<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <rss
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><channel><title>Raising Arrows &#187; Time Management</title> <atom:link href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/category/time-management/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /><link>http://www.raisingarrows.net</link> <description>Bringing blunt-edged babes to finely-sharpened arrows</description> <lastBuildDate>Wed, 23 May 2012 05:42:23 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en</language> <sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency> <item><title>The Defensive Doing Too Much Mommy Syndrome</title><link>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/05/the-defensive-doing-too-much-mommy-syndrome/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-defensive-doing-too-much-mommy-syndrome</link> <comments>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/05/the-defensive-doing-too-much-mommy-syndrome/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Thu, 17 May 2012 05:01:00 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Amy</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Mommy Matters]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Spiritual Matters]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Time Management]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingarrows.net/?p=15903</guid> <description><![CDATA[<a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/05/the-defensive-doing-too-much-mommy-syndrome/"><img
align="left" hspace="5" width="100" height="100" src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/amy-150x150.jpg" class="alignleft tfe wp-post-image" alt="the most unbecoming photo of me I could find" title="amy" /></a>I told you it was coming! When we as moms are on the receiving end of the judgement passed by others, we can be quick to cry, &#8220;But you don&#8217;t<br/><a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/05/the-defensive-doing-too-much-mommy-syndrome/" class="more-link">Read the full article >></a><p><strong>A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE!</strong> Start renting movies worth watching today!<br><a
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id="attachment_15904" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 409px"><img
class="size-full wp-image-15904 " title="amy" src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/amy.jpg" alt="the most unbecoming photo of me I could find" width="399" height="500" /><p
class="wp-caption-text">This has to be one of the most unbecoming photos of me ever, but it sort of looks defensive, doesn&#39;t it?</p></div><p>I told you it was coming!</p><p>When we as moms are on the receiving end of the<a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/05/the-self-righteous-mommy-syndrome/" target="_blank"> judgement passed by others</a>, we can be quick to cry,</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;But you don&#8217;t understand!&#8221;</p></blockquote><p>never stopping to consider that there may be some constructive in that criticism.</p><p>God can and does use others to refine us.  <strong>Iron sharpening iron is not always pleasant and we must be willing to hear the words of others despite the sting.</strong></p><p>If someone suggests you need to be home more or you might not be managing your finances well or you need to discipline your children more, don&#8217;t immediately jump on the defensive &#8211; or at least try not to blurt out what you are feeling.  Instead, take a deep breath, a few steps back and consider these things&#8230;</p><p><strong>1.  Give people the benefit of the doubt.</strong></p><p>Don&#8217;t assume their motives in saying something that stings is to judge you and hurt you.</p><p>I once had an older woman suggest I was either not sleeping or neglecting my family in order to blog.  She had no idea that I only need about 6 hours of sleep a night and that I type 85 words per minute.  Computer-related things have always come easily to me and therefore, I can get a lot done in very little time.  <strong>But rather than quickly defending myself, I decided to remain quiet with all my reasons and take some time to assess whether I truly was balancing blog and life in a God-honoring way</strong>.</p><p>I decided I could find even better ways to manage my time so I wasn&#8217;t blogging during hours when I could have been spending time with my husband.  I only worked on blogging when he also had work to do and I made sure to sit beside him as we worked.  I also started scheduling my social media promotions to cut out the 30 minutes in the morning I was on the computer before breakfast.</p><p>Her words, though not fully informed, had merit and did afford me the opportunity to do an even better job of <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/05/a-little-me-management/" target="_blank">managing me</a>.  I also know for a fact, she was speaking out of concern for me and not in hopes of hurting me.</p><p><strong>2.  It isn&#8217;t always necessary to defend yourself.</strong></p><p>When my father was struggling through his last year with Alzheimer&#8217;s, I had someone reprimand me for &#8220;running up and down the road&#8221; from my home to my hometown 3 hours away.  This person had not had a parent die and did not know what it was like to be forgotten.  I had determined, with my husband&#8217;s blessing, not to be forgotten by my father for as long as I could manage.  Gas prices and wear and tear on the car do not even compare to the time I spent with my dad.</p><p>But there was no need for me to defend myself for making the most of what time I had left with my dad.  If this person had taken a few moments to think through the situation, they would have realized what was more important.  Additionally, I had my husband&#8217;s blessing.  <strong>There was no need to defend something that would not have changed no matter how much someone tried to convince me otherwise</strong>.</p><p><strong>3.  Listen and discern. </strong></p><p>When someone says something that cuts us to the quick, it is hard to listen.  Sometimes it is even harder to discern if it is truth or lies.  No one wants to be criticized, but sometimes <strong>the very things we need to hear come wrapped in pain</strong>.</p><p>But, there is a flip side as well.  Sometimes the attacks we feel are just that&#8230;attacks.  <strong>They break us down and make us question ourselves</strong> over and over again.</p><p><strong>Both of these require us to get on our knees before God and ask for His guidance.</strong></p><p>We need discernment from the Lord to know if what we are hearing needs to be taken to heart or if it needs to be flung far from our hearts.</p><p>So, my dear mamas, perhaps you are doing too much.  Perhaps you aren&#8217;t practicing self-control.  Or perhaps you are right where God has you and in that you can rest.</p><p><strong>A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE!</strong> Start renting movies worth watching today!<br><a
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href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/subscriber-freebies/">Subscriber Freebies</a> on one page!  Click the link and enter Password: <strong>RAfreebies</strong></p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/05/the-defensive-doing-too-much-mommy-syndrome/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>46</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>The Self-Righteous Mommy Syndrome</title><link>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/05/the-self-righteous-mommy-syndrome/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-self-righteous-mommy-syndrome</link> <comments>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/05/the-self-righteous-mommy-syndrome/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Wed, 16 May 2012 05:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Amy</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Mommy Matters]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Spiritual Matters]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Time Management]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingarrows.net/?p=15815</guid> <description><![CDATA[<a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/05/the-self-righteous-mommy-syndrome/"><img
align="left" hspace="5" width="100" height="100" src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mouse-in-hand-150x150.jpg" class="alignleft tfe wp-post-image" alt="mouse in hand" title="mouse in hand" /></a>You look at her and your first thought is, &#8220;How in the world does she have time for that?&#8221; Your second thought is, &#8220;She&#8217;s probably sacrificing her marriage or her<br/><a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/05/the-self-righteous-mommy-syndrome/" class="more-link">Read the full article >></a><p><strong>A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE!</strong> Start renting movies worth watching today!<br><a
