reality is, as much as I'd like to think otherwise, I don't deserve anything good, since I am by nature a child of wrath (Ephesians 2).  (This attitude sure fosters humility, doesn't it?!) Yet, God gives me many good things (life! a son! rest!) (James 1:17).  God is always good, even when life interferes with my personal desires, and my attitude ought to reflect this magnificent goodness.

When we cultivate this attitude of humility--because the good things we receive are gifts, and not something we deserve,  it becomes oh so much easier to be thankful in all things and to replace our grumbly hearts with happy hearts!

baby wearing

Yesterday I bought a new baby carrier!  I've been researching and trying different models out for a few months now.  I can't wait until my new carrier gets here, hopefully later this week!   

Since Baby was born, I've been borrowing a friend's Ergo Baby Carrier and have also tried and used a smattering of other carrying options.  I've found that unless I'm planning on running, I really would rather wear Baby in the carrier than put him in a stroller or a grocery cart.  Carrying him is just so much easier for me.  I always know where he is, I don't have to push a stroller around (or carry the stroller downstairs, put it in the car, get it out of the car...), I don't have to find stroller friendly routes, and I always have my hands free.  With the proper carrier, it's also really comfortable for me.

This discovery is slightly surprising to me since "baby wearing", as it is often called, is closely associated with the Attachment Parenting movement.  As a general philosophy I don't really agree with much of the Attachment Parenting movement, but I'm starting to see that even if I don't agree with the entire philosophy, that doesn't mean that everything they endorse is necessarily void of value.

I feel like that has been the story of my adult life, learning that not everything is black and white like I wanted it to be when I was in high school.  This is a perfect example to me of the importance of not being dogmatic in overgeneralizing my feelings towards a specific set of beliefs.  Yes, certainly if I disagree with a philosophy I should take time and think it through before I adopt one of their practices, but it's also foolish to simply write off everything that falls under the broader umbrella of a philosophy I disagree with. 

Have you every written something off because of it's associations? Or I suppose the opposite could be true too-- being too accepting of other ideas before examining them to see how they'd fit into your philosophy of life.  Do you lean towards one or the other?

I'm glad I didn't ignore the idea of baby wearing since it turns out it fits our needs and lifestyle quite nicely.

Vitamin D and Baby

The other day I finally did it, I bough a vitamin D supplement for Baby.  I still feel slightly guilty both for buying it, and for the fact that I hadn't bought it sooner (he'll be 6 months this week).

You see, I've known for some time that the both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Center for Disease Control recommend a 400 IU vitamin D supplement for exclusively breastfed infants.  We were also sent home from our stay in the NICU with multivitamin drops I was theoretically supposed to mix with formula or milk and then feed to Baby.  Well, I wasn't going to give Baby formula, and it just seemed so inconvenient to pump just to turn around and immediately give a bottle-- it seems like so many extra, and unnecessary steps.  I know our wonderful pediatrician mentioned the need for vitamin D at one point as well.  So, yes, if my son has a vitamin D deficiency it is solely my responsibility.  And therefore, as you could guess, this is why I feel guilty for not having bought it sooner.

But, I'm stubborn.  I don't like supplements-- you could say it's a pet peeve of mine.  I feel like I ought to be able to get all the vitamins I need from my diet and a healthy lifestyle (spent anytime outside lately for your vitamin D?).  The only time I've even semi-consistently taken vitamins or other supplements is during pregnancy.  I suppose all of the hype surrounding neural tube defects and folic acid influenced me and I decided the potential benefits outweighed the risks.

To take the time and thoroughly research vitamin D supplementation has been on my mental to-do list since shortly before Baby was born, but to be honest I still haven't really gotten around to it.  By purchasing the supplement I feel like I caved in to pressure and am conforming to the norm without knowing if this is really best.  I know this is silly, but this is how my mind works...I want to know why, and just knowing that it's recommended isn't enough.

On an unrelated note, the supplement contains artificial coloring.  I asked the pharmacist if it were possible to find one without artificial coloring, and she seemed skeptical.  Even the supplements she had behind the counter contained artificial color.  Perhaps there is some available somewhere -- I'd love a link if you know of a place that sells some.

That said tough, after considering what I know of the benefits and risks, I've decided to swallow my pride and add the vitamin D supplement to Baby's diet, even without actually doing the research myself.  Perhaps this is keeping with my evidence based theme, or perhaps not.  I could see it both ways.  At least I've 'fessed up to it.

Here's hoping Baby will swallow the drops!

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious...”

As a new parent, I am starting to see several weaknesses that I had first became painfully aware of as a new wife start to resurface again in my life.  Perhaps this sanctification process is one reason God give us children when he does...

Lately, naps have been more of a challenge for the little one.  The other day, most of the morning had gone by without a nap (mind you, this is the baby who has previously been napping fairly well 4 times a day), the afternoon came and it was nap time again.  I was so happy, Baby went to sleep quite quickly, and I was sure he would be so tired from the morning that he would sleep for a good several hours.  I had just started working on the dishes when I heard him waking up, surely, he’s just rolling over and will settle back down... it’s only been 30 minutes. But a few minutes went by, and instead of settling back down the cries became louder, and the grumbling cries in my heart started growing louder too.  The little one clearly needed some attention, but I wanted him to figure it out himself; he’s fallen asleep and stayed asleep many times before, why couldn’t he do it today?  I felt particularly unmerciful and ungracious towards my baby at that moment, but then it hit me, as a parent, I’m supposed to model God’s love to my children, and I certainly wasn’t doing a very good job of modeling his compassion and grace.

Psalm 103:8, 13-14 says,
"The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. ...
Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
For He Himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust."

How thankful I am that God is compassion and gracious with me!  Is it really too much to ask that I show my son the same?  I don’t even know how many times I commit the same offense, even after I have “learned my lesson.”  What a comforting thought, that even though God is the creator of the universe and holds all things together, he remembers that I am made of dust and He knows what I am capable of.  This reminds me that I ought to remember that my son is just a baby, that he needs help with most things, and that it should be my pleasure and joy to comfort him and show him first hand the great compassion and mercy that God has lavished on me.    

With this new attitude, our afternoon improved dramatically.  The little one was still needy, and I don’t think we ate dinner on time, but mommy’s attitude was much better.  How wonderful it is that God is compassionate and gracious towards us, and that we have the opportunity to model this to our children!