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class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-15895" title="mouse in hand" src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mouse-in-hand.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="400" />You look at her and your first thought is,</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;How in the world does she have time for that?&#8221;</p></blockquote><p>Your second thought is,</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;She&#8217;s probably sacrificing her marriage or her children or her time with God.&#8221;</p></blockquote><p>Whoa!  That was a quick leap from time management to outright negligence!</p><p>As I was writing my post on <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/05/a-little-me-management/" target="_blank">me management</a> (and also my post for Homeschool Blogging on <a
href="http://homeschoolblogging.com/sour-grapes-blogging/" target="_blank">Sour Grapes Blogging</a>), I realized that all too often <strong>we project our own feelings and weaknesses onto someone else</strong> and sometimes we end up acting downright self-righteous.</p><p>I&#8217;m not going to lie to you.  I&#8217;ve done it.  I&#8217;ve looked at another mom and said in carefully-hidden jealousy (*cough*),</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;How in the world did she find the time to do that?&#8221;</p></blockquote><p>Maybe she took a gourmet cooking class or clipped coupons and paid $2 for groceries last month.  Maybe she wrote a book or had a speaking engagement halfway across the country.  Maybe she created a stunning scrapbook or manages to blog at Starbucks every weekend.  Maybe she took a shower without 6 little voices talking to her the entire time.</p><p>Whatever it is she did, <strong>the moment we pass judgement is the moment we elevate ourselves to a pedestal. </strong> Just because MY time bandits are X, Y, and Z does NOT mean Susie Homemaker down the street is squandering her time if she is doing X, Y, and Z.</p><p>We tend to get a little self-righteous when we see someone else doing the very things we can&#8217;t seem to do without sacrificing a massive amount of our time.  It feels unfair and in turn, we become unfair in our assessment of the situation.</p><p>But, what if</p><ul><li>God has that mama in the place He has her for a reason?</li><li>God has you in the place you are for a reason?</li><li>Her God-given giftings make it easier for her to do the things she does?</li><li>Your God-given giftings feel crazy-difficult to her?</li></ul><p>God created us each differently and has us each in different places all for HIS glory.  It&#8217;s not my job to decide if you are or are not where He placed you.</p><p>Ladies, we don&#8217;t know the full story, but God does.  If you absolutely see outright neglect or sin, then by all means address it&#8230;in love.  But, <strong>the first step toward contentment in your own life is stop comparing yourself to others.</strong></p><p>God didn&#8217;t make me a couponing queen or a scrapbooking diva.  He put me 30 minutes away from a Starbucks and gave me 7 beautiful children, several of which talk to me during my shower.</p><p>I blog.  It&#8217;s where He has me&#8230;for now.</p><p>I want to leave you with a beautiful quote from Jamerrill Stewart of <a
href="http://www.holyspiritledhomeschooling.net/" target="_blank">Holy Spirit-Led Homeschooling</a>, <a
href="http://www.freehomeschooldeals.com/" target="_blank">FreeHomeschoolDeals.com</a>, and the recently announced co-ownership of <a
href="http://www.thehomeschoolvillage.com/" target="_blank">The Homeschool Village</a>:</p><blockquote><p>{Jesus} answered my heart&#8217;s cry with a ministry right from my farm house kitchen. He also has only increased this passion, creative ideas, and opportunity&#8230;I feel the Lord&#8217;s pleasure when I blog. Despite what some may say about the energy I put into my blogs, I am in God&#8217;s will. He confirms it. He multiplies my time. Jesus is mixed up in the middle of this with me.</p></blockquote><p>PS &#8211; There is definitely a flip side to this Self-Righteous Mommy Syndrome called the Defensive Doing Too Much Mommy Syndrome.  You&#8217;re not off the hook!  Coming soon&#8230;</p><p><strong>A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE!</strong> Start renting movies worth watching today!<br><a
href="http://bit.ly/Lfp0Zj"><img
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href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/subscriber-freebies/">Subscriber Freebies</a> on one page!  Click the link and enter Password: <strong>RAfreebies</strong></p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/05/the-self-righteous-mommy-syndrome/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>37</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>A Little ME Management</title><link>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/05/a-little-me-management/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=a-little-me-management</link> <comments>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/05/a-little-me-management/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Mon, 07 May 2012 05:01:00 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Amy</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Home Management]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Mommy Matters]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Time Management]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingarrows.net/?p=15769</guid> <description><![CDATA[<a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/05/a-little-me-management/"><img
align="left" hspace="5" width="100" height="100" src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/amyworking-150x150.jpg" class="alignleft tfe wp-post-image" alt="amyworking" title="amyworking" /></a>At the 2:1 Conference last weekend Heidi St. John said something I had forgotten in the hustle and bustle of running a household and homeschooling.  She said there is no<br/><a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/05/a-little-me-management/" class="more-link">Read the full article >></a><p><strong>A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE!</strong> Start renting movies worth watching today!<br><a
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href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/subscriber-freebies/">Subscriber Freebies</a> on one page!  Click the link and enter Password: <strong>RAfreebies</strong></p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img
class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-15794" title="amyworking" src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/amyworking.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="389" />At the <a
href="http://www.2to1conference.com/2012/21-conference-recap-link-up/" target="_blank">2:1 Conference</a> last weekend Heidi St. John said something I had forgotten in the hustle and bustle of running a household and homeschooling.  She said there is no such thing as TIME management because time is going to do what time is going to do.  <strong></strong></p><p
style="text-align: center;"><strong>The only thing we can do is practice ME management.</strong></p><p>This hit home for me because here on Raising Arrows I often talk about Time Management.  I have an entire category on <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/category/time-management/" target="_blank">Time Management</a>.  And even though, I am a huge advocate of balancing your life and managing your home, <strong>I&#8217;m know there have been times when I have blamed &#8220;not enough time&#8221; for my own laziness or lack of balance in my day</strong>.</p><p>Heidi suggested making note of your &#8220;<strong>Time Bandits</strong>.&#8221;  These are the things that if not kept in check will rob you of your time.  These are not things like changing diapers or cooking, but rather the &#8220;unnecessary extras&#8221; of life.</p><p>I want to take this thought a bit further and suggest <strong>your worst Time Bandits are those you actually LIKE to do, but that end up stealing time away from you if you don&#8217;t approach them caution and balance.</strong></p><p>Now, <strong>I&#8217;m not one to say if it&#8217;s a Time Bandit, you have to stop doing that activity</strong>, because I believe God gives us talents and leanings and gifts and within those is where we often find our hobbies and pastimes.  So, I do not believe that if you are easily lost in paint and canvas for hours on end that you must never get out your paints in case you end up squandering an entire day.</p><p>So, what do you do when you lack ME Management in those areas of your life that tend to take over?</p><p><strong>1.  Pray for God&#8217;s hand of balance.</strong>  I do this with my writing.  I can easily get lost in writing blog post upon blog post.  I have always been like this.  Words on paper (or screen) are beautiful to me and I enjoy the crafting of them.  But, they are also a weakness and<strong> the only way I can keep them in check is to ask the Lord to keep me in check.</strong>  He is faithful!  He keeps me balanced through my husband, my children, and sometimes even the entire shutting down of my computer!</p><p><strong>2.  Have a plan before you ever get started. </strong> Before you ever set foot in the sewing room or pull out the scrapbooking papers, give yourself boundaries.  Set a timer if you need to.  In many ways, it is freeing to know you are going to work this long on something you enjoy and then move on to something else.  Plus, you avoid the guilt of &#8220;overdoing&#8221; it.</p><p><strong>3.  Give God the glory! </strong> I have found that the more worshipful I am in an activity I enjoy, the more likely I am to keep that activity in balance.  If I am writing for Him, then the chance of ME getting mixed up in the deal is rare.  Praise Him for the things you do well, praise Him for the little things you enjoy, praise Him for the time He allows for you to do those things.  Everything you do in your day is worship.  <strong>Worshiping the right Person keeps your priorities in the right place.</strong></p><p><em>So, what &#8220;unnecessary extras&#8221; do you enjoy?  Are you in a season that lends itself to being able to enjoy those things?  Do you see your hobbies as a chance to worship and give glory to God?  How has the Lord kept you in check lately?</em></p><p
style="text-align: center;">***************************************</p><p>Here&#8217;s a mom who has taken a God-given talent and used it to create a God-honoring business.  I am pleased to have Caroline of <a
href="http://www.themodestmom.com/" target="_blank">The Modest Mom </a>as this month&#8217;s Welcome Home Sponsor!</p><p><center><a
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style="text-align: center;">All month, she&#8217;s offering a <strong>10% off</strong> coupon code:<br
/> <strong>raisingarrows</strong></p><p>And The Modest Mom now has <a
href="http://themodestmom.com/category_30/Girls-Skirts.htm" target="_blank">little girl&#8217;s skirts</a>!  So, hop over there and pick up some of these beautiful skirts and accessories today!<br
/> <br
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/></p><p><strong>A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE!</strong> Start renting movies worth watching today!<br><a
href="http://bit.ly/Lfp0Zj"><img
src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ccinema_468.jpg"></a><strong><br><br>Announcement!</strong><br>Now you can find all the <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/subscriber-freebies/">Subscriber Freebies</a> on one page!  Click the link and enter Password: <strong>RAfreebies</strong></p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/05/a-little-me-management/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>7</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Caring for Yourself {The Me Time Myth Revisited}</title><link>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/04/caring-for-yourself-me-time-myth-revisted/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=caring-for-yourself-me-time-myth-revisted</link> <comments>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/04/caring-for-yourself-me-time-myth-revisted/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2012 05:01:00 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Amy</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Family Life]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Large Family Living]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Mommy Matters]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Time Management]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingarrows.net/?p=15427</guid> <description><![CDATA[<a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/04/caring-for-yourself-me-time-myth-revisted/"><img
align="left" hspace="5" width="100" height="100" src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/amyphoto-150x150.jpg" class="alignleft tfe wp-post-image" alt="amyphoto" title="amyphoto" /></a>Welcome back to 10 Days of Large Family Homeschooling Start at the Beginning of the Series I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your<br/><a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/04/caring-for-yourself-me-time-myth-revisted/" class="more-link">Read the full article >></a><p><strong>A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE!</strong> Start renting movies worth watching today!<br><a
href="http://bit.ly/Lfp0Zj"><img
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style="text-align: center;"><img
class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-15687" title="amyphoto" src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/amyphoto.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375" /><br
/> <em>Welcome back to 10 Days of Large Family Homeschooling</em><br
/> <em><a
href="../2012/04/10-days-of-large-family-homeschooling-is-here/" target="_blank">Start at the Beginning of the Series</a></em></p><blockquote><p><a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/04/10-days-of-large-family-homeschooling-is-here/"><img
class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-15437" title="10 Days button" src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/10-days-april-amyr-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.<br
/> Romans 12:1</p></blockquote><p>Years ago, when I wrote <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2009/07/me-time-myth/" target="_blank">The Me Time Myth</a>, I never expected the backlash I received.  I felt the ones who gave me a good tongue-lashing (even going so far as to suggest my children will hate me one day) truly did not hear my heart in the matter.  I felt terribly misunderstood, but chose to avoid strife and stand quietly by my message.  So, <strong>bringing up this topic again is something I do with trepidation and trembling before the Lord</strong>.</p><p>As I see it, most homeschooling moms of many fall into 3 camps when it comes to the all-encompassing term &#8220;Me Time&#8221;.  They either<strong> live for it</strong>, <strong>piously deny themselves of it</strong>, or<strong> feel guilty if they get it</strong>.  Very few seem to have a healthy view of this hotly debated issue.</p><p>Today, I hope to shed some light on <strong>my original intentions</strong> with The Me Time Myth as well <strong>what I see from Scripture as the way we should approach this topic</strong>.</p><p
style="text-align: center;"><span
style="color: #ff00ff;"><strong>Me Time shouldn&#8217;t be the air we breathe.</strong></span></p><p>I once overheard a woman tell her friends she could not live without her daily excursions to the gym where she could be without children and in her own space with her own thoughts.  Suggesting you cannot live without Me Time is absurd and altogether frightening.</p><p>As mothers, we are called to <strong>love our husband and love our children</strong>. (Titus 2:4)  Some suggest you cannot truly love these people if you are not first loving yourself.  They talk of filling yourself first so you can fill others.  But nowhere do I see that precedent in the Bible.  In fact, I see the opposite.  I see Scriptures about giving of yourself and caring for others ahead of your own needs.</p><p>Me Time should never be our life line.  It should never be something we live for or try to get more of.  It isn&#8217;t commanded by Scripture and should not be taught as such.</p><p
style="text-align: center;"><span
style="color: #ff00ff;"><strong>Me Time martyrs</strong></span></p><p>However, there are those who staunchly proclaim their superiority because they have NEVER done anything that even remotely resembles Me Time.  They decry anyone who goes to women&#8217;s retreats or on vacations sans children.  They rail against everything from bubble baths to curling irons to Starbucks coffee.</p><p>It&#8217;s not the denying yourself I have a hard time stomaching. <strong> It&#8217;s the pride.</strong>  (Galatians 6:4)  If you have to tell everyone how noble you are, are you really noble?</p><p
style="text-align: center;"><strong><span
style="color: #ff00ff;">The Guilty Moms Club</span></strong></p><p>My heart goes out to these moms. They are trying to do the right thing. <strong>They truly love their families, but they are weary and need encouragement and strength to keep going</strong>. At the very heart of the matter, they love homeschooling, they love being around their children, but they have off-days, off-weeks, and yes, sometimes even off-years. They long for a better life. They long for a <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/purchase-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home-for-1-99-revised-expanded-version/" target="_blank">peaceful home </a>surrounded by happy faces and cheerful hearts, but they just cannot seem to make it work.</p><p>So, they hide.</p><p><strong>They escape into Me Time every chance they get.</strong>  But they know it doesn&#8217;t satisfy and they feel guilty&#8230;oh so guilty.</p><p
style="text-align: center;"><span
style="color: #ff00ff;"><strong>A healthy view of me</strong></span></p><p
style="text-align: left;"><img
class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-15693" title="Amy and Micah" src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Amy-and-Micah.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /><strong>The Christian mother has an opportunity to die to self daily as she learns to love her husband and children</strong>.  The Christian homeschooling mother of many often finds this opportunity <strong>amplified</strong>.  She may even feel as though she is forced to die to self because of all the needs that cry out for her every moment.</p><p
style="text-align: left;">The answer to her struggle for more time, more energy, more joy is not to have less children or to stop homeschooling or to immerse herself in Me Time.</p><p
style="text-align: left;"><strong>The answer is worship.</strong></p><p
style="text-align: left;">Romans 12:1 &#8211; the verse at the top of this post &#8211; sums up why Me Time is a myth.  The sacrifices I make should never be about me.  The time I spend away from my family should never be about me.  The causes I support, the blog posts I write, the friendships I make should never be about me.  <strong>They should always be about Him.</strong></p><p
style="text-align: left;">I can carve out time away from my children for a coffee with my husband because I am there to rejoice in a marriage that daily shows the goodness of the Lord.  I can spend a weekend at a conference with friends because I&#8217;m there to proclaim the glory and honor of Jesus Christ.  I can even take a bubble bath with candles and soft music because I am there to pray.</p><p
style="text-align: left;">In the Subscriber Pack is a daily checklist I call <strong>Mom&#8217;s Sacrifice List</strong>.  It is a list of things you can do to <strong>take care of yourself so that you are presenting to God a sacrifice that isn&#8217;t merely hanging on by a thread, but rather is a LIVING sacrifice</strong>.</p><p
style="text-align: left;">Moms, I want you to know it is okay to take care of yourself.  It is okay to stay at home and it is okay to go out.  It is okay to exercise and okay to take a break.  The thing you must always keep at the forefront of whatever it is you do is that this is NOT about YOU.</p><p
style="text-align: left;">This is worship.</p><p
style="text-align: center;">*************************************************</p><p
style="text-align: left;"><em>To subscribe to Raising Arrows and receive your <strong>10 Days of Large Family Homeschooling Subscriber Pack</strong>, simply fill in your email address below, verify via the email that comes to your inbox and tomorrow morning you&#8217;ll find an email with a link and code at the bottom.  May the words of this blog be a blessing to you.</em></p><form
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style="text-align: center;"><a
href="http://www.ihomeschoolnetwork.com/10-days-of-series"><img
class="wp-image-353" src="http://www.ihomeschoolnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/members-6401.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="234" /></a></p><p><strong>A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE!</strong> Start renting movies worth watching today!<br><a
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href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/subscriber-freebies/">Subscriber Freebies</a> on one page!  Click the link and enter Password: <strong>RAfreebies</strong></p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/04/caring-for-yourself-me-time-myth-revisted/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>151</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Not Just Intentions, Follow Through</title><link>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/02/not-just-intentions-follow-through/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=not-just-intentions-follow-through</link> <comments>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/02/not-just-intentions-follow-through/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Amy</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Child Training]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Family Life]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Home Management]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Homeschooling]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Time Management]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingarrows.net/?p=14884</guid> <description><![CDATA[<a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/02/not-just-intentions-follow-through/"><img
align="left" hspace="5" width="100" height="100" src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/planner1-150x150.jpg" class="alignleft wp-post-image tfe" alt="planner" title="planner1" /></a>&#8220;Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.&#8221; ~Dwight D. Eisenhower God has really been working on me lately in the area of diligence&#8230;again.  I have fantastic intentions, but rather poor<br/><a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/02/not-just-intentions-follow-through/" class="more-link">Read the full article >></a><p><strong>A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE!</strong> Start renting movies worth watching today!<br><a
href="http://bit.ly/Lfp0Zj"><img
src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ccinema_468.jpg"></a><strong><br><br>Announcement!</strong><br>Now you can find all the <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/subscriber-freebies/">Subscriber Freebies</a> on one page!  Click the link and enter Password: <strong>RAfreebies</strong></p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img
class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14902" title="planner1" src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/planner1.jpg" alt="planner" width="450" height="338" /></p><blockquote><p>&#8220;Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.&#8221; ~Dwight D. Eisenhower</p></blockquote><p>God has really been working on me lately in the area of <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2010/06/difficult-words-diligence/" target="_blank">diligence</a>&#8230;again.  I have fantastic intentions, but rather poor follow through.  However, my lack of follow through these days isn&#8217;t due to being lazy, but rather to <strong>lack of planning</strong>.</p><p>I was somewhat surprised by the responses when the question of lesson plans came up in a crowd of homeschool moms recently.  Most of the mothers there balked at the idea of planning and many of the moms readily admitted they just sort of<strong> fly by the seat of their pants</strong> most of the time.</p><p>A few months ago, I probably would have joined in the scoffing of planning, but not today.</p><p>All of you know how I feel about the <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/02/unrealistic-homeschool-moms/" target="_blank">unrealistic expectations</a> homeschool moms put on themselves; however, <strong>I do believe</strong> <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2009/01/homeschool-mamas-need-a-planning-period-too/" target="_blank">planning is a crucial part</a> <strong>of bringing a solid heart, mind and soul education to your children</strong>.</p><p>So, this past weekend, I put together a plan using these <a
href="http://donnayoung.org/f11/planner-f/f-school-pdf/week.pdf" target="_blank">planning pages</a>.  I wrote out one for each child including the toddlers since I had been wanting to give them more &#8220;face time&#8221; with mama and planning it made it more likely I would actually do it.</p><p>I realized two things as I wrote out these plans:</p><p><strong>1.  I have many ideas swirling in my head, but when it comes to actually pulling them from my brain and implementing them, I fall flat on my face.</strong></p><p><strong>2.  I have way more ideas than I have time for, and seeing them on paper forced me to rein them in.</strong></p><p>Once the lesson plans were complete, I tucked them into my <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2010/07/the-school-binder/" target="_blank">School Binder</a> and slept like a baby.</p><p>Monday morning dawned, we pulled out the lesson plans and got moving.  By Tuesday, we were behind.  Why?</p><p><strong>Because plans are useless.</strong></p><p>However, remember the second part of that quote?</p><p><strong>Planning is indispensable.</strong></p><p>I had done the act of planning.  I had created guidelines.  The lesson plans did not own me, so when my sons were presented the opportunity to visit a space museum on Tuesday that would require their school work be put off for the day, I didn&#8217;t fuss and fret.  I made a mental note and moved on.</p><p><strong>Lesson planning doesn&#8217;t need to be a complicated process.</strong>  It can be as simple as jotting down a few ideas for the week on a piece of notebook paper or putting sticky notes with assignments in everyone&#8217;s books. Whatever method you choose will create more accountability and more focus.  Because simply put&#8230;</p><p><strong>If you plan nothing, you might want to expect just that&#8230;nothing.</strong></p><p><strong>A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE!</strong> Start renting movies worth watching today!<br><a
href="http://bit.ly/Lfp0Zj"><img
src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ccinema_468.jpg"></a><strong><br><br>Announcement!</strong><br>Now you can find all the <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/subscriber-freebies/">Subscriber Freebies</a> on one page!  Click the link and enter Password: <strong>RAfreebies</strong></p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/02/not-just-intentions-follow-through/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>30</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>What do you do when you&#8217;re living in chaos?</title><link>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/01/what-do-you-do-when-you-live-in-chaos/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=what-do-you-do-when-you-live-in-chaos</link> <comments>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/01/what-do-you-do-when-you-live-in-chaos/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Amy</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Time Management]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingarrows.net/?p=13418</guid> <description><![CDATA[<a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/01/what-do-you-do-when-you-live-in-chaos/"><img
align="left" hspace="5" width="100" src="http://heartofthematteronline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/contributor-button-1.png" class="alignleft wp-post-image tfe" alt="Heart of the Matter button" title="HOTM" /></a>You head to Heart of the Matter and read my post about making an Abnormal Schedule to go along with your Abnormal Life, of course! A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE! Start<br/><a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/01/what-do-you-do-when-you-live-in-chaos/" class="more-link">Read the full article >></a><p><strong>A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE!</strong> Start renting movies worth watching today!<br><a
href="http://bit.ly/Lfp0Zj"><img
src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ccinema_468.jpg"></a><strong><br><br>Announcement!</strong><br>Now you can find all the <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/subscriber-freebies/">Subscriber Freebies</a> on one page!  Click the link and enter Password: <strong>RAfreebies</strong></p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img
class="alignnone aligncenter" title="HOTM" src="http://heartofthematteronline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/contributor-button-1.png" alt="Heart of the Matter button" width="125" height="125" /></p><p>You head to <a
href="http://heartofthematteronline.com/the-abnormal-schedule/" target="_blank">Heart of the Matter</a> and read my post about making an Abnormal Schedule to go along with your Abnormal Life, of course!</p><p><strong>A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE!</strong> Start renting movies worth watching today!<br><a
href="http://bit.ly/Lfp0Zj"><img
src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ccinema_468.jpg"></a><strong><br><br>Announcement!</strong><br>Now you can find all the <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/subscriber-freebies/">Subscriber Freebies</a> on one page!  Click the link and enter Password: <strong>RAfreebies</strong></p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/01/what-do-you-do-when-you-live-in-chaos/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>1</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>A Well-Planned Christmas</title><link>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/12/a-well-planned-christmas/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=a-well-planned-christmas</link> <comments>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/12/a-well-planned-christmas/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Mon, 05 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Amy</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Holidays]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Home Management]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Organizing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Time Management]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingarrows.net/?p=13192</guid> <description><![CDATA[<a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/12/a-well-planned-christmas/"><img
align="left" hspace="5" width="100" src="http://12weekholidayplanner.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/holidayplanner-newcover-small2-232x300.jpg" class="alignleft wp-post-image tfe" alt="" title="12 Week Holiday Planner cover" /></a>For several years I have used this 12 week Holiday Planner to plan my time from shortly before Thanksgiving to New Year&#8217;s. I had listened in on a conference call<br/><a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/12/a-well-planned-christmas/" class="more-link">Read the full article >></a><p><strong>A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE!</strong> Start renting movies worth watching today!<br><a
href="http://bit.ly/Lfp0Zj"><img
src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ccinema_468.jpg"></a><strong><br><br>Announcement!</strong><br>Now you can find all the <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/subscriber-freebies/">Subscriber Freebies</a> on one page!  Click the link and enter Password: <strong>RAfreebies</strong></p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a
href="http://12weekholidayplanner.com/the-12-week-holiday-planner?ap_id=amyarrows"><img
class="aligncenter" title="12 Week Holiday Planner cover" src="http://12weekholidayplanner.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/holidayplanner-newcover-small2-232x300.jpg" alt="" width="232" height="300" /></a></p><p>For several years I have used this <a
href="http://12weekholidayplanner.com/the-12-week-holiday-planner?ap_id=amyarrows" target="_blank">12 week Holiday Planner</a> to plan my time from shortly before Thanksgiving to New Year&#8217;s.</p><p>I had listened in on a conference call with <a
href="http://www.marilynmoll.com/" target="_blank">Marilyn Moll</a> {then of the <a
href="http://www.urbanhomemaker.com/productcart/pc/home.asp" target="_blank">Urban Homemaker</a>} and two women I had never heard of.  The first was <a
href="http://www.school4jesus.com/" target="_blank">Sheri Graham</a>, who had co-authored the 12 Week Planner, and the other was <a
href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/" target="_blank">Ann Voskamp</a>, who&#8217;s Jesse Tree devotional at the time was being included as a bonus with the Planner. {yes, there WAS a time when Ann Voskamp wasn&#8217;t a household name&#8230;at least not in my household!}</p><p>I decided this was exactly what I needed to stay on track during the holidays, so I <a
href="http://12weekholidayplanner.com/the-12-week-holiday-planner?ap_id=amyarrows" target="_blank">purchased it</a> that night and downloaded and printed it off immediately.  I took their advice and slipped each page into protective covers inside a notebook (Jesse Tree devotional included) and sailed through the holidays despite the impending birth of our 6th child {a large factor in my needing this planner!}</p><p>Now, some people can plan their holidays just fine without a planner.  I am not one of those people.  And I&#8217;m also not someone who can come up with everything I need this time of year on my own, so I am truly grateful for people like Sheri, who put together materials like this!</p><p>Now, you might be wondering why you need a &#8220;well-planned&#8221; Christmas?  And what does a well-planned Christmas look like.  Well, let&#8217;s just say, I got the planner out <strong>late</strong> this year and it shows!  Without planning, your gift giving is haphazard, your meal planning is over budget, and you feel more stress than peace during a season that ought to be full of peace and thanksgiving.  I am so glad I remembered to get my planner out, even if it was late in the game&#8230;better late than never!</p><p>So, if you are looking for order this Christmas (and the next and the next), I highly recommend the <a
href="http://12weekholidayplanner.com/the-12-week-holiday-planner?ap_id=amyarrows" target="_blank">12 Week Holiday Planner</a>!  I&#8217;m sure there are others out there, but this has worked for me for several years now and I don&#8217;t plan on changing.</p><p>And if you are looking for peace in the weeks to come (and long after the Christmas decorations are put away), check out my ebook <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/purchase-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home-for-1-99-revised-expanded-version/" target="_blank">10 Days to a Peaceful Home</a>.  Only $1.99!</p><p
style="text-align: center;"><a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/10-Days-ebook-cover.jpg"><img
class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-13067" title="10 Days ebook cover" src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/10-Days-ebook-cover.jpg" alt="" width="280" height="280" /></a></p><p
style="text-align: center;"><a
class="ec_ejc_thkbx" onclick="javascript:return EJEJC_lc(this);" href="https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?c=cart&amp;i=1019507&amp;cl=127736&amp;ejc=2" target="ej_ejc"><img
src="http://www.e-junkie.com/ej/ej_add_to_cart.gif" alt="Add to Cart" border="0" /></a></p><p><strong>A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE!</strong> Start renting movies worth watching today!<br><a
href="http://bit.ly/Lfp0Zj"><img
src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ccinema_468.jpg"></a><strong><br><br>Announcement!</strong><br>Now you can find all the <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/subscriber-freebies/">Subscriber Freebies</a> on one page!  Click the link and enter Password: <strong>RAfreebies</strong></p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/12/a-well-planned-christmas/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>3</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Bringing the Day to a Close: 10 Days to a Peaceful Home</title><link>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/bringing-the-day-to-a-close-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=bringing-the-day-to-a-close-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home</link> <comments>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/bringing-the-day-to-a-close-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Amy</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Family Life]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Time Management]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingarrows.net/?p=12726</guid> <description><![CDATA[<a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/bringing-the-day-to-a-close-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home/"><img
align="left" hspace="5" width="100" height="100" src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/amyr300-150x150.jpg" class="alignleft wp-post-image tfe" alt="" title="amyr300" /></a>This week we&#8217;ve learned how to feel blessed and how to create a haven. Today we bring our day to a close&#8230;peacefully. This is one thing I have only recently<br/><a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/bringing-the-day-to-a-close-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home/" class="more-link">Read the full article >></a><p><strong>A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE!</strong> Start renting movies worth watching today!<br><a
href="http://bit.ly/Lfp0Zj"><img
src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ccinema_468.jpg"></a><strong><br><br>Announcement!</strong><br>Now you can find all the <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/subscriber-freebies/">Subscriber Freebies</a> on one page!  Click the link and enter Password: <strong>RAfreebies</strong></p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a
href="http://www.heartofthematteronline.com"><img
class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-12884" title="amyr300" src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/amyr300.jpg" alt="" width="302" height="302" /></a></p><p>This week we&#8217;ve learned<a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/learning-to-feel-blessed-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home/" target="_blank"> how to feel blessed</a> and <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/the-home-as-a-haven-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home/" target="_blank">how to create a haven</a>.</p><p><strong>Today we bring our day to a close&#8230;peacefully.</strong></p><p>This is one thing I have only recently begun to implement in full.  I&#8217;ve done bits and pieces throughout the years to slow our evenings down, but nothing fully intentional.  What changed all that?</p><p>Reading the Old Testament.</p><p><a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/sunset.jpg"><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-13018" title="sunset" src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/sunset-300x212.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="212" /></a></p><p>While working through the <a
href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0977264602?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=raisarro-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0977264602" target="_blank">Balancing the Sword</a> Bible study, I came across <strong>the why behind the Jewish day ending at sundown</strong> (Genesis 1:3).  For the Jewish people, there is a marking of the end of a day that is very distinct.  Sabbath begins in the evening, Feasts begin in the evening, and all begin with a marked slowing of pace; <strong>a separation between the preparations of the day and the beginning of the celebrations</strong>.</p><p>Our family decided that <strong>this separation of morning and evening should become a part of our family life</strong> as we worked toward creating a God-glorifying peaceful atmosphere in our home.</p><p>I will tell you now, I have no solid Scripture to base this on and I would never insinuate that you must separate your day in order to have a functioning home, but <strong>I can testify to the beauty and peace it has created in our home</strong>.</p><p>Here are some ideas for bringing your day to a close:</p><p><strong>*Have a set time to put away schoolwork. </strong> In the workforce, there is a start and a finish to the work day.  When we blur the day into the night, we are often asking more of our children (and of their Mommy) than any person is capable of giving.  Of course, there are exceptions, but as a general rule, choose a time to end the day and then end it&#8230;no matter what.</p><p><strong>*Do a quick <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2010/03/cleaning-music/">Tidy Up</a>.</strong> Around 5pm every day, we stop what we are doing and tidy the entire house as fast as we can.  It is so nice to relax in a tidy home in the evening!</p><p><strong>*Greet Daddy at the door with the distinct purpose of separating his daily grind from his evening at home.</strong> I know not all Daddies are home in the evenings, but this applies no matter what time Daddy comes home!  I have trained our children to excitedly run for the door when Daddy gets home.  How did I train them to do this?  <strong>By being excited myself!</strong> It thrills Daddy&#8217;s soul to have his entire household happy he is home.</p><p><strong>*Enjoy your evening meal. </strong> Read<a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/stop-the-meal-time-madness-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home/" target="_blank"> Stop the Meal Time Madness</a> for ideas!</p><p><strong>*Spend the evening in slower pursuits. </strong> This is the time for dimmer lighting, quieter voices, calmer play.  After dinner, <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2010/06/table-chores/" target="_blank">we clean up</a> and almost immediately <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2009/07/bath-schedule/" target="_blank">get our baths taken</a> and jammies on.  Sometimes we play a game or watch a movie or read books.  The little ones will play cars or pretend they are homesteading, but we require that the pace stays as calm as possible.  There are the occasional wrestling matches with Daddy, but we try to keep those toward the beginning of the evening and nowhere near bedtime. <img
src='http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' /></p><p><strong>*Family Worship Time.</strong> I talked about this in <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/the-home-as-a-haven-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home/" target="_blank">yesterday&#8217;s post</a>.  We do this in the evening and then say bedtime prayers.  We do not always send the children to bed right after prayers, but I&#8217;ll talk more about that in tomorrow&#8217;s post.</p><p>Evenings around here are such a blessed time since we&#8217;ve begun to purposefully slow our pace.  I would love that same blessing for your family too!</p><p><span
style="color: #ff6600;"><strong><em>10 Days to a Peaceful Home HOMEwork:</em></strong></span></p><ul><li>Come up with a doable time to end your day and be diligent to meet that deadline.</li><li>Work on being excited and in turn teaching your children to be excited to have Daddy home.</li><li>Come up with a list of &#8220;slower pursuits&#8221; your family could enjoy in the evenings and post it where your family can see it and make choices from it.</li></ul><p><strong><em><a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/purchase-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home-for-1-99-revised-expanded-version/" target="_blank">Purchase the entire series</a> along with new content and worksheets for $1.99!</em></strong><br
/> <a
href="https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?c=cart&#038;i=1019507&#038;cl=127736&#038;ejc=2" target="ej_ejc" class="ec_ejc_thkbx" onClick="javascript:return EJEJC_lc(this);"><img
src="http://www.e-junkie.com/ej/ej_add_to_cart.gif" border="0" alt="Add to Cart"/></a></p><blockquote><p>&nbsp;</p></blockquote><p>Be sure to visit these brilliant women during our 10 days adventure between November 7th-18th! I love these ladies and we know you will too.</p><p>10 days of Character Studies | <a
href="http://confessionsofahomeschooler.blogspot.com/">Confessions of a Homeschooler</a><br
/> 10 days of Christmas Countdown Ideas | <a
href="http://www.milkandcookiesblog.com/">Milk &amp; Cookies</a><br
/> 10 days of Creative Writing | <a
href="http://chocolateonmycranium.blogspot.com/">Chocolate on My Cranium</a><br
/> 10 days of Crockpot Meals | <a
href="http://thehappyhousewife.com/">The Happy Housewife</a><br
/> 10 Days to a Godly Marriage | <a
href="http://womenlivingwell.org/">Women Living Well</a><br
/> 10 Days of Growing Leaders | <a
href="http://www.momsmustardseeds.com/">Mom&#8217;s Mustard Seeds</a><br
/> 10 Days of Homeschooling High School | <a
href="http://www.weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com/">Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers</a><br
/> 10 days of I Wish I Had Known | <a
href="http://fruitinseason.blogspot.com/">Fruit in Season</a></p><p>10 days of Kid-friendly Food | <a
href="http://www.plannerperfect.com/">Planner Perfect</a><br
/> 10 Days of Language Arts Lesson Planning | <a
href="http://jimmiescollage.com/">Jimmie&#8217;s Collage</a><br
/> 10 Days of Learning Apps | <a
href="http://www.dazeofadventure.com/">Daze of Adventure</a><br
/> 10 Days of a Mason Jar Christmas | <a
href="http://www.amybayliss.com">Cajun Joie de Vivre</a><br
/> 10 Days of More JESUS in Christmas | <a
href="http://www.preschoolersandpeace.com/">Preschoolers and Peace</a><br
/> 10 Days to a Peaceful Home | <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/">Raising Arrows</a><br
/> 10 Days of Raising a Life-Long-Learner | <a
href="http://brightideaspress.com/">Bright Ideas Press</a><br
/> 10 days of Science with Math | <a
href="http://www.blogshewrote.blogspot.com/">Blog, She Wrote</a><br
/> 10 days of Teaching Values | <a
href="http://ourjourneywestward.com/">Our Journey Westward</a><br
/> 10 days of Winning your Child&#8217;s Heart | <a
href="http://www.itakejoy.com">I Take Joy</a></p><p><strong>A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE!</strong> Start renting movies worth watching today!<br><a
href="http://bit.ly/Lfp0Zj"><img
src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ccinema_468.jpg"></a><strong><br><br>Announcement!</strong><br>Now you can find all the <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/subscriber-freebies/">Subscriber Freebies</a> on one page!  Click the link and enter Password: <strong>RAfreebies</strong></p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/bringing-the-day-to-a-close-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>8</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Well-Ordered Wiggle Room: 10 Days to a Peaceful Home</title><link>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/well-ordered-wiggle-room-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=well-ordered-wiggle-room-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home</link> <comments>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/well-ordered-wiggle-room-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Amy</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Family Life]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Home Management]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Keeping the Home]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Time Management]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingarrows.net/?p=12651</guid> <description><![CDATA[<a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/well-ordered-wiggle-room-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home/"><img
align="left" hspace="5" width="100" height="100" src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/amyr300-150x150.jpg" class="alignleft wp-post-image tfe" alt="" title="amyr300" /></a>We&#8217;ve checked our hearts, we&#8217;ve greeted the day with goals, but what happens when the day just doesn&#8217;t seem to be going as planned? We remember that peace can still<br/><a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/well-ordered-wiggle-room-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home/" class="more-link">Read the full article >></a><p><strong>A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE!</strong> Start renting movies worth watching today!<br><a
href="http://bit.ly/Lfp0Zj"><img
src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ccinema_468.jpg"></a><strong><br><br>Announcement!</strong><br>Now you can find all the <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/subscriber-freebies/">Subscriber Freebies</a> on one page!  Click the link and enter Password: <strong>RAfreebies</strong></p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a
href="http://www.heartofthematteronline.com"><img
class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-12884" title="amyr300" src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/amyr300.jpg" alt="" width="302" height="302" /></a></p><p>We&#8217;ve <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/start-with-your-heart-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home/">checked our hearts</a>, we&#8217;ve <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/greet-the-morning-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home/">greeted the day with goals</a>, but what happens when<strong> the day just doesn&#8217;t seem to be going as planned</strong>?</p><p>We remember that <strong>peace can still be found when we allow ourselves &#8220;wiggle room.&#8221;</strong></p><p>If you&#8217;ve read my series on <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2010/03/to-do-list-schedule-or-routine/" target="_blank">Creating a Daily Routine</a>, you already know that I am not fond of sectioning off a day by 15-30 minute time slots.  I don&#8217;t do well in that kind of environment because it feels too boxed in. <strong> I much prefer a routine that is loosely based on times of day and order of activities</strong>.  The times listed on <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Daily-Schedule.pdf" target="_blank">my daily schedule</a> are suggestions and guidelines rather than rules.</p><p>I know, if need be, I can adjust.</p><p>THAT is wiggle room.</p><p>But, why is this post entitled &#8220;Well-Ordered Wiggle Room?&#8221;</p><p>Because despite the fact I wholeheartedly believe you need flexibility, I also <strong>wholeheartedly believe <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/08/how-you-spend-your-time-matters/" target="_blank">you need order</a> for peace to flow throughout your home</strong>.</p><p>Living life willy-nilly however you may please may seem free-spirited and wonderfully peaceful on the surface, but underneath all of that footloose and fancy-freeness, there is often found <strong>randomness that stems from an aimless life searching for contentment and peace</strong>.</p><blockquote><p>Where there is no vision, the people perish:  but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.<br
/> Proverbs 29:18</p></blockquote><p>God is a God of order, not chaos.  He gives mankind guidelines and parameters to work within because He loves us.  <strong>Ordering our day glorifies Him and shows our love for those in our household.  Allowing wiggle room amongst the order of the day allows room for God to work and our family to act on those Works!</strong></p><p><span
style="color: #ff6600;"><strong><em>10 Days to a Peaceful Home HOMEwork:</em></strong></span></p><ul><li>Begin creating a family schedule/routine that factors in wiggle room.</li><li>Practice your reactions to things not going as you planned.</li><li>Try your newly created schedule/routine for a few days and tweak as needed.</li></ul><p><strong><em><a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/purchase-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home-for-1-99-revised-expanded-version/" target="_blank">Purchase the entire series</a> along with new content and worksheets for $1.99!</em></strong><br
/> <a
href="https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?c=cart&#038;i=1019507&#038;cl=127736&#038;ejc=2" target="ej_ejc" class="ec_ejc_thkbx" onClick="javascript:return EJEJC_lc(this);"><img
src="http://www.e-junkie.com/ej/ej_add_to_cart.gif" border="0" alt="Add to Cart"/></a></p><blockquote><p>&nbsp;</p></blockquote><p>Be sure to visit these brilliant women during our 10 days adventure between November 7th-18th! I love these ladies and we know you will too.</p><p>10 days of Character Studies | <a
href="http://confessionsofahomeschooler.blogspot.com/">Confessions of a Homeschooler</a><br
/> 10 days of Christmas Countdown Ideas | <a
href="http://www.milkandcookiesblog.com/">Milk &amp; Cookies</a><br
/> 10 days of Creative Writing | <a
href="http://chocolateonmycranium.blogspot.com/">Chocolate on My Cranium</a><br
/> 10 days of Crockpot Meals | <a
href="http://thehappyhousewife.com/">The Happy Housewife</a><br
/> 10 Days to a Godly Marriage | <a
href="http://womenlivingwell.org/">Women Living Well</a><br
/> 10 Days of Growing Leaders | <a
href="http://www.momsmustardseeds.com/">Mom&#8217;s Mustard Seeds</a><br
/> 10 Days of Homeschooling High School | <a
href="http://www.weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com/">Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers</a><br
/> 10 days of I Wish I Had Known | <a
href="http://fruitinseason.blogspot.com/">Fruit in Season</a><br
/> 10 days of Keeping Your Marbles | The Tie That Binds Us<br
/> 10 days of Kid-friendly Food | <a
href="http://www.plannerperfect.com/">Planner Perfect</a><br
/> 10 Days of Language Arts Lesson Planning | <a
href="http://jimmiescollage.com/">Jimmie&#8217;s Collage</a><br
/> 10 Days of Learning Apps | <a
href="http://www.dazeofadventure.com/">Daze of Adventure</a><br
/> 10 Days of a Mason Jar Christmas | <a
href="http://www.amybayliss.com">Cajun Joie de Vivre</a><br
/> 10 Days of More JESUS in Christmas | <a
href="http://www.preschoolersandpeace.com/">Preschoolers and Peace</a><br
/> 10 Days to a Peaceful Home | <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/">Raising Arrows</a><br
/> 10 Days of Raising a Life-Long-Learner | <a
href="http://brightideaspress.com/">Bright Ideas Press</a><br
/> 10 days of Science with Math | <a
href="http://www.blogshewrote.blogspot.com/">Blog, She Wrote</a><br
/> 10 days of Teaching Values | <a
href="http://ourjourneywestward.com/">Our Journey Westward</a><br
/> 10 days of Winning your Child&#8217;s Heart | <a
href="http://www.itakejoy.com">I Take Joy</a></p><p><strong>A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE!</strong> Start renting movies worth watching today!<br><a
href="http://bit.ly/Lfp0Zj"><img
src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ccinema_468.jpg"></a><strong><br><br>Announcement!</strong><br>Now you can find all the <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/subscriber-freebies/">Subscriber Freebies</a> on one page!  Click the link and enter Password: <strong>RAfreebies</strong></p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/well-ordered-wiggle-room-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>6</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Greet the Morning: 10 Days to a Peaceful Home</title><link>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/greet-the-morning-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=greet-the-morning-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home</link> <comments>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/greet-the-morning-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Tue, 08 Nov 2011 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Amy</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Family Life]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Home Management]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Time Management]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingarrows.net/?p=12650</guid> <description><![CDATA[<a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/greet-the-morning-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home/"><img
align="left" hspace="5" width="100" height="100" src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/amyr300-150x150.jpg" class="alignleft wp-post-image tfe" alt="" title="amyr300" /></a>Now that you have taken a hard look at your own heart, it is time to focus on the pieces and parts of your day that are an expression (or<br/><a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/greet-the-morning-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home/" class="more-link">Read the full article >></a><p><strong>A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE!</strong> Start renting movies worth watching today!<br><a
href="http://bit.ly/Lfp0Zj"><img
src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ccinema_468.jpg"></a><strong><br><br>Announcement!</strong><br>Now you can find all the <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/subscriber-freebies/">Subscriber Freebies</a> on one page!  Click the link and enter Password: <strong>RAfreebies</strong></p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a
href="http://www.heartofthematteronline.com"><img
class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-12884" title="amyr300" src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/amyr300.jpg" alt="" width="302" height="302" /></a></p><p>Now that you have taken <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/start-with-your-heart-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home/" target="_blank">a hard look at your own heart</a>, it is time to focus on the pieces and parts of your day that are an expression (or not) of that peace.</p><p>Starting with<strong> your morning.</strong></p><p>Mornings have never been easy for me.  I am naturally a night person.  However, even as a certified night owl, I have realized that <strong>in order to have peace in my home, I have to greet the morning with more than a grunt</strong>.</p><p>There are, of course, seasons in a woman&#8217;s life when mornings are more difficult to greet, but the principle remains the same despite the circumstances.  Let&#8217;s take our cues from the Proverbs 31 woman:</p><blockquote><p>She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.<br
/> ~Proverbs 31:15</p></blockquote><p><strong>This verse is less about what time she gets up and more about why she gets up</strong>.  She greets the morning with productivity rather than laziness.</p><p>Now, I can hear a few of you screaming for your early morning coffee on the veranda, but let me challenge you&#8230;</p><p><strong>Greet your morning with coffee AND plans and provisions for the day</strong>.  You will find such peace in spending time with the Lord and setting goals for the day in the quiet of the morning.</p><p>From there, get up, get dressed, and get going!</p><p>Take the goals you have prayed over and start working through them, fully conscious of the peace you gain from knowing where you are going!</p><p>You won&#8217;t always {or ever} be able to meet every single goal you set in the morning, but <strong>having a plan will give you the focus you need to create an environment that is peaceful</strong>.  It is the kind of peace that comes from knowing <strong>you began your day with purpose and praise</strong>.</p><p><span
style="color: #ff6600;"><strong><em>10 Days to a Peaceful Home HOMEwork:</em></strong></span></p><ul><li>Print off my FREE <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Greet-the-Morning.pdf" target="_blank">Greet the Morning Checklist</a>, grab your Bible and a cup of coffee and make some goals for your day!</li><li>Don&#8217;t overdo your goal list!  Be reasonable about what you can accomplish.</li><li>Make sure you are planning in some family activities that promote peace in your home.</li></ul><p><strong><em><a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/purchase-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home-for-1-99-revised-expanded-version/" target="_blank">Purchase the entire series</a> along with new content and worksheets for $1.99!</em></strong><br
/> <a
href="https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?c=cart&#038;i=1019507&#038;cl=127736&#038;ejc=2" target="ej_ejc" class="ec_ejc_thkbx" onClick="javascript:return EJEJC_lc(this);"><img
src="http://www.e-junkie.com/ej/ej_add_to_cart.gif" border="0" alt="Add to Cart"/></a></p><blockquote><p>&nbsp;</p></blockquote><p>Be sure to visit these brilliant women during our 10 days adventure between November 7th-18th! I love these ladies and we know you will too.</p><p>10 days of Character Studies | <a
href="http://confessionsofahomeschooler.blogspot.com/">Confessions of a Homeschooler</a><br
/> 10 days of Christmas Countdown Ideas | <a
href="http://www.milkandcookiesblog.com/">Milk &amp; Cookies</a><br
/> 10 days of Creative Writing | <a
href="http://chocolateonmycranium.blogspot.com/">Chocolate on My Cranium</a><br
/> 10 days of Crockpot Meals | <a
href="http://thehappyhousewife.com/">The Happy Housewife</a><br
/> 10 Days to a Godly Marriage | <a
href="http://womenlivingwell.org/">Women Living Well</a><br
/> 10 Days of Growing Leaders | <a
href="http://www.momsmustardseeds.com/">Mom&#8217;s Mustard Seeds</a><br
/> 10 Days of Homeschooling High School | <a
href="http://www.weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com/">Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers</a><br
/> 10 days of I Wish I Had Known | <a
href="http://fruitinseason.blogspot.com/">Fruit in Season</a><br
/> 10 days of Keeping Your Marbles | The Tie That Binds Us<br
/> 10 days of Kid-friendly Food | <a
href="http://www.plannerperfect.com/">Planner Perfect</a><br
/> 10 Days of Language Arts Lesson Planning | <a
href="http://jimmiescollage.com/">Jimmie&#8217;s Collage</a><br
/> 10 Days of Learning Apps | <a
href="http://www.dazeofadventure.com/">Daze of Adventure</a><br
/> 10 Days of a Mason Jar Christmas | <a
href="http://www.amybayliss.com">Cajun Joie de Vivre</a><br
/> 10 Days of More JESUS in Christmas | <a
href="http://www.preschoolersandpeace.com/">Preschoolers and Peace</a><br
/> 10 Days to a Peaceful Home | <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/">Raising Arrows</a><br
/> 10 Days of Raising a Life-Long-Learner | <a
href="http://brightideaspress.com/">Bright Ideas Press</a><br
/> 10 days of Science with Math | <a
href="http://www.blogshewrote.blogspot.com/">Blog, She Wrote</a><br
/> 10 days of Teaching Values | <a
href="http://ourjourneywestward.com/">Our Journey Westward</a><br
/> 10 days of Winning your Child&#8217;s Heart | <a
href="http://www.itakejoy.com">I Take Joy</a></p><p><strong>A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE!</strong> Start renting movies worth watching today!<br><a
href="http://bit.ly/Lfp0Zj"><img
src="http://www.raisingarrows.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ccinema_468.jpg"></a><strong><br><br>Announcement!</strong><br>Now you can find all the <a
href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/subscriber-freebies/">Subscriber Freebies</a> on one page!  Click the link and enter Password: <strong>RAfreebies</strong></p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/11/greet-the-morning-10-days-to-a-peaceful-home/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>9</slash:comments> </item> </channel> </rss>
